I'm Glad My Mom Died is an unflinching reflection on McCurdy's experiences with abuse and eating disorders while growing up in the spotlight. I am truly amazed at how the author tackled such dark topics with such detail and an air of humor. Think Jenny Lawson meets Mayra Hornbacher meets Michelle Zauner. One of the best memoirs I've read this year by far - you will definitely want to add this one to your TBR.

A dark, candid, raw memoir about being a child star, physical and mental abuse from a mother, and a negative relationship with food. McCurdy said to hell with fluff and really went there without holding anything back. The book is split into two parts: before and after her mother’s death. There were some parts of her life growing up that had me seriously shocked and reading about the abuse her mother put her through was tough. You see all of the repercussions this abuse had on her physical and mental health once she reaches adulthood so if you’re into examinations of the human psyche, this may be of interest to you. My younger sisters were really into her Nickelodeon shows so I’ve seen quite a bit of her work, so reading how she actually felt about her roles and relationship with the network was eye-opening and kind of makes me want to go back and watch a few episodes now that I know the nitty gritty. I like how the last chapter wrapped everything up. Overall, very solid memoir and I’m intrigued to see what else she writes if she continues to do so.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennetter McCurdy is like a V.C. Andrews story come to life. The heartbreaking honesty and emotion laced with humor in this memoir show the ups and downs to a life in the spotlight.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was an absolutely gripping ride start to finish. I love Jennette McCurdy’s writing style - I’m not going to lie, I initially saw the chapter count and groaned a little assuming the book was going to be slow, but I found myself flying through the chapters.

I was definitely aware of her growing up, and I was a big fan of iCarly and watched Sam & Cat, but this book has an excellent benefit of both a) Having a very eye-worthy title that makes you want to read it and b) being genuinely good. I’m positive I would have read this and had I not known who the author was, and it’s just overall a fantastic memoir.

I would say for any readers to just be cautious when they read for the content warnings listed - this is her story, and she goes into detail about multiple things such as eating disorders, which may be triggering for some readers to read about.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I’ve been a fan of Jennette McCurdy, so I couldn’t wait to read her story. But the title!! I would have read this book for the title alone! No book title or cover has ever caught my attention like this one.

This book definitely lives up to the hype. Jennette has spoken about her mother and childhood in interviews and podcasts, but actually reading everything was so heartbreaking!

This book is worth the read! Jennette does a great job telling her story, she made me laugh and cry and feel just about every other emotion in between. I hope Jennette continues to write because this was phenomenal.

This is such a well written memoir and I have to say that as awful as it sounds I'm glad McCurdy's mom died too. The book is a well written, interesting read and McCurdy has a gift for writing that really comes through in the second half with her honesty and wry humor even in the darkest times. She is open about not just her beyond dysfunctional relationship with her mother but also her drinking, eating disorders, relationships and more. The book left some current things unanswered and I really want to know how they turned out (no spoilers) but for the most part it wraps things up well and I'm so glad she's found happiness and success in her new life.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since Jennette announced it. I didn’t know a whole lot about her before this, but I admittedly loved iCarly growing up and I did always kind of wonder why Jennette didn’t go on to star in more things. I love memoirs, I’ve read a ton of them. I love reading someone’s story from their point of view. With that being said, there are a LOT of terrible celebrity memoirs out there. That mostly happens when you can tell they have a bad ghost writer or when it’s abundantly clear they’re banking in on an opportunity rather than wanting to tell their story authentically and thoughtfully. This was one of the good ones, and I think it’s because Jennette’s writing felt like a real person telling you about her experience, one she’s still going through. In the chapters about her childhood, she does a great job at writing from the perspective of herself as a child, rather than as an adult who’s reflecting on her childhood. You go through the journey with her and you really see her growth throughout the chapters. This one was hard to read and even jarring at some parts, but made me loud out loud at other parts.
Reading about her experiences growing up with and being so influenced by an abusive narcissistic mother was tough, but eye opening. I appreciated her commentary on coming to terms with the traumas of her life, the complicated nature of her grief, and how all of these things affected her and the work it takes to be okay after all of that.
It really stood out to me how candid she was about her eating disorder. As someone who has struggled before, I know how much strength that takes.

