I'm Glad My Mom Died

By: Jennette McCurdy

Narrated by: Jennette McCurdy

* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 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, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), 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, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

©2022 Waffle Cone, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Loved

I’ve never listened to an audio book- or even picked up a book in a good while, but as someone with mommy issues this was a must. Thank you for sharing your story, I haven’t felt this much validation in awhile. All the love

Amazing

I think we as people look at celebrities and think they’re perfect and have no issues. This shows that no matter how perfect you think somebody’s life is it can be far from it. Life is hard for all people. I couldn’t stop listening. Thank you so much Jeanette for this amazing book

So powerful I couldn’t stop listening

I feel I need to say up front I’m twice the authors age & never an iCarly fan. You don’t need to be in your 20’s or a fan to love this book & its narration.
I knew from the title that she didn’t have a rosy upbringing & knew I could relate so I gave it a try. Wow. I couldn’t stop listening. Her mom & mine would’ve been BFF’s. I’m sure this book was difficult for JM to write but it will eye opening & inspirational to so many. I really hope JM writes another book but even if she doesn’t I would love it if she narrated more books. Some of her voices for others in the book were very good. Jennette will have a very successful future in writing if that’s the career she chooses. I very highly recommend!

Holy sh*t this is a fantastic book

I never watched iCarly so I had no previous preconceptions about the author. She's brilliant. This book is so good. Her read of it is wonderful, and there is a choice (by the editor?) to leave in a take where her voice breaks that is just 👩🏻‍🍳😘
I can't recommend this book enough. I laughed, I cried, I gasped out loud. I will be forcing it on everyone I know.

Better than the hype

Decided to read/listen to this book because of all of the hype it was getting on social media, and it ended up going way past the build up. This story is raw, heartbreaking and inspiring. I grew up watching Jennette on tv and remember hearing rumors of an eating disorder but truly had no idea everything she was going through. Her story is one of courage and inspiration and I’m blown away by this book. Plus her reading of it is so good and personal. Highly recommend!

Incredibly Heartbreaking.

Wow. So much respect for this book and her ability to tell this story. Bravo.

Painfully close to home

Tragically funny honesty. Trying to please my parents was the backdrop of my own children and few conversations with my stepmother did not center around my weight. It’s sad and comforting to relate with the story. The sarcasm was on point!

Absolute MUST READ!

There isn’t a single fault in this book. I saw a recommendation on Tiktok of all places about this, so I immediately went to Audible mentally praying I would find it here. Sure enough, here it is. & read by Jennette herself! I listen to a lot of audiobooks while I work, & this one lasted me my whole shift which flew by as I listened. I’m sure a few of my coworkers gave me odd looks as I gasped, laughed, and cried throughout. This is so vulnerable, so powerful, so moving. If you’re debating: do it! You won’t regret it.

Authentic

This was such an incredible and beautifully written story. By the end I feel like I walked a mile in Jannette’s shoes. Highly recommend!

I want to see Jennette succeed on everything she does

There’s always been something unexplainably interesting about Jennette to me whenever I saw her on tv growing up. Through her characters there always felt like something more going on about her, and I had never expected it to be anything like what she detailed in her book.

She’s gone through a lot, much more than what she’s able to just put into a single book, and it’s impacted her so much that it’ll affect the rest of her life. Her writing style, especially the little details and bits for a laugh through her trauma, make this book enjoyable to read. It’s a story of a young actress being forced to put on a facade to please her mother and the long lasting repercussions of that relationship in the long run.

There’s more to her past than just sensational headlines meant to grab the topic of gossip. It’s amazing she’s been through all that she has and has the courage to share her story.

I feel bad because at one point I had wanted to see her in iCarly’s reboot, but I understand her choice now. I want to see her be successful and happy in the way she wants to.

I really hope she enjoys writing and continues to write more books. Her view of the world is captivating, at least to me, and I would love to see more of what she can do.