vaguely_pink's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Addiction, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Cursing, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Excrement, and Drug abuse
inthemoonforcheese's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Stalking
bealittlebrave's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Grief, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity and Classism
aprilbethp's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve been incredibly impressed with McCurdy’s writing. This did not read like a memoir to me. It read like a character driven novel and was quite moving at times. There were many moments where I would express sorrow out loud while reading.
Something that I really appreciated about her clear vulnerability was her ability to weave a basic understanding of generational trauma to her readers while also allowing her own deniability of being traumatized in the moment. So often we see memoirs based around trauma and the author clearly labels it as such in the moment they are experiencing it. McCurdy describes the reality of being groomed into trauma and the grief that comes when you slowly recognize that you are indeed traumatized and you were continually for as long as you can remember.
Of course, the Nickelodeon drama is horrible and h fortunately interesting. What I found most interesting was seeing how Hollywood will seek out at risk children and exploit them knowing their parents are at best inept and incompetent and at worst abusive.
I applaud McCurdy on stepping away when she did and for finding her voice. It’s a strong and beautiful one. I hope to see her writing more because she has a real talent for it.
I’ll be adding my voice to all the other recommendations.
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Physical abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Self harm, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Vomit, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Bullying, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Stalking
ladyinverse's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Classism, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Drug use, Death of parent, Blood, and Emotional abuse
erebus53's review against another edition
3.75
I read this because it was one of the most read books on 2022 in the online book-club I'm in, and I really had no idea what it was about going in. I have no vested interest in the subject matter; for all her fame, Jennette McCurdy (or her character, Sam, in iCarly) was not on my radar at all until now. I wouldn't know her from a bar of soap... except I assume she would be the biped.
This book is seriously grim, I don't know why it didn't rattle me though. I guess I somewhat identified with the eating disorder stuff, to a lesser extent. It's complete garbage how some parents treat their children. Having to live through a childhood on eggshells .. needing to maintain that level of vigilance, even when you don't know that your experience is any different from anyone else's, leaves some serious scars on a person. I have seen it in people close to me.. and it tends to be intergenerational.
Some people go through horrors and come out careful and mindful, and some just come out a bit worn out and snarky. I don't know that I would have ever become friends with someone like Jennette McCurdy, as she is the sort of person who leans away from conflict and then ends up feeling sore about it afterwards. I have always felt on edge around such people. It's a survival thing, but not one I like to be around, and that may be what causes some of my disdain for parts of the book.
I did enjoy some of the one liners; "Our yoghurt has soured" felt very metaphorical and also absurd; the term "thrug" for an awkward three person hug that someone else invites themselves into, feels like a fantastic neologism that I really ought to adopt.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cursing, Cancer, Grief, Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Vomit, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Infidelity
Moderate: Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Bullying, Injury/injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Misogyny, Blood, Chronic illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Stalking
shanbles's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Vomit, Death of parent, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cancer, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Addiction, Mental illness, Classism, Cancer, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Panic attacks/disorders
madmantha's review
5.0
I highly recommend the audiobook.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Ableism, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Vomit, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Medical content
Moderate: Vomit, Violence, Homophobia, and Rape
Minor: Ableism
This is potentially very triggering for anyone with: Eating disorders, abusive parents, multiple mental illnesses. Please be aware before reading this fantastically written book.parasolcrafter's review
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Homophobia, Classism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Drug use
theuncannydani's review
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Cancer, and Death
Moderate: Body shaming, Rape, Misogyny, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Drug use