Shandi Sturgill

I’m Glad My Mom Died details Jennette McCurdy’s years as a child actress and working for Nickelodeon. McCurdy also discusses her fraught relationship with her late mother. Additionally, McCurdy writes about the work she’s done on herself to move forward from her trauma and issues with self-esteem.

I was surprised how quickly I got into this book. Listening to the audiobook probably helped a lot with this. It gave McCurdy the medium to blend her talents as a performer and writer. There are moments in the recording where you can hear the emotion and vulnerability in her voice. This adds a lot to the memoir and brings her story more vividly to life than merely reading the words on a page.

I really respect how honest McCurdy was. She doesn’t shy away from discussing the abuse she encountered from her mother and studio executives. She’s also very up front about the effects this abuse, and her mother’s illness and death, had on her self image and mental health. McCurdy is also very candid about her own faults and regrets. For instance, she discusses how miserable she was working on iCarly and how she knew she shouldn’t be feeling this because of how significant the opportunity was for her career.

As someone who has always idealized the life of being an actress in Hollywood this memoir shows that all that glitters isn’t gold. I found it interesting to read about the issues McCurdy has had with control (which I can definitely relate to) and how little you have as an actress. It’s easy to get captivated by the glamor and forget the team behind the scenes that selects auditions, clothes, and meticulously crafts the public’s perspective.