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m_shaddy's review against another edition
5.0
Before this, I didn’t really know much about Jennette McCurdy. She was one of those people I had seen on TV or online but never really knew who she was or what she was famous for. iCarly was way past my Nickelodeon-watching days, but I’m so glad I picked up this book (or rather, listened to it).
This memoir was raw, emotional, and at times, shocking. I was blown away by how brave she was to put all of this out there—to share her experiences as a child actor, the toxic treatment she endured from her family, and the lasting struggles with mental health that resulted.
The abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother was rage-inducing. My heart ached for that little girl who didn’t know anything different, who thought that the way she was treated was normal. It’s heartbreaking to think of how her childhood was completely stolen by a narcissistic mother who was so obsessed with living vicariously through her daughter that she didn’t stop to care about her. I know some will say that her mother loved her deep down, but I truly believe that narcissists like that are incapable of loving anyone other than themselves—and that is just as tragic for Jennette and her siblings.
Books like this are so important. They help people who have experienced similar things realize that what they went through isn’t normal, that help is out there, and that they can find people who truly care about them. This book was heartbreaking, eye-opening, and deeply impactful.
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
renja_lensvik's review
4.0
It follows Jennette McCurdy's early career as a child actress under her mother's thumb, taking the reader through decades of abuse from the perspective of a kid who absolutely adores her parent. Emotional and physical abuse, forced eating disorders, and intense controlling behaviors are just a few of the things she talks about - not only how they impacted her in the moment, but how they continued to affect her as she grew into adulthood and even after her mother died.
It was powerful and well-written, but in all honesty, a bit difficult for me to read. Some of the descriptions of eating disorders, addiction, and abuse were quite detailed. Those passages emphasize how much the pain inflicted upon McCurdy changed her for life, which I think is a valuable message, but they are pretty hard to get through.
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Death of parent
torden_'s review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Stalking and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
pvp_niki's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Medical content and Religious bigotry
mahlbrec05's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
e_cristens's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
avy_moose's review
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
bri_morgan's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking
emialmonacid's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
lindsey05's review
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, and Medical trauma