Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and reveiw this book. Before reading this book, I knew little about McCurdy and vaguely remember the show iCarly. This was definitely an enlightment on her life and she made it hilarious throughout. Definitely recommend.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is the must-read memoir of the year. Alternating between irreverence, tragedy, and bold, brutal honesty, IGMMD is absolutely unputdownable. Highly recommend!

I received this as an eGalley from NetGalley.

Maaaan this memoir was rough- I was legit dumbfounded at times. This memoir was unflinchingly honest.

Any parent who wants to get their child into acting should read this on y'know what not to do.

A great read that gives insight into the world of child entertainment and eating disorder recovery. McCurdy is witty, insightful, and self aware in a way that reflects both her lived experiences and intelligence. I couldn’t put this book down, and I found myself on the verge of tears at several points. I also found myself rooting for McCurdy on her recovery, as someone recovering from an ED myself. I hope this isn’t the last book we get from her!

Jennette McCurdy is a gifted writer with an uncanny ability to tell the story of her childhood in a way that lets the reader connect with her in a visceral way. As the daughter of a less intensely abusive narcissistic mother, many of McCurdy's experiences were hauntingly similar to my own, and the way she described her youthful emotions and justifications for her mother's treatment of her absolutely resonated with truth. She tapped into the cognitive dissonance a child experiences from abuse at the hands of a narcissist mother and conveyed that emotional confusion very authentically. I was also struck by her raw honesty in recounting her eventual recovery from alcohol abuse and eating disorders, including the setbacks.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book, and thanks to Jennette McCurdy for sharing her story.

A great but also intense read. It kind of skips around a bit in time which was a little confusing but it covers a many-year period so it's not possible to cover everything at once.
Bleak but very good!

Im speechless, I just finished this book and I don’t even know where to begin. This book was INCREDIBLE. If you feel like you’re going through a tough time and are unsure whether or not you are able to push through then read this book! This girl is an inspiration! I did not watch Jennette’s Nickelodeon shows, I was intrigued by the cover and title originally. This book introduced me to the harsh reality that is probably more common than not of child actors. Jennette was forced into acting at 6 years old by her mom who wanted her to have the life she didn’t, however acting wasn’t Jennette’s dream and this book covers the struggles that she’s faced since. Jennette on the slim chance you come across this review I’d like you to know that you are incredibly strong and so freaking brave, your family members were so selfish and I am so sorry you didn’t get to have the childhood you deserved. You are going to do great things, you’ve already started by writing this book! Thank you for sharing your life with us and I can’t wait to see what else you put out in the future!

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while.

Honestly, this might be one of the best memoirs I've ever read.

As someone who grew up on iCarly, I've been following jennette's story for a while and couldn't wait to read this book when it was announced.

This book is totally heartbreaking and funny, and I couldn't put it down. Not only that, but I love the way the book is written plot/timeline wise. The book is clearly divided between before and after her mom passes away and she is able to tell her story so effectively through that plot device, it’s magic.

Now, this book is terrible and sad at some points, but Jennette is able to weave her humor into the stories and recollections to help the reader get through it. I think by her telling this story, I was able to really see how high pressured child actors are from multiple aspects, and especially Jennettes pressures specifically. While tho book is titled what it is, the love Jennette feels for her mom is clear on ever page, even after all of the awful things she did to her.

I can’t wait for everyone to read this book.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

I’m Glad My Mother Died
A memoir by Jennette McCurdy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


This was shocking to say the least. I have watched Jeannette grow up as “Cat”. Jennette is only a couple month older than me. So I have felt some kind of connection to her. I was always amazed by all she had done, and little did I know that she was going though hell and more while so many girls were idolizing her. This was such an eye opening memoir of things that go on behind the scenes of celebrities lives, that no one really knows.

This is definitely one of the most bold titles of a book I’ve seen. She was able to find humor in her horrible circumstances. I know dark humor isn’t for everyone, but I know it’s away to cope. She somehow did make this book very enjoyable even though all the heartbreaking memories.

Realizing what she went though starting at the age of 6 years old, is hard to comprehend.

I would recommend this to anyone that watched Jennette grow up and was impressed with her as an actress. After reading this, I know you will be blown away with everything she went through while in the eye of the public.

I'm not a person who's typically interested in celebrity memoirs, but I have a lot of respect for Jeanette McCurdy and so much empathy for her. I grew up watching iCarly, I have some really deeply influencing issues with my family, and have also dealt with a debilitating eating disorder so the moment I heard this memoir was coming out I knew it was going to be one that I wanted to read. It feels passé to say that this lived up to expectations, but it is genuinely an incredibly well-written, emotional, and shockingly harrowing personal account about exploitation and family and how this can impact us for the rest of our lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

PHEW. This memoir is a wild ride. I went into this book completely blind. I’ve never seen an episode of iCarly and had no idea that this actress had her own spin-off. But this is still one of the most interesting celebrity memoirs I’ve ever read. It is definitely upsetting, but I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.

CW: physical/emotional abuse, eating disorders, alcoholism

As someone who grew up watching Jeanette on TV, this memoir was eye-opening.

I love the cover art and title of this memoir. It is bold and eye catching. But you know what they say, never judge a book by its cover, just like I can't judge Jeanette by the work she has done as the dreaded "Sam Puckett".

Jeanette's struggles with her family and eating disorder are harrowing and deep. This memoir is one of the best ones I've read in a while and helped me remember a few important lessons, such as never judge what others are going through, family is not always good for you, and the one that I take away the most, we were not put on this Earth to be skinny and starve ourselves. We were meant to live!

Thank you, Jeanette, for your insight and sharing your story by finding your voice, you have a great gift for writing. I would read any of your works.

