*This is a book review of I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.
“Through writing, I feel power for maybe the first time in my life. I don’t have to say somebody else’s words. I can write my own. I can be myself for once. I like the privacy of it. Nobody’s watching. Nobody’s judging. Nobody’s weighing in…”
– Jennette McCurdy
Quick Facts
Author: Jennette McCurdy
Release Date: August 9, 2022
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Number of Pages: 320
SJ Rating: 100%
The Synopsis
A #1 New York Times bestseller that actually deserves the title. With humor and honesty, Jennette tells you the journey of her life, from an abusive mother to the woes of fame to the reliance on eating disorders, that led to her finding her freedom and choosing the most important person in her life: herself. The critics are right: this is a must-read.
Before anything, I must thank my beautiful bestie Millen for surprising me with this phenomenal book. This book was so incredibly and unashamedly honest; Jennette spoke her truth and didn’t hold back.
The Good
Where do I even begin?
I love how she describes her brothers on the first page as the Together one, the Smart one, and the Sensitive one and continues using their adjectives as their names. It immediately hooks you in; it was very difficult for me to put this book down.
Another thing I appreciated from the jump is Jennette dividing the book into two parts: before and after her mom’s death. The memoir leads all the way up to the discussion of the iCarly reboot.
I will say, Jennette is one dang good actress; she had me convinced she was enjoying her life, but it turns out she was putting on an Oscar-winning performance.
I thought Jennette McCurdy was a baddie like her character Sam Puckett because she embodied Sam so well. However, Jennette was simply doing whatever she could to satisfy her mom. I wonder if she used the negative emotions she felt about her mom to embody Sam? Jennette is a different kind of baddie—a powerful one, not the buttersock-slinging kind.
I found myself relating in so many ways, to the point where water threatened to spill out of my eyes. “I want order. I want peace. I want my three-hour reprieve from this place” is exactly how I felt about my childhood home too. When I read chapter forty-five, I was simply unwell; it hit too close to home in more ways than one. Jennette managed to sum me up in one quote: “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.”
I’m glad Jennette had her grandpa, the only person in their cluttered home who could see the weight put on her shoulders at a young age. I want to give him and Jennette a bear hug and squeeze love and appreciation into them.
This is a book that ultimately tells the journey of Jennette choosing Jennette, which is something I’m still learning how to do. Absolutely inspiring.
For the actual, physical book, the choice of font is perfect for the genre and writing style. The length of the chapters is perfect; it almost feels like you’re reading someone’s diary. Writing everything in present-tense really aids with the mental imagery; it mentally turns each chapter into short videos, almost like disturbing YouTube videos.
Side note (because I must know): Is the Ari she thanks in the acknowledgments Arianna Grande? She only briefly mentioned their relationship and more-so how she came to be jealous of Arianna. Did they become besties after the show ended?
The Bad
N/A
The Overall
The honesty. The rawness. The realness. The sarcasm. The innocence. This memoir had me shook to my core.
Sometimes people don’t realize they’re victims of abuse until they fully separate themselves from the environment of abuse, which is incredibly evident in Jennette’s story. Reading this makes me want to re-watch iCarly to see if I pick up on any signs of what she was going through.
When you google Jennette McCurdy, she’s listed as an American writer instead of an American actress and rightfully so!
I laughed. I cried. I continuously gasped.
This is a necessity for your library.
Next book to be read and reviewed: My Body by Emily Ratajkowski
“I wonder about boys sometimes. What it would be like to love one. I wonder if one will ever love me.”
– Jennette McCurdy
