#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star
Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor--including
eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her
overbearing mother--and how she retook control of her life.
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting
audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star,
and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went
along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and
weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home
makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You
think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom
until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching
detail--just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes
true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust
into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and
getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi ("Hi Gale!"), Jennette
is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into
eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships.
These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the
iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of
cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette
embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she
really wants.
Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I'm Glad My Mom Died is an
inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing
your own hair.
