A new year means it’s time to indulge in new reads. For me, last year was all about reading fictional tales as a form of escapism, but this year I wanted something different. Since the announcement of its release, I wanted to read I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. It wasn’t just that one of my favorite actors that literally made my childhood had written a book, but I knew that Jennette has an interesting upbringing that led to her acting career, and I yearned to know more about it.
I’m Glad My Mom Died is a memoir that delves into the complicated dynamic between Jennette, a retired actress mostly known for her role as Samantha Puckett on iCarly, and her mother Debra. The book explains that tumultuous relationship to the readers, but it also branches off and helps readers understand how it affected the relationships she had with other family members, friends, food, and her own identity.
As I was reading the book, it really made me realize that nobody knows what’s going on in other people’s lives behind closed doors. Yes, on the screen Jennette appeared to be living a life of glitz and glamor, but in reality, she was struggling. She suppressed that strife deep down and continued to paste a gleaming grin on her face for the world.
Jennette brought a spry and brash energy through the screen that always made me and many other children laugh. So to learn that she was suffering while pursuing the career that everyone knows and loves her for, made me see all of the shows and movies that I’ve seen her in through a new lens. This is what the book did for me, and I think that a lot of people have something to gain through reading it too.
Lena Dunham, writer and director, labels this memoir a “cultural document” and I agree. The amount of courage that it takes to tell a story like Jennette’s is astronomical, but it’s crucial that they’re told. Books like I’m Glad My Mom Died are what bridge the gap between public figures and an individual with just an ordinary life. This book has shown that no matter what lifestyle a person lives or appears to be living, everyone is susceptible to facing obstacles. I know I can speak for a lot of people who have read the novel when I say that it’s a real thinkpiece because it gnaws at the truth. Jennette is not just writing about her truth, but she also advertently speaks for readers who have similar stories but are not able to speak their truths yet.
I’m Glad My Mom Died is real, raw, and relatable among many other things, so if you haven’t read it yet, this is a sign that you should.