#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD!
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 whatever it took and Jennette would do anything to make
her mother happy. So she went along with what her mother called “calorie restriction” weighing
herself five times a day and ultimately shrinking down to 89 pounds. She endured extensive
at-home makeovers using knockoff whitening strips hot curlers eyelash tint and gobs of
bleach to enhance her “natural beauty.” She was showered by her mother until age sixteen while
sharing her diaries an email account and all her earnings. The dream finally comes true when
Jennette is cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly and is thrust into fame. But for
Jennette the dream is a nightmare. Practically overnight her fake smile and cheesy
airbrushed hair-do is plastered on billboards across the country. And though her mom is
ecstatic ordering her to smile for the paparazzi (with whom she’s on a first-name basis) and
sign endless autographs for fans who only know her by her character’s name 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 Jennette’s mother dies of
cancer. Finally after discovering therapy and coldly examining the relationship with her
mother Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really
wants. Told with raw honesty and equal parts gravity and humor I’m Glad My Mom Died is a a
shocking devastating and ultimately inspiring story of resilience.
