*AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER* 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.
