Name: Sarah Wilson's review of I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Item: I'm Glad My Mom Died
Rating: 4
Author: Sarah Wilson

Jennette McCurdy

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'm Glad My Mom Died

I’m Glad My Mom Died 

Ribs

How many times can you pratfall over a carpet or sell a line you don't believe in before your soul dies?

ReadwithZanariah 

Moms are saints. Angels by merely existing. NO ONE could possibly understand what it's like to be a mom. Men will never understand. Women with no children will never understand.

We've drifted apart. It's a sad reality for me in my late twenties. At the beginning of the decade, the people I was close to seemed like friends for life, people I could never imagine not seeing every day. But life happens. Love happens. Loss happens. Change and growth happen at different paces for different people, and sometimes the paces just don't line up. It's devastating if I think too much about it, so I usually don't.

karina

I yearn to know the people I love deeply and intimately — without context, without boxes — and I yearn for them to know me that way, too. 

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.

Mandy

I’m desperate to feel close with her but also desperate for that closeness to me on my terms, not hers. I want her to know me for who I’m becoming, I want her to allow my growth, I want her to want me to be me. But that feels more like a fantasy than a possibility, for now at least. 

Her happiness came at the cost of mine. I feel robbed and exploited. 

madeleine

I yearn to knoe people I love deeply and intimately-without the context, without boxes-and i yearn for them to know me that way too.

This feeling of sadness and ending is really common on sets. You get to know the people around you so intimately because your'e around them more then you're around your family. For a period of time. And little by little, you realize you start talking less and less to the people you thought you were so intimate with. Until you don't talk to them at all anymore. And it makes you wonder if you were ever really intimate with them in the first place or if it was all just a facade. If the connections were as temporary as the sets they were made on.

Magaly Belmontes

“SLIPS ARE TOTALLY NORMAL. WHEN you have a slip, it’s just that. A slip. It doesn’t define you. It doesn’t make you a failure. The most important thing is that you don’t let that slip become a slide,”

I’m Glad My Mom Died

Sara Poole

We listened to News of the World front to back while sitting on his his wooden floor. He kept scooting closer to me and brushing his hair behind his ear, which was mildly repulsive to me coming from a man. 

Celine

I've been journaling near constantly to get my feelings on paper, which is a challenging task since I struggle to identify my emotions. Is "all of the uncomfortable ones" an option? 

I don't like knowing people in the context of things. Oh, that's the person I work out with. That's the person I'm in a book club with. That's the person I did that show with. Because once the context ends, so does the friendship 

"Men, they'll hurt you without ever really knowing you," she often told me. “But women... women will know vou deeply, intimately, and then hurt you. You tell me which is worse.

This is the first time I've heard the word “anorexia." It sounds like a dinosaur. 

rachel

“I don’t like knowing people in the context of things. 

Oh that’s the person I work out with. That’s the person I’m in the book club with. That’s the person I did that show with.

 Because once the context ends, so does the friendship.”

Molly Sanderson 

My eyes are dead, my soul is nowhere to be found, but a smile is on my face and that's all that counts.

Liv Gliese Johnsen

I feel the wedge between Mom and I growing by the day. With every lie I tell, I feel myself slipping further away from her. With every pound I gain, every binge I partake in, I feel myself getting more disconnected from her.

I’m so confused and troubled by this wedge. I’m desperate to feel close with her, but also desperate for that closeness to be on my terms, not hers. I want her to know me for who I’m becoming. I want her to allow my growth. I want her to want me to be me.

Fame has put a wedge between Mom and me that I didn’t think was possible. She wanted this. And I wanted her to have it. I wanted her to be happy. But now that I have it, I realize that she’s happy and I’m not. Her happiness came at the cost of mine. I feel robbed and exploited.

Sometimes I look at her and I just hate her. And then I hate myself for feeling that. I tell myself I’m ungrateful. I’m worthless without her. She’s everything to me. Then I swallow the feeling I wish I hadn’t had, tell her “I love you so much, Nonny Mommy,” and I move on, pretending that it never happened.