With an eye-gripping title and a last line that makes your jaw drop, Jennette McCurdy is truly evolving the concept of what it means to write a celebrity memoir.

Actually, to write this book off as a "celebrity memoir" would be a disservice and an insult. It is an incredibly captivating, nuanced, and deeply personal account of one overcoming a myriad of
harrowingly formative childhood experiences that led to a coming-of-age consumed by exploitation, eating disorders, substance abuse, and grief.

This story is told in a very fiction-esque way. Despite being 100% non-fiction, she writes in the present tense, moving us along very closely with her as she ages in what feels like real time. We as readers are able to see her vividly grow and evolve
from a naive young girl to a strongly empowered woman who gains the capability to think critically about the world around her.

McCurdy's voice is sharp, witty, and finely tuned
- she clearly has a knack for writing, which is one of her true passions, as she mentions a few times throughout the memoir. Even though the main concepts discussed throughout this book are grim, she recounts them in a way that is both humorous and brutally candid. All in all, this was a profound debut from an even more profound and illustrious individual.

P.S. Don't expect this to be a drama-filled "tell-all" - it's not. There are bits and pieces about her time spent at nickelodeon, specifically working with who she refers to as, The Creator, but that's about it. She touches briefly on the relationships she
made with her co-stars, yet any part about her acting career is only included because it is integral to her overall journey as a whole

I am in absolute awe of this book. McCurdy's writing is incredibly clear and concise, even when describing interconnected feelings of grief, shame, anger, and sadness. She does not need to describe every event from her past to convey the deeply disturbing dynamic her mother created, but the stories she does choose to include feel both honest and symbolic. The contents of this book, including descriptions of her eating disorder, emotional manipulation, and alcohol abuse, would have been much harder to read if she didn't infuse her writing with the confidence and assuredness of someone looking back from a much better place in their life. Despite describing the very specific trauma that comes along with being a child star, many sections are deeply resonant with anyone who has suffered from mental illness, verbalizing feelings that are often intangible and creating extremely vivid and emotional comparisons. I am probably not doing this book justice - I could not put it down and know I will continue to think about it well into the future and there's really no way to convey the full extent of its emotional impact in words.

I’m a huge fiction reader and rarely read non-fiction. I was initially drawn in by the book cover and title. I admit, I probably would have no idea who Jennette McCurdy was if my kids didn’t watch iCarly and Sam and Cat (over and over again). Knowing a little bit about her as an actress made me very curious about her backstory. And boy, I had no idea how bad her childhood and adolescence was. An emotionally abusive mother forcing her into acting as a child, led to an eating disorder and other issues throughout her life. This was a great memoir. Funny at times and sad at others. I would highly recommend this book.

The description for this book calls it "a hilarious and heartbreaking memoir" and that is spot-on.

Jennette takes us from the beginning of her acting career at age six to adulthood. Pushed into acting by her mother, who had dreamed of being a successful actress herself, Jennette weaves a touching story of her love for her mother, and the slow realization of how very dysfunctional their relationship is.

Ultimately with the death of her mother, Jennette is finally able to start healing herself and living her life for herself.

This was an excellent book, told in an authentic voice throughout. Thank you for the ARC Netgalley, and Simon & Shuster!

I am speechless after having finished this. It is easily a five star memoir- a feat that is difficult to achieve. When I saw the title of this, I immediately went to find and request it. I wanted to know, really, if this title could make sense for a book or if it was just a hook. The answer is both- it certainly grabbed my attention but the contents of the book itself were what kept my attention.

This memoir recounts Jennette McCurdy's introduction into the acting world by her mother, who always dreamed of acting herself. Jennette's mother has fostered an unhealthy and codependent relationship with her, and as Jennette grows so too does the pressure put upon her by her mother to meet certain body standards. Also weighing on Jennette is her growing career in acting- a career that makes her uncomfortable much of the time. To keep her mother happy, Jennette appeals to her wishes via her role on iCarly and by various disordered eating habits.

Throughout this book, Jennette's storytelling stays consistent with the age she is recounting from, and it lent so much to the authenticity of the book. There were so many things I learned, not only about Jennette but the children's entertainment industry around the time I was being exposed to it. I feel mostly though that this was a great memoir and a poignant way for Jennette to use her voice the way she wants to. In the end, I not only "got" the title, but I also understood that this was the best title she could have chosen.

I have already started recommending I'm Glad My Mom Died to friends, I just can't get over how good I thought it was. I'm so thankful to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts about this book.

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! jennette spares absolutely no details in the retelling of her life, starting at 6 years old when she was pushed into pursuing an acting career she did not want by her overbearing mother. the relationship between her and her mother was deeply toxic and codependent. many chapters were hard to read and my heart breaks for jennette and every thing she went through. her childhood and early adulthood years were stolen by the entertainment industry, multiple eating disorders, and substance abuse issues. despite this, her sense of humor and writing style made this book a breeze to read. this book is dark, really dark, but hopeful and im so happy for jennette and her continued healing.

I say ‘wow’ about a lot of books, but this one was truly a ‘wow’ book from the blunt title to the honest and heartbreaking journey of Jennette McCurdy’s life.
This memoir follows Jennette McCurdy (through her pov) from a very young age when she began acting, through to her in her late 20s. Her writing style is incredible and we truly get to see the reality of her growing up with a manipulative and abusive parent with a job she never really wanted. This book was really upsetting at points, and pretty big tw’s for addiction and eating disorders.

I think this is a memoir that everyone needs to read, as it is really enlightening about the experiences of a child star and I think it touches on so many things that us as viewers of her old shows never really stopped to think about or view as possible.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Jennette McCurdy for the arc of this novel.