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Content warning: This article contains mentions of eating disorders, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, mental and emotional abuse that could be triggering for some. 

When former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy released her book I’m Glad My Mom Died, a lot of people were horrified. How could she say that? Is she just doing it for attention? That’s just wrong. Well, after reading I’m Glad My Mom Died, I can definitely understand. Yes it does feel harsh, but hearing the details of their relationship? That was horrifying. I decided to listen to the audiobook because when reading a memoir, I like to hear the authors own voice. I believe that you get a clearer expression of the author’s words and I love that. My favorite audiobook that solidifies this point, is Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. That said, here are my thoughts on I’m Glad My Mom Died.

I’m Glad My Mom Died summary

Jennette McCurdy, who’s now 30-years-old, was a child actor who was one of the stars on Nickelodeon’s show iCarly. I absolutely loved that show, especially McCurdy’s character Sam. When they announced that there would be a reboot of the show, I was really hoping that she would be part of it. She wasn’t. I had heard rumblings that there were issues for years, but wasn’t sure of the specifics. I always wondered if she was ok. Well, she was not ok, and this book is proof.

From Simon & Schuster – “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.

What did I think?

I’m Glad My Mom Died was really tough to get through. Thinking of everything she had to go through just broke my heart. The way that she was abused and not protected, made me absolutely furious on her behalf. Abuse from her mother, producers, society, the industry. It was just so awful. I know, you’re wondering why you should even read this. For me, I wanted to understand what happened behind the scenes in her own words. I want her to know that she is seen, heard, and understood. And as far as memoirs go, I think that it was told really well. There are 320 pages full of short but powerful chapters. Other topics she addresses: her Sam & Cat co-star Arianna Grande, walking away from acting, behind-the-scenes of the industry, Miranda Cosgrove, and more. This was an incredibly tough read, but was worth it.

Trigger Warnings

I do think that there are so many aspects of this book that can be extremely triggering for people. Eating disorders, alcohol abuse, mental abuse. While I don’t think that any of this is glamorized in any way, the detail in which this is described could be triggering for some.

My rating (I rate in hugs – on a 5 hug scale)

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗 I’m Glad My Mom Died gets five hugs from me. For the way she tells her story with such honesty, for her ability to inject humor into such a heartbreaking story, and for the fact that I wanted to give her all the hugs when I finished the book.

For more book recommendations, check out my Best Book You Read This Summer list.

What's The Best Book You Read This Summer?

What’s the best book you read this summer? That’s the question that I asked my followers on social media. Boy did they deliver. I was so excited to see so many book lovers respond, and how passionate they are about their favs.

What makes a great summer read?

This definitely means different things for different people. Personally, I need easy, breezy, fun and romantic. I don’t mind if there’s a slightly dark story in the background, but it can’t be too heavy or dominate the story. People sometimes think that those books aren’t “quality” stories. Fight me, because yes they are! Lol I also think that a great summer read is the best of what summer is. A break from your real life, adventure, fun, and breaking out of your shell. At the end of the day, a great summer read is an escape from reality and the pressures of every day life.

Do audiobooks count?

My personal opinion is yes. Again, fight me. Lol Sorry if I’m sounding a little violent today. I can’t help it when it comes to books. Audiobooks count because they are telling a story, just in a different form. I also think that it’s a pretty ableist take. Some people aren’t able to “read” in the same way. Ok I’ll stop. One thing I will say is that, for me, some of my favorite books are ones that I’ve listened too. Especially memoirs. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime is my hands-down favorite audiobook. Such a great story, and the way he tells it is stunningly good. I also recently listened to Simu Liu’s We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story. Simu Liu is the star of Shang-Chi. Here’s my review of We Were Dreamers.

Whether you’re looking for your next great read, or want to check out what other people are reading, here’s the compilation from my social media friends. What’s The Best Book You Read This Summer?

  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry - Pebbles Recommendation

    Pebbles holding Book Lovers by Emily Henry

    Loved this book! Read it when I was in Aruba and couldn’t put it down. Books about books? I’m in!

    UPDATE: Read this last weekend, and it definitely jumped to the top of my summer book list. LOVED this one!

    Picture of Pebbles' legs with feet on an adirondack chair. Holding the book Half Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith

  • Life Force - Recommended by Ramiro

    Book Cover - Life Force by Tony Robbins

  • The Lost Apothecary recommended by Diana L.

    Book cover - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

  • Worlds Apart recommended by Eric C.