Extremely sad, brave, fact based account of young actress Jeanette McCurdy’s difficult relationship with her mother. From calorie restriction and extreme guilt trips the abusive behavior from her stage mom was extreme. This bravely told story is heart wrenching, well written and impossible to put down. Excellent memoir that should not be missed.

I'm Glad My Mom Died is a vulnerable memoir by Jennette McCurdy. It's my favorite memoir of that I have read this year!

I remember watching iCarly as a teenager and laughing so hard at Jennette's humor and timing. Through the years I always wondered why I stopped seeing her in projects because I always thought her talent for acting needed to be showcased. But this memoir not only gives readers an insight into why she decided to stop acting but why choosing herself was the best thing she could have done.

The first thing that really stood out to me was the title of the book. I didn't know what to expect but Jennette sets it up really well. She starts off by writing about her childhood, in particular, the relationship she had with her mother. Her mother Debra was the person who got Jennette into acting. Her mother told her that she wanted her to have a better life than her. As the book continues, you see how Debra really controls her daughter's life. From a young age, she is tough with Jennette about getting certain roles. But it was so hard to read about the moment that Debra taught Jennette about calorie restriction. Jennette wasn't even in her teens yet. And the hardest part is that Jennette believed it was normal and okay because it would make her mother happy.

As the book continues, she talks about her time on iCarly. This was a time when she started to really understand what fame meant. I mean she was always my favorite character on the show. It was so good to read about her friendship with co-star Miranda Cosgrove. It was a blessing because Jennette was able to forget about so many of her worries if only for a moment.

This memoir is really heavy so I do want to say that there is addiction, eating disorders, abuse, and mental health triggers. I commend Jennette for opening up in a way that is heartbreaking but hopeful. This woman has been through so much in her life and to know that her mother is a huge contributor to her struggles is hard to know. Jennette goes into detail about her eating disorders and you can feel the pain that she felt. Sometimes she caused it but it all stemmed from her mother. Her mother was os controlling and just mean. I say that because she manipulated her daughter to do things like maintaining an 'unhealthy weight', purge, lack self-confidence, and ultimately seek help through addictive behaviors. As a human being, your heart just breaks for Jennettee because deep down you know that this could have possibly been prevented. Despite the disgust I feel towards her mom, I feel hopeful because Jennette is working to stop the cycle. I pray that she continues on her path of recovery and I hope that she finds peace.

I give I'm Glad My Mom Died 5 stars. It's such a telling memoir. Not only does it show the cons of being a child actress but how destructive a mother/daughter relationship can be. I commend Jennette for her openness and courage to write this book. I think it will be healing for so many who are also struggling and I hope it is just as healing for her. I have said it but this is my favorite memoir of the year. It's poignant and affecting that it will be impossible to put down.

This book put me through a roller coaster of emotions.

I used to watch iCarly with my kids when they were younger. It was one of the best shows made for kids TV and Sam Puckett was easily the best character on the show. She went against typical female teen stereotypes. She was outspoken, carefree, loved to eat, and was never intimidated by anything or anyone. It's sad to know that the character and the actress were polar opposites. Jennette was controlled by her abusive and mentally ill mother from the time she was born. It wasn't until her mother passed away from cancer when Jennette was a young adult that she was able to figure out who she was and what she wanted from life.

This is an insightful and hard book to read, and you don't need to be a fan or even need to know who Jennette McCurdy is to appreciate this book.

The title really got me, as I'm sure it will for many others well. I was vaguely aware of Jennette McCurdy prior to reading this book - her time on Nickelodeon was younger than my generation, but I'd seen her in headlines here and there over the years. I didn't have expectations either way going into this, but wow. I am just blown away by her story and experience - her bravery and resilience and the harrowing effort she has put into building a life of her own after her childhood was stolen from her by an abusive mother and abusive industry that exploited her for years. I would definitely include the caveat/content warning that her recounting of her eating disorder is a huge piece of her story, which in explicit detail might be triggering for some. Loved this book and would recommend. Excited for Jennette and the writing career she has ahead of her!

