"I'm Glad My Mom Died"

Lives up to the hype. A brutally honest biography with dark humor and glimpses into child fame, parental abuse, eating disorders, and the way back.

Summary:

Pushed into acting by her bipolar mother, Jennette never knew her childhood was a lie. Obeying her mom's "calorie restrictions" to avoid puberty, acting to finance her entire family's livelihood, developing OCD habits by hearing "the Holy Spirit's voice," were just a normal part of her life. Little by little though, she realized that something has to change as her unhealthy habits and relationships are only getting worse. This novel chronicles Jennette's abusive home life, acting career, and reclaiming her mental health and identity.

Verdict: 9/10

Everyone has been reading this book and for good reason. McCurdy doesn't hold back, revealing truly disturbing and intimate details of a life fraught with manipulation and coping mechanisms. It was tough to listen to and graphic but such an eye-opening read.

In many ways, this autobiography is a psych study. The reader is brought into the headspace of Jennette, seeing how her mindset was manipulated into believing and following everything her mother said, how her mother's behavior shaped how Jennette formed relationships and unhealthy habits, how her entire life was founded on making her mom happy and adapting to her mom's constant mood swings. The book is a great firsthand account of addictions and recovery as well.

You could also do an entire analysis of the mother, as I wondered whether her manipulation was intentional or unconscious. Maybe her cancer diagnosis or her hoarding or her own childhood morphed into some mental disorder, but it wasn't outrightly discussed in this account. There are so many aspects that I would love to have fleshed out in a psychology class.

The first scene perfectly captures the shock of the book. The content was seriously creepy and disturbing [disclaimer: not for younger readers]. There were so many moments that I couldn't believe this happened... or rather didn't want to believe it as it was just one horrible turn after another. It wasn't just her mother manipulating her but her directors, grandparents, boyfriends, and more. Despite that, McCurdy's humor made it bearable and kept you wanting to know how she got to where she is now.

There was a bit about her recovery, but a majority of the book was her rejecting to classify her mother as abusive. Obviously she has realized the truth since these events, given that we are reading the book about it, but the realization isn't directly included in these pages. Maybe we'll get to see that in the next book she writes.

McCurdy had a great balance of gravity and humor in her writing. I'm so glad I read the audiobook as she narrates it herself and perfectly captures the emotions (or lack thereof) throughout the book. It wouldn't have felt right having anyone else read this, and having the author claim her own words in this book was especially impactful. I loved her writing style and voice and really hope she writes more in the future.