I'M Glad My Mom Died by Jennette Mccurdy

4.6 (70)
$27.99

Product Details

Web ID: 15068176

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing motherand how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mothers 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 doesnt tint hers? She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In Im Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detailjust as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame.

  • Product Features

    • Author - Jennette McCurdy
    • Publisher - Simon & Schuster
    • Publication Date - 08-09-2022
    • Page Count - 320
    • Hardcover
    • Adult
    • Movies & TV
    • Product Dimensions - 6.1 (W) x 9.1 (H) x 1.3 (D)
    • ISBN-13 - 9781982185824
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6/5

70 star ratings & reviews

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3 months ago
from Colorado

Heartbreaking

Never have I demolished a book so quickly yet savored every word. I don’t think I can say anything but hasn’t already been said but W O W this book resonated so deeply with me, it even gave me nightmares about my own overbearing mother. I really identified with this book and I’m eternally grateful to Jeannette for letting us into her life. 10 stars

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

6 months ago
from Wilmington, North Carolina

Horrible Book

I was so excited to buy this book when it came out because I went through similar situations growing up. But honestly, she is nothing but a whiner throughout the whole thing. I found it weird that as a teenager she didn't stand up to her mom and say enough is enough. Or even as a young adult. That's what most teenagers do. Why didn't she use all the money she had to move out and go to a University for writing? Also, the way she talks about guys that really care about her is horrible too. Really sad. I'm surprised none of them have sued her for it yet. She always wanted to be this best selling author, however she's a really bad writer and better at acting (something she says she hates over and over again). She even trashes her fans. She just wont understand things in life until she gets married and has a few kids of her own. Even though her mom molested them in a hidden way, she didn't have to make a book about it. If she wanted to be a best selling author, why not make more creative stories? And not wish your mom to die. That's wishing death upon people, yet certain platforms would sensor this, yet publishers didn't? My dad wasn't a very nice person to me either, yet, I still loved him and wished he would have been the dad I wanted him to be, not wished he was dead. What kind of person would that make myself? She has a lot of growing up to do.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

8 months ago
from Atlanta Ga

A raw and painful memoir

It's aways difficult to review a memoir without feeling like I'm judging that person's life so I will stick to the writing style and tone as opposed to content for this. First off this memoir is exceptional on audio. McCurdy narrates herself and this feels so personal and full of heart and self reflection. Obviously she is still young and will continue to grow and reflect on this time period in her life but it also feels important to share about it while a lot of these experiences are still so raw and being processed. With that said there are so many trigger warnings so take care with the content.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

8 months ago
from AZ

Not a funny book!

I am so surprised at how many people felt that this book was funny or hilarious. I did not find anything funny about this 6-year-old girl who was pushed into an acting career by her obviously mental ill, hoarder, manipulative and abusive mother. I did enjoy the story and all the inside information about child actors and what they have to go through to obtain stardom. It was obvious from the start that her mother was using her daughter's career to support the family. I thought the writing was a little all over the place at times and I was puzzled about the author deciding to leave her acting career to go to Nashville for a singing career with really no explanation.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

9 months ago
from IL

An Incredible Memoir Unlike Anything I've Ever Rea

I'm generally not one for memoirs or non-fiction. It's extremely dependent on the writer and the subject matter, but usually, they're just not for me. They're dry, repetitive, slow, BORING... and just a slog to get through. That^ does not at *all* describe my relationship to 'I'm Glad My Mom Died.' This memoir is unlike anything I've ever read and I don't know where to start. -The writing is impeccable. Jennette McCurdy does an excellent job demonstrating just how stunted and infantilized she was, even through her late teens, to the point where I had no idea how old she was until she mentioned it (and then would gasp). Not only that, but she writes with such nuance. Her mother, while not coming off as the most amazing person, is not a full villain here. Her hurt and insecurities are examined on the page. She's a real person and her actions demonstrate how hurt people hurt people. -McCurdy's vulnerability is staggering. My heart swelled and broke for her so many times. To so publicly expose herself on the page *so* soon after starting therapy for all of these things could not have been easy or comfortable or even frictionless to her mental health on occasion. -The flow of the book is perfect. As someone who reads in moments that they're able (and, again, has trouble with non-fiction), I LOVED the short chapters. It made it so much easier to devour the book and also kept the story moving. There's no bloat or excess detail or ruminations because there just wasn't room in the format, and for that I'm grateful. -It changed the way I see iCarly. This isn't at all the most important aspect of this book by FAR, but as someone who loved iCarly, I'm grateful for the new lens it gave me to look at the show. I noticed Jennette McCurdy's shifting body type in the moment, but never really *noticed* it until she started pointing out her struggles. Once that first mention of anorexia came, I could clearly start to see those shifts in a way I never did. And the way her character (who was my favorite) acted on screen, having to gorge herself on fried chicken, and scream and yell constantly? To know that she dissociated through so much of it and hated almost every minute breaks my heart. But I'm glad to know it. I'm so glad that Jennette McCurdy is doing what she needs to do to figure out who she is and what she wants and how to be healthy. My situation is not at all the same, but I can relate to trying to figure out my own wants and needs as a fully-formed adult after operating under a trauma-impacted version of myself for so long. It's incredibly difficult and heartbreaking but she deserves it and more. I loved this book and am so glad it (and McCurdy!) has gotten the praise it so deserves. Excellent all around. I can't wait to devour more of McCurdy's art in the future.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