3.5/5 stars
The memoir of former actor, Jennette McCurdy. McCurdy's memoir focuses on her mom and how she pushed her into being an actor, having disordered eating, and more. McCurdy very openly discusses all the struggles she had from trying to please her mom and the struggle of not feeling good enough for her mom. It's only after her mom dies of a long battle with cancer that she can finally start coping with the trauma her mom put her through.

This book is heavyyyy. If you are looking for a memoir with lots of humor and some more meaningful moments, this is not for you. The writing is good, and the story is definitely captivating. However, it is also really sad to see everything McCurdy went through.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book moved me in a way I never expected it to. I knew that McCurdy had issues, especially with Nickelodeon, but I never really knew. The things she endured made my own messed up childhood seem like a freaking carnival.

This memoir tells the story of Jennette McCurdy's tumultuous relationship with her mother throughout her life. The title is off-putting, but after reading the book, I can see why. This book covers a wide array of topics including family, mother/daughter relationships, eating disorders, and mental health issues, among other things.

this book was dark and it feels weird to give it 5 stars, but it was superb. I wish I could eloquently describe the way the McCurdy writes in a way that gives her writing justice. At times, it was like reading a fiction novel, but then I'd read something that brought me back to the jarring reality that this book is, in fact, non-fiction. McCurdy writes with a comedic presence that almost makes the subject matter of this book even more dark.

I think this book is more than just a memoir written by a celebrity, it's so raw and real and makes the reader think about their own relationships with themselves and others. It would be easy to think that McCurdy will spill all of her secrets from getting started in acting to working on iCarly and Sam and Cat. However, this memoir is not about Jennette McCurdy Childhood Star, this memoir is about Jennette McCurdy. Her real issues are not overshadowed at all about what people may or may not want to hear about her time at Nickelodeon.

Anyways, this memoir is really really excellent and I definitely recommend this to everyone.

(thanks to netgalley, simon and schuster, and jennette mccurdy for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!)

I grew up watching iCarly so this memoir definitely intrigued me. While the title is a bit uncomfortable, Jennette McCurdy is a sensational writer. She is so blunt at times but yet humorous. My heart broke for her at some points in this book. Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the arc!

How something can go from devastatingly shocking to absolutely hilarious in a couple sentences makes no sense to me, but, holy moly, does it work so well! The title is the most gripping title I’ve probably ever seen, and it is so fitting for this book because I couldn’t put it down. I never read non fiction, let alone autobiographies, but I want to recommend this to anyone who will listen. Whether you’ve heard of Jeannette or not, this is a must read!

I am a late 80’s Millenial, so I missed the iCarly craze the first time around. I was only recently introduced to the show when my kids fell in love with it during the pandemic. Of course, their favorite character was played by Jennette. Once I heard she would not be returning for the reboot because she hated her time filming I was honestly perplexed. Now I get it. This is such a raw, thoughtful and deeply introspective look at Jennette’s dysfunctional childhood and the impact of it on her adulthood.

This is truly the best memoir I have ever read.

this is such a good memoir and mccurdy knows how to write!! her voice is biting, funny, and blunt but still manages to convey emotion and truth. i flew through this and while it is no fun upbeat beach read it is written without any fluff or unnecessary material. it’s a truly good memoir and i’m glad mccurdy had the chance to tell her story in such a bold manner.

I just finished reading the whole thing in one day and it was so dark and so raw but so so important. Her writing is truly amazing and the story was so personal that I found myself really invested in her story from start to finish. Something that stood out to me was how she didn't romanticize or idealize the process of getting out of her eating disorders but instead shows how a lot of the times self-improvement is not a continuous upward curve, but has downs as well. Her feelings towards her mother after her death were clearly very complex and she showed all of those aspects in a very raw way. Also, her experience in the Hollywood industry as a child star is really important as many child stars have struggled to find themselves and to heal from those childhood experiences and I think her speaking out about it is really brave.

Since leaving Nickelodeon, Jennette McCurdy has been very forthcoming about what her childhood and experiences have been since being a child star. This memoir is a very honest and insightful look at what that was actually like for her. It was an emotional and sometimes painful read, but I'm happy she was able to share her story.