Stephanie Sullivan: Review - I'm Glad My Mom Died

TITLE: I'm Glad My Mom Died

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

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.

REVIEW: When my two boys were teens, they loved watching iCarly, and I enjoyed watching it with them. Sam Puckett was always our favorite character, and after reading this autobiography, it saddens me to know that Jennette McCurdy was going through her own personal hell during that time. Reading her story was an eye-opening experience. I was shocked. I cringed at her candidness. I wanted to rush through the “heavy” parts. But, most of all, my heart broke from a deep place of knowing and understanding. It was tough to read at times, and there were moments when I had to put it down and walk away for a few minutes. I really admire Jennette’s honesty. I’m sure this couldn’t have been easy to write, but I’m so glad she didn’t hold anything back. If anything, her unreserved and outspoken truths just make me admire her even more.