Book Review: I'm Glad My Mom Died

Jennette McCurdy reclaims her narrative

(Jennette McCurdy photographed in front of a backdrop of her memoir)

Jennette McCurdy is someone I think needs no introduction, but in case you live under a rock or you’re old as a hill let me give some background on who she is. Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy is an author, director, singer, and former actress. It’s the latter of these credentials that most if not all of us recognize McCurdy from, as she was a main character on one of the most popular children's shows of all time, iCarly. On the show, she played Sam Puckett the rough-around-the-edges best friend of the main character Carly Shay (Played by Miranda Cosgrove). As I said, the show was a massive success and propelled McCurdy to the spotlight, the show was such a success it received a spin-off called Sam & Cat. Which followed the shenanigans of Jennette’s character Sam and cat (played by Ariana Grande) a character from another popular sitcom by the same creator of iCarly called Victorious. On the surface this seemed like the beginning of what could have been a prosperous career for the blossoming actress but as we find out from her memoir that’s far from what she ever wanted.

Going into the book, I fully expected to learn in-depth about the horrors of the production of iCarly and Sam & Cat, and of course, we did get that. But what really captivated me about the book was how Jennette’s vulnerability and proclivity to show all aspects of herself, whether that be the good, bad, or the ugly, and in doing so it truly allowed me to do a lot of self-reflecting and it made me feel seen. As someone who struggles with my own issues of identity and whether to be who I am or who my parents want me to be it was really refreshing to get another perspective of it from an unlikely source. Something Jennette makes a point of in the book is that she hates being recognized and known only as “sam from Icarly” and the memoir at its core is about learning who Jennette McCurdy is. It’s learning about her struggles as a child actor, the abuse she endured from her mother, and how that led to her struggles with bulimia, anorexia, and her own identity issues. It’s about how unresolved traumas from your past can and will seep into your future and will shape you into the person you are today.

I mentioned that learning this all was from an “unlikely source” because it was immensely eye-opening to me that I had seen so much of myself in her. I believe we tend to look at celebrities and think their lives are perfect, they have the money, the fame, and the power to do practically whatever they want and we think because of that they can’t possibly be suffering as we do with all the resources they have when that’s simply not the case. Throughout the memoir, the emphasis is primarily put on Jennette McCurdy the person, not Jennette McCurdy the celebrity. Evidently, while the memoir is incredibly disheartening, Jennette’s deadpan humor shines through often, showing a lot of her personality and her sense of humor and it’s one of my favorite things about the book. I, also tend to make jokes and poke fun at my own misfortunes as well this kind of humor is really up my alley and it was pleasant to have these comic relief moments sprinkled throughout the memoir.

I wasn’t expecting to relate as much to her story as i did, but in a way, I’m glad I do. Reading about experiences and situations I myself have also endured has made me feel as if I wasn’t alone in what I’m dealing with. Seeing Jennette persevere despite all odds has given me immense hope that I too can survive in this world. I think this book could be very insightful for everyone, not just people who can relate and share similar experiences. But for anyone, 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' is a story of hardships, perseverance, and self-discovery and I think we all can learn more about ourselves from her story.

I could go on and on about some of the intricate details and stories that are woven throughout the book because that’s how rich the story truly is. But I don’t want to give too much away about it so I’ll end it here and just say If you haven’t read it yet please do I can’t recommend it enough. With that being said I hope you enjoyed my review and let me know what you thought of the book.