My anxiety causes me to be a people pleaser. My anxiety causes me to take the picture and sign my autograph and say it’s a good one. But underneath that anxiety is a deep, unearthed combination of feelings that I fear to face. I fear that I’m bitter. I’m too young to be bitter. Especially as a result of a life that people supposedly envy. And I fear that I resent my mother. The person I have lived for. My idol. My role model. My one true love.

What?” I ask, not because I didn’t hear what he said, but because I’m confused. Of course a little girl should worry about her entire family. That’s what little girls do.

“I don’t want to act anymore,” I say before I even realize I’ve said it.

Mom looks at me in the rearview mirror. A mixture of shock and disappointment fills her eyes. I immediately regret saying anything.

“Don’t be silly, you love acting. It’s your favorite thing in the world,” Mom says in a way that makes it sound like a threat.

dana

i have no idea how to go about life without doing it in the shadow of my mother, without my every move being dictated by her wants, her needs, her approval.

i feel the wedge between mom and i growing by the day. with every lie i tell, i feel myself slipping further away from her. with every pound i gain, every binge i partake in, i feel myself getting more disconnected from her.

i'm so confused and troubled by this wedge. i'm desperate to feel close to her, but also desperate for that closeness to be on my own terms, not hers. i want her to know me for who i'm becoming. i want her to allow for my growth. i want her to want me to be me.

but that feels more like a fantasy than a possibility, for now at least. so for now, i lie.

Linwan Song

Good audio book! I felt for little Jennette, teen Jennette, and adult Jennette. Well told and each chapter ended with a punch.

Sarah Wilson

 I knew nothing about this actress but this is a real raw Hollywood biography

It deals with a lot of heavy topics and sheds great light on her life and the life of child actors and actresses 

Brittany Peterson

 I knew nothing about this actress but this is a real raw Hollywood biography

It deals with a lot of heavy topics and sheds great light on her life and the life of child actors and actresses 

Had to stop at some parts because it was just so cruel. Cried a lot because how could a mother do that to her child?

Rewatched the iCarly intro and cried too. That intro song used to spark so much joy and nostalgia. I can't believe she was going through all of that abuse during that time. The cognitive dissonance is insane. 

ILY JENNETTE MCCURDY PLS WRITE MORE BOOKS!!!

Rain Luciano

Had to stop at some parts because it was just so cruel. Cried a lot because how could a mother do that to her child?

Rewatched the iCarly intro and cried too. That intro song used to spark so much joy and nostalgia. I can't believe she was going through all of that abuse during that time. The cognitive dissonance is insane. 

ILY JENNETTE MCCURDY PLS WRITE MORE BOOKS!!!

Can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this. This was such a good book, finished it in a day - so raw, heartbreaking but also funny at times. 

Xi Hui Teo

Heartfelt, humorous, and honest - all the best h's I can give.

Roseanne

I loved it the moment I had started reading it I couldn’t stop it is an amazing book I do highly recommend it because it also informs u about abuse and trauma 

Sana

 beautifully written and vivid — I honestly felt like I was right there with her. Jeannette McCurdy tells her story in such a raw, honest way that it feels like you're listening to a close friend open up about everything she's been through.

Even with such heavy subject matter, she somehow manages to slip in bits of humor that feel natural, not forced. It's heartbreaking, powerful, and weirdly funny at the same time — and that balance makes it hit even harder. Definitely a five-star read.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

This book was so beautifully written and vivid — I honestly felt like I was right there with her. Jeannette McCurdy tells her story in such a raw, honest way that it feels like you're listening to a close friend open up about everything she's been through.

Even with such heavy subject matter, she somehow manages to slip in bits of humor that feel natural, not forced. It's heartbreaking, powerful, and weirdly funny at the same time — and that balance makes it hit even harder. Definitely a five-star read.

It’s really saddening to read about what Jeanette went through when she played one of my favorite characters in a show. This just really shows that abuse can show up in different ways and doesn’t have to be physical all the time. Reading the way she thought about what her mom made her do, excusing and justifying her actions, because she was conditioned into this being her normal. Just heartbreaking.