10 months ago
from NY

Jennette McCurdy writes an intriguing memoir about

I'm Glad My Mom Died is one of those books that as you're reading it, you don't know whether to laugh or cry, or just feel heartbroken. I am familiar with Jennette McCurdy as the actor that my boys watched growing up, and even still do on their favorite shows, as grownups. I admit that she was my favorite character on iCarly, because she was bold, brassy, and strong. I heard over the years that there were claims about many of the child actors, or even the rumors about the firing of, and I'm using Jennette's phrase The Creator. I had started reading this when it first came out, and then set it down, almost forgetting about the book, until I started watching a new series that dives into many young actors treatment and how there were unsettling and abusive adults, including The Creator. At that moment, I realized I forgot to finish the book, and quickly searched through my tall pile of books that I had yet to read or finish reading. I read so much, that sometimes the books I buy for myself take more time to read. So, I settled in, and over the course of a few days, I was able to finish the book. She writes about her feelings about growing up, specific experiences, and how much she loved and wanted to please her mother. As a child, and even as an adult, she couldn't see the truth behind her mother's actions, and that it led to alcoholism and a multitude of eating disorders, starting at the pressing of her mother at the age of eleven. She goes through her life, her dislike of acting and her anxieties of auditions. It's an amazing story, and I was very impressed with her writing, her ups and downs, and can understand her actions, as both a child and adult. I hope she writes more, whether it is about her life, or maybe a screenplay about anything. She is a talented writer, and I was honored to read this book. I'm Glad My Mom Died is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book to also write a review.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

10 months ago
from Chicago, IL

A Hilarious and Heartbreaking Memoir

My kids grew up watching the crazy antics of Samantha Puckett on “iCarly “and “Sam & Cat” – Nickelodeon shows that were popular in the 2010s when my children were the target market for such entertainment. Jeanette is a natural at embodying the eccentric Sam. It is a testament to her acting ability that no one knew that she was secretly enduring terrible pressure and pain in her personal life. Although very successful in her career, Jeanette never wanted to be an actress, much less famous. It was the dream of her narcissistic, manipulative, and abusive mother. Jeanette, the devoted and loyal daughter, embraced these goals never wanting to disappoint or upset “Nonny Mommy.” This came at a high price. Jeanette outlines growing up in a “hoarder house” with brothers, grandparents, and dysfunctional parents all living under one roof. Her life involved acting classes/auditions, religious guilt, being taught and constantly encouraged to engage in eating disorders while dealing with the pressure of financially supporting her family from a young age. Not her dream, but totally her responsibility. It is no wonder that there is fallout: addictions, unhealthy relationships, sexual hang-ups, misguided loyalty, stunted growth, anxiety, and secrets. With the recent release of the documentary, “All Quiet On Set,” this memoir adds to the uncomfortable and painful glimpse into the child star experience. Jeanette is truly an exceptional writer – her words are raw, deeply honest, and laugh out loud funny, completely capturing the absurdity of the situations she finds herself in, whether by choice or circumstance. She lays it all out there as she struggles to break free from the abusive bonds. Ultimately, it is very satisfying to see her walk away from acting and walk toward personal growth and redemption.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

11 months ago
from New Orleans, La

Beautifully written, felt very close to Jennette

This was the first time I’ve heard Jennette as her instead of Sam Puckett, she goes into deep detail on her mother’s abuse in teaching her to count her calories, still bathing her and making her sit in a booster seat at the age of seventeen, and disorienting her mind with the emotional abuse of her cancer. This book is very graphic in detail including trauma bonding, child adolescence, OCD, anorexia, bulimia, manic episodes, and sexual intercourse. It is in very descriptive writing and is in a very different lighting than I'm used to seeing her. Growing up watching her as Sam Puckett, I never knew that she was this person, this human being going through struggles, and isn't always perfect she is just like the rest of us low-class people. Jennette talks about the struggles she had as a child actor and a raw depiction of the acting scene, although she explained numerous times that acting was her mother's idea she was very grateful for the relationship she gained with Miranda Cosgrove. As aspected, she talks about Dan Schnider who forced her to drink alcohol and let other actors from his other shows drink as well. Jennette also never speaks down upon Ariana Grande. Still, she does make it clear that she’s never had a serious problem with Ariana and that she is very proud of all that she’s accomplished, and she also clears up the rumor that the show Sam & Cat wasn’t ended because Jennette was jealous of Ariana’s music career. Jennette continues to talk about her Netflix series (which I’ve never watched) and how once it came to an end it was an easy decision for her to end her acting career. After ending her career she continues to go to therapy and grow as a person, to recover from her mother's abuse and find her sense of independence.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com