    Book cover - Worlds Apart - My Personal Life Journey through Transcultural Poverty, Privilege, and Passion by Mai Kim Le

  • The Last Thing He Told Me - Recommended by Susan B.

    Book cover - The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

  • The Last Mrs. Parrish - Recommended by Patricia S.

    Book cover - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

  • Anything by Peter Swanson - Recommended by Michelle G-B

    Book cover - The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

  • Love and Other Words - Recommended by Krissy L.

    Book cover - Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

  • Manic - Recommended by Jennifer P.

    Manic - A Memoir by Terri Cheney

  • The Bridgerton Series - Recommended by Erica B.

    Book cover - The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

  • The Golden Couple - Recommended by Rita A.

    Book cover - The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

  • Looking for Ashley - Recommended by Lois W.

    Book Cover - Looking for Ashley - Re-reading What the Smith Case Reveals about the Governance of Girls, Mothers and Families in Canada by Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich

  • The Hotel Nantucket - Recommended by Joelle F.

    Book cover - The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

  • November 9 - by Colleen Hoover

    Book cover - November 9 by Colleen Hoover

  • A Slow Fire Burning - Recommended by Terry L.

    Book cover - A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

  • All Good People Here - Recommended by Kathy B.

    Book cover - All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

  • A Quantum Life - Recommended by Bobbie G.

    Book cover - A Quantum Life - My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars by Hakeem Oluseyi and Joshua Horowitz

  • Fifty Words for Rain - Recommended by Maria D.

    Book Cover - Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie

  • The Bodyguard - Recommended by Amanda T.

    Book cover - The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

  • Gone with the Wind - Recommended by Maribel M.

    Book Cover - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

  • The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Recommended by Jessica B.

    Book cover - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

  • Every Summer After - Recommended by Brittany S.

    Book cover - Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

  • Finding Me - Recommended by Shameka W.

    Book cover - Viola Davis Finding Me

  • Born a Crime - Recommended by Carmen C.

    Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

    I ADORE this book! If you want an extra-special experience with this book, listen to the audiobook. Trevor is brilliant!

  • Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter - Recommended by Francine J.

    Book cover - Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by 50 Cent

  • Run Rose Run - Recommended by Lisa V.

    Book cover - Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

  • The Underwear in My Shoe - Recommended by Melissa S.

    Book cover - The Underwear in My Shoe by Brett Russo

  • Crescent City Series - Recommended by Kristen J.

    Book cover - Crescent City series by Sara Maas

  • The Clockmaker's Daughter - Recommended by Sara H.

    Book cover - The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Recommended by: Amanda S, Corrine, & Andrea M.

    Book cover - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Evelyn Hugo

  • From Scratch - Recommended by Carmela P.

    Book cover - From Scratch - A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke

  • The Judge's List - Recommended by Amy G.

    Book cover - The Judge's List by John Grisham

  • The Summer I Turned Pretty Series - Recommended by Stephanie T.

    Book cover - The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

     

  • Voices from the Pandemic - Recommended by Ann Marie T.

    Book cover - Voices from the Pandemic - Americans Tell Their Stories of Crisis, Courage and Resilience by Eli Saslow

  • Home Before Dark - Recommended by Bethany L.

    Book Cover - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

  • By the Book - Recommended by Deb M.

    Book cover - By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

  • On Rotation - Recommended by Deb M.

    On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi book cover

  • Greenlights - Recommended by Ashley R.

    Book cover - Greenlights by Matthew McConaghey

  • It Ends with Us - Recommended by: Gloria V, Jennifer B, Vero A, & Liz T.

    It' Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover book cover

  • Long Way Down - Recommended by Deanne A.

    Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds book cover

  • My Best Friend's Exorcism - Recommended by Lizzy R.

    My Best Friend's Exorcism by

  • The Dead Romantics - Recommended by Maria G.

    The Dead Romantics by Ashley Preston

  • The Librarian Spy - Recommended by Kenneth K.

    The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

  • The Woman They Could Not Silence - Recommended by Michelle G.

    The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore

  • Verity - Recommended by Pamela W, Theresa S, Tracey B, Christine B, Amanda, and Samila

    Verity by Colleen Hoover

  • The Love of My Life - Recommended by Brittany G.

    The Love of My Life by Rose Walsh

  • Where the Crawdads Sing - Recommended by Briana J, Jennifer L, Adina W.

    Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

  • The Silent Patient - Recommended by Melissa M, Cydney T-N, Diana V.

    The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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