Actor-dancer Alyson Stoner's revelatory and incisive memoir - from family violence and betrayal
to eating disorders and religious trauma - may begin in Hollywood but its chilling
relatability will resonate with anyone navigating identity privacy purpose and mental health
in a digital age. Raised on soundstages and studio lots from the age of six shuffling
between auditions for Disney Channel Cheaper by the Dozen or Missy Elliott music videos
Alyson Stoner experienced many of the defining moments of childhood inside the bizarre fishbowl
of Hollywood. From working eighty hours a week at eight years old to learning how to
distinguish fan mail from kidnapping plots to TV execs saying they weren't 'anorexic enough'
to stop working and get help Alyson struggled to find stability and sanity in a chaotic world.
In Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything Alyson shares their powerful story for the
first time detailing a turbulent home life fractured by substance abuse harrowing accounts
from rehab the messy process of discovering their sexuality in church rebuilding a life after
an early professional peak and charting a path of self-discovery and advocacy. With striking
introspection Alyson connects the dots across the entertainment industry ecosystem child
development and media culture exposing the 'toddler to trainwreck pipeline' of child stars
and sparking timely conversations about success and society's enchantment with fame. Bold
entertaining warm and galvanizing all at once Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally
Everything is more than a personal memoir: it's a beacon for industry reform a road map for
breaking the bonds of generational trauma and a testament to the freedom and strength that
come from finally trusting your own voice and power.
