A book I read recently was I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy. I do not normally read autobiographies, but I have heard so much praise for this book I decided to give it a try.

McCurdy is most known for her role as Sam Puckett on iCarly and Sam & Cat, but as this book proves, there was so much more that happened behind the scenes.  

She explains her complicated relationship with her mother, and how trapped she felt her entire life. This book was eye-opening because of the power and ideas that her mother held over her. McCurdy never wanted to be an actress. She developed anxiety from an early age because of the multiple auditions she was forced into and became obsessed with eating restrictions and dieting when she was only 10 years old.  

Throughout this book, McCurdy narrates the tricky lifestyle she was thrown into with sincerity and bits of dark humor. Now on the road to recovery, she is at a place where she can reflect on the moments in her life and know that she has made it through.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect. The title immediately caught my attention, as it did with most. If I really concentrate, I usually can get through a book within a week, and that is exactly how long it took me to read this one. I found her writing style very simple and easy to follow along with. Her messages were clear and concise, and there were not any statements she made that left me confused. There was a delicate balance of order and chaos in people’s lives, and she explains the process it took to find her balance when there was no model of it growing up. She had a message to get across, and that is exactly what she did.

In this book, McCurdy wrote about her home life and how if it was different, she might have become a different person. She may not have had to fight battles with eating disorders and addiction for most of her life. She could have chosen a career path she felt more comfortable in instead of being thrust into fame before she was even in the first grade. If her mother had not been projecting her own life wishes onto her, McCurdy may not have struggled growing up. While she does write about her fights with things and people surrounding her, she also includes the resilience and strength it took for her to stand up to her own mother.  

McCurdy realized that just because her mom raised her does not mean that she should have been in control of McCurdy’s every move. Some parts really made me wonder how she managed to survive her childhood and get to the other side.  

I think I’m Glad My Mom Died is an important read for teenagers and people who are still growing up and learning about themselves. Someone might find themselves in the same situation as McCurdy was, and seeing someone who went through the same thing and turned out ok can be a source of comfort. This book does a great job of shedding light on the sad reality of childhood fame, which is something that has recently been brought more to the public’s attention. As far as autobiographies go, this one leans on the darker and devastating side, but it still relays the important message of not letting your past define you and taking the road to recovery.

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