I’m Glad My Mom Died is the memoir of child-actor-turned-author Jennette McCurdy.
It would be an understatement to say that this book is one of the hotI’m Glad My Mom Died is the memoir of child-actor-turned-author Jennette McCurdy.
It would be an understatement to say that this book is one of the hottest memoirs of 2022; and with good reason. Not only does McCurdy’s memoir tackle the curse of a brutal and unrelenting “Momager” on a child actor, but it also puts a spotlight on the immense importance of protecting one’s mental health and how, if it is left to spiral out of control, could have life-long consequences.
Throughout the book, Jennette takes the reader through her early life as a part of a dysfunctional family that was headed by a Mother who pushed Jeanette into a career she didn’t want. With a seemingly tenuous connection to the Mormon church as well as a home life that had fallen victim to her mother’s hoarding tendencies, Jennette had few opportunities to escape or feel like a child without feeling constantly overwhelmed.
Despite the very heavy subject matter, Jennette somehow managed to maintain a great sense of humor about it all. I guess at some points, all you can do is laugh. There are moments that while absolutely traumatic, are completely absurd with one in particular forcing me to pick my jaw up off the floor.
Before I picked this up, I can’t say I knew a lot about Jennette. Her 2007 breakout role on Disney Channel’s iCarly happened to be a sitcom geared toward a younger generation, therefore it was not on my radar. That said, it’s not like Hollywood ever seems to change regardless of the age we’re focusing on given the mental abuse she sustained during her career.
I listened to this one rather than read it. After several positive experiences with celebrities reading their own stories, I think that may be my preferred method for memoirs moving forward. Given that this was a one-woman show before becoming a book, Jennette’s performance was raw and unflinching. I applaud her ability to tell her own story – warts and all – when most may shy away from such dreadful experiences.
Jennette McCurdy’s story is an important one. The long-term effects brought about by unwanted fame and years of abuse require excruciating work to unravel and sort through on her part and McCurdy’s ability to come out on the other side is nothing short of inspiring....more
CRAZY IS MY SUPERPOWER is the memoir of retired professional wrestler AJ “AJ LEE” Mendez-Brooks.
I want to say straight off the bat that if you’re expeCRAZY IS MY SUPERPOWER is the memoir of retired professional wrestler AJ “AJ LEE” Mendez-Brooks.
I want to say straight off the bat that if you’re expecting a comprehensive look at AJ’s in-ring career, you’re not going to get that here. Although AJ’s time as a wrestler was relatively short (2007-2015), she does not spend the majority of the book going over the ins-and-outs of her time in the squared circle. Instead, AJ focuses on her early life and all the twists and turns that led to WWE.
Although I expected a wrestling book first and foremost, I cannot say enough about her resilience, determination and never-say-die attitude. Just how she was able to reach the heights that she did given her upbringing is absolutely mind-blowing. As a child, AJ had a completely chaotic home-life often having to go from apartment to apartment when rent money could not be found. If not an apartment, the family of five would end up in dingy motels and hotels and even resorted to sleeping in the family car. If that wasn’t bad enough, her parents struggled with drug addiction and her mother would eventually be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, an explanation for her abusive behavior throughout AJ’s youth.
Once we get to her days as a member of the WWE roster, things get a bit dicey. While there were some fun moments expanded upon during her days working with her best friend Celeste Bonin (aka Kaitlyn) and her blossoming relationship with current husband and fellow pro wrestler CM Punk, things feel really rushed and unfocused.
AJ Lee’s story is an empowering and inspiring one. We all have hard times in our lives and sometimes it helps to read about someone who has struggled, beaten the odds and come out on top....more
"As much as I wind my mind back in time I'm unable to locate the start of a downward spiral. And every well-meaning therapeutic discussion I've attem"As much as I wind my mind back in time I'm unable to locate the start of a downward spiral. And every well-meaning therapeutic discussion I've attempted to dredge childhood trauma proves futile and guilt-inducing. I've never been subject to anything awful enough to warrant this mind-swallowing badness. I have a supportive, loving family, had a happy childhood. I'm a very fortunate person. Only problem is, I hate myself and want to die." - Anna Mehler-Paperny
I’d like to say that I identify with Anna, but I know that my depression is nowhere near as severe as hers. I’ve had stretches in my younger days where I no longer wanted to be alive, but I never once thought about killing myself. Mine was more in line with Allie Broch’s (Hyperbole & A Half) depression comic. However, in 2017, I was able to finally meet with a psychiatrist who was able to help me a great deal in getting me off of one medication and onto another, at the same time monitoring my process and asking me the important questions I needed.
In Help Me I Want To Die Please Fix Me, Anna details her suicide attempts in 2011 and 2015 and the shitshow she went through to try and find treatment that would help her to lead a “normal” life. Through dozens of interviews with professionals in the field of mental illness - as well as her own experience - Mehler-Paperny paints a picture of the mental minefield of depression analysis.
Through the years, Anna was subjected to rounds and rounds of various medications (the first of which was Escitalopram, which is what I take) in an effort to find what combination truly works. She breaks down and discusses what each one is meant to do and the science behind them. Just like the rest of the book, Anna does this in a conversational way, so the constant barrage of medical terms and jargon does not come across drier than kindling. This greatly helped to make this such an accessible read for a wider audience (me included). I’m sure her journalistic background went a long way in establishing the tone of the book.
The book also takes a hard look at the mental health system in place in Canada. She discusses lack of health-care for those who had admitted suicide attempts in the past, experimental treatments and public awareness campaigns by big companies. The most difficult moments in the book involve shining a light on the treatment of people of color and those in first nations communities. The suicide crisis among indigenous youth is especially troubling given that they receive very little - if any - assistance from the federal government. The politics between governments on a provincial and federal level when it comes to funding comes across as petty in the face of bodies dropping like flies due to anything from drug addiction to death-pacts amongst teenagers. It is absolutely disheartening.
I think this is an important book and I’m glad Anna wrote it the way she did. Hell I Want to Die Please Fix Me is a raw, unflinching look at the harrowing nature of mental illness and why it is often misunderstood by those lucky enough to not be afflicted by its debilitating process....more
This isn’t going to be a long or in depth review by any means.
On the recommendation of my therapist, I picked this up with the understanding it could This isn’t going to be a long or in depth review by any means.
On the recommendation of my therapist, I picked this up with the understanding it could help me deal with the repercussions of growing up a part of an alcoholic household. If you can classify yourself as an Adult Child of an Alcoholic (or Alcoholics), I strongly recommend this book. Many of the direct quotes from those the author worked with could apply to me at various stages of my life.
This book isn’t going to change your life, you still have to act on the advice from the author, but it helps to know you’re not alone....more
Loading...
