I'm Glad My Mom Died

About the book

Jennette McCurdy grew up on Nickelodeon sets, pushed there by a mother who managed every part of her life — her body, her food, her money, her ambitions. The memoir moves from childhood auditions through eating disorders, addiction, her mother's illness and death, and the strange freedom that came after. It is written in short, sharp scenes, without self-pity and without asking to be forgiven for the title.

What I thought

I went in expecting shock value and got something much more tender than that. The title is provocative, but the book underneath it is careful, precise and often very funny — she lets you laugh right up until the moment she quietly breaks your heart.

What stayed with me is how gently she holds two truths at once: that her mother hurt her, and that she loved her anyway. There is no neat resolution, just a person slowly learning to want things for herself. It is one of the most honest books I've read about healing that isn't linear, and I finished it feeling strangely hopeful.

Favourite ideas & themes

• family
• healing
• honesty
• identity

My verdict

Devastating, funny, and worth every page.