A heartbreaking and hilarious memo ir by \;iCarly \;and \;Sam &\; Cat \;star Jennette McCu rdy about her struggles as a former child actor&mdash\;including eating di sorders\, addiction\, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother&mdash\;and how she retook control of her life. \;
\ nJennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audit ion. Her mother&rsquo\;s dream was for her only daughter to become a star\ , and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went alo ng with what Mom called &ldquo\;calorie restriction\,&rdquo\; eating littl e and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home mak eovers while Mom chided\, &ldquo\;Your eyelashes are invisible\, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn&rsquo\;t tint hers?&rdquo\; She was even showe red by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries\, email\, and all h er income.
\nIn \;I&rsquo\;m Glad My Mom Died\, Jennett e recounts all this in unflinching detail&mdash\;just as she chronicles wh at happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon se ries 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 (&ldquo\;Hi Gale!&rdquo\;)\, Jennette is riddled with anxiety\, shame\, and self-loathing\, which manifest into eating disorders\, addict ion\, 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 embark s on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really w ants.
\nTold with refreshing candor and dark humor\, \;I&rsq
uo\;m Glad My Mom Died \;is an inspiring story of resilience\, in
dependence\, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
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