I’m so happy she gets to LIVE and figure out who SHE is and move forward from her childhood traumas. 

lily

It’s really saddening to read about what Jeanette went through when she played one of my favorite characters in a show. This just really shows that abuse can show up in different ways and doesn’t have to be physical all the time. Reading the way she thought about what her mom made her do, excusing and justifying her actions, because she was conditioned into this being her normal. Just heartbreaking.

I’m so happy she gets to LIVE and figure out who SHE is and move forward from her childhood traumas. 

I am at a loss for words at this book. Just wow. I loved how raw and emotional this book is. I love how truthful it is and how we can reveal our own truths. Just wow. I am beyond wow. 

Muitos pensamentos… mas sobretudo tristeza.

Pedro Rodarte

I’m Goad my Mom Died is a memoir written by Jannette McCurdy. A woman that I grew up idolizing and watching on my favorite Nickelodeon shows. 

Hearing her story was gut wrenching and heartbreaking, but also gave hope to the reader. She has such a strong voice and has truly impacted my personal life. 

This book is beyond worth the read and absolutely earned its awarded best seller title.

Lexi 

I’m Goad my Mom Died is a memoir written by Jannette McCurdy. A woman that I grew up idolizing and watching on my favorite Nickelodeon shows. 

Hearing her story was gut wrenching and heartbreaking, but also gave hope to the reader. She has such a strong voice and has truly impacted my personal life. 

This book is beyond worth the read and absolutely earned its awarded best seller title.

Brenna Rutherford

I felt so deeply for her while reading this. She expresses her situation and the hardship brought upon her in such a raw way. She shines a light on life as a child in Hollywood, as well as life with a controlling and deeply narcissistic parent. Definitely check tw’s with this one. 

Kalista Dickson

DEVASTATING 

I felt so deeply for her while reading this. She expresses her situation and the hardship brought upon her in such a raw way. She shines a light on life as a child in Hollywood, as well as life with a controlling and deeply narcissistic parent. Definitely check tw’s with this one. 

Sophia

When you grow up with a show it's hard to understand that there's anything negative happening behind the curtains. I grew up with iCarly and although I know now from documentaries and biographies that Nickelodeon at that time was messed up you don't know how impacted the individuals were. Hearing Jannettes story was equally heartbreaking and inspiring. She got through it and found the strength to get through the bad for herself. One of the better biographies I've read in a while. 

Macy M

such a great great great voice. one of the easiest and most compelling reads i’ve had (which congratulations to jennette, because with the subject matter, that wasn’t easy at all)

Mika

an incredibly well-written, poignant book - jennette mccurdy has a way of intertwining humor and self-reflection that makes for an easy, yet incredibly heartwrenching read.

so fucking hard to read but so powerful and poignant

rrai

Took so long to get through this book because some parts were a really tough read, I can’t believe she went through this much for so long and I just feel so proud of her for getting to where she is now. Also provided a great view re: the psyche of people who struggle with EDs.

With regards to the book itself, memoirs/ biographies aren’t really my favourite genre I think but definitely a worthwhile read regardless.

“So much of my life has felt so out of my control for so long. And I’m done with that being my reality. I want my life to be in my hands. Not an eating disorder’s or a casting director’s or an agent’s or my mom’s. Mine.”

Nicole

Took so long to get through this book because some parts were a really tough read, I can’t believe she went through this much for so long and I just feel so proud of her for getting to where she is now. Also provided a great view re: the psyche of people who struggle with EDs.

With regards to the book itself, memoirs/ biographies aren’t really my favourite genre I think but definitely a worthwhile read regardless.

-

“So much of my life has felt so out of my control for so long. And I’m done with that being my reality. I want my life to be in my hands. Not an eating disorder’s or a casting director’s or an agent’s or my mom’s. Mine.”

Such a sad story - hearing from the author definitely added a lot of emotion to many of the situations described. 

Paige Paul

Eva Ströberg

What a great reading, what a sad story. I also have an overbearing mother, and until recently I didn't realise how much it affected me and my personality until someone pointed out at me that it was not normal. Absolutely can relate with this story.

Camilla

Patrick Book

I couldn’t put it down despite…all of it.

Linwan Song &
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy