The Verdict
My answer is yes, with care. It is funny, fast and often painful, and I give it four and a half out of five.
This is a spoiler free review of Jennette McCurdy’s memoir. I will tell you what kind of book it is and what it covers, but not how the story ends or what happens to her mother. It also covers some very hard subjects, so I will give you a proper content note before the end.
What Is It About
I’m Glad My Mom Died is a memoir by Jennette McCurdy, an actor who is best known for the children’s show iCarly. The copyright page says the first hardcover came out in August twenty twenty two, and that some names and identifying details have been changed.
The book follows her from a childhood in Garden Grove, California, where her mother pushes her into acting at the age of six, through years of auditions and a hit show, into her twenties. At the center of it is her relationship with her mother, Debra, who was ill with cancer for much of it.
Here is the part you should know going in. It is not a book about what it was like to be on a famous show. The show appears, and so do the people on it, but the story is about a child learning to read a parent’s moods so well that she loses sight of her own.
How It Is Written
The structure is simple. There is a short prologue, then ninety one short chapters, and most of them take place in one scene. They are written in the first person and mostly in the present tense, which makes the reader feel like they are in the room.
Her voice is dry, quick and often funny. A lot of the humor comes from a child narrator who takes everything literally. Her mother is described through details, like the way she saves wrapping paper, and that is why it is so affecting when the mood turns.
It is also an easy book to read. The sentences are plain, the chapters run to a few pages, and I could picture a lot of readers finishing it in a weekend.
The Three Stages of the Book
Without spoiling anything, the book moves through three stages, and knowing them helps you pace yourself.
The first is childhood, where the tone is the funniest. Her mother wants her to act, and a six year old signs a contract she does not understand. The second is the show years, where the tone gets darker, as success arrives and the pressure at home does not ease. The third is her twenties, where the story is about grief and about slowly working out who she is without her mother’s approval.
Each stage has a different feel, and I think the book is strongest in the first and third.
Length and Reading Time
By my count the main text is roughly eighty five thousand words. That is about six hours at an ordinary reading speed, or a long weekend for most readers. Because the chapters are so short, it is easy to read in ten minute sittings, which is useful if the material gets heavy and you need a break.
I would suggest reading it in daylight, and not right before bed. That is just my advice, not a rule.
What Works
First, the voice. McCurdy is a good writer of scenes. She lets you see the adults’ mistakes while the child narrator does not, and that gap is where both the comedy and the pain live.
Second, the honesty about control. The book shows, one small moment at a time, how love and control can look the same from inside a family. I found that more convincing than any single big event.
Third, the pacing. Short chapters and constant forward motion make it hard to put down. Even the chapters about the entertainment industry are tied to the main story, and they never feel like name dropping.
Fourth, the structure of recovery. The last part of the book is about doing slow, unglamorous work to get better. It does not wrap everything up neatly, and I respected that.
What Does Not Work
Nothing here is a dealbreaker for me, but there are some limits.
The tone can swing quickly between a joke and something dark. Some readers will love that, and others may feel whiplash. A few punchlines land a bit too hard on the people around her.
Because the book is told from her point of view, you only ever hear her side. That is the point of a memoir, and I am not criticizing it, but you should be aware that the copyright page says some names and identifying details are changed, and that other people might remember events differently.
The middle can feel repetitive, because the same pattern of audition and pressure repeats. That is intentional, but it does slow the pace slightly before the story shifts.
Fame, Without the Gossip
A lot of people pick this up for the show, so here is what to expect. The book does include the set, the cast and the people in charge. But it keeps its focus on how fame felt to her, not on who did what. She describes being recognized everywhere and feeling that strangers think they own her.
The man who runs the show is called The Creator throughout, and the book describes him as warm one day and frightening the next. I am only repeating the book’s own picture of him, from her point of view, and I would encourage you to read it for yourself.
Content Notes
Please read this part carefully. The book includes the following, in varying amounts. Emotional and physical abuse by a parent. Invasive body exams of a child, described in non graphic terms. An eating disorder that starts in childhood, and later bulimia. Alcohol use. Sexual situations between adults, some of them uncomfortable. A volatile, intimidating boss on a set. Cancer, hospital scenes and the death of a parent. There is also strong language throughout.
The eating disorder material is specific about her thoughts and her routines, and could be hard for anyone who is in recovery or who is vulnerable. If that is you, think about whether now is a good time, or read it with support nearby. If you are struggling with food or your body, please talk to a doctor or a licensed professional. In the United States, you can call or text nine eight eight if you are in crisis.
Is It Worth Reading
Yes, if you like honest memoirs that are funny and sad at once. It is a good fit if you enjoyed books about difficult families that are told with humor. It is a strong pick if you grew up with the show, but you do not need to have watched it at all.
I would hold off if you are in a fragile place with food, with grief, or with a controlling parent. The book is kind to its readers in the sense that it never treats the abuse as a spectacle, but it does not look away.
Do You Need to Know iCarly
No. You do not need to have watched it. The show is mentioned a lot, but the book explains what you need.
If you did watch it, the book gives a very different picture of what was going on behind the scenes. It is not a gossip book, though. The people she writes about in the industry are mostly described with a nickname or a role, like The Creator, and the focus stays on her.
The Scorecard
Here is my scorecard, and these are my opinions. Writing gets five out of five. Humor, four and a half. Pacing, four and a half. Emotional impact, five. Accessibility, four, because of the content. That averages out to four point six, which I round to four and a half out of five.
Who It Is For
Read it if you like memoirs with a strong voice, if you want a funny book about a hard subject, or if you want to understand how a controlling parent can shape a child.
Skip it for now if eating disorder content is a trigger, if you want a light celebrity memoir, or if abuse is a hard line for you.
If you have read it, tell me in the comments what stayed with you, and thanks for watching. Subscribe for more honest reviews, and I’ll see you next time.
