Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.
Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
I was first introduced to iCarly on the weekend that I first met my step-kids. They were at the age that Nickelodeon was on the television non-stop. I found joy in the light-hearted kids show, iCarly. It reminded me of sitcoms from my own childhood. It makes me sad, now, knowing what was going on behind the scenes for "Sam." To say that Jennette McCurdy came from a dysfunctional family would be a gross understatement.
Jennette McCurdy may be known for playing a fast-talking, smartass on television. But this year she was the darling of the literary world. And for good reason. If you read just one celebrity memoir this year, it should be I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy.
Details:
- I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy
- On Instagram
- Pages: 320
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication Date: 8/9/2022
- Buy it Here!
- Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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