There is no denying it, this title demands your attention. I probably would have read it even if I did not spend my formative years watching the author, Jennette McCurdy, co-star on the ultra-popular Nickelodeon show, iCarly. I was already familiar with her work, so I immediately recognized her on the cover. As soon as I saw her smiling face, clad in all bubble gum pink, and holding her mother’s ashes under that provocative title, I had to read this book.
Since the author is known as a performer, I chose the audiobook where she reads her own story and I highly recommend this version. You can hear her get choked up as she reads through some of the more emotionally charged moments of her upbringing and conversely you can hear her trademark humor in the moments of levity. The audio version made the whole experience feel more authentic and intimate.
Her memoir covers a wide breadth of experiences as she details how she got into acting (her mom forcing it upon her), how she developed an eating disorder (her mom explicitly taught her), and what led to her addiction (you guessed it – her mother). Some of the content is so appalling it hurts to read, and yet you can feel the love and admiration she had for her mother despite every egregious act of abuse. The nuance and nitty-gritty of her story bring color and life to what would otherwise be a bleak recounting of traumas.
Told with unflinching honesty and a surprising amount of humor, this is not your average celebrity memoir, both in content and in writing style.
