- Genre: Autobiography
- Medium: Audio Book
- 05.03.24 – 04.04.24
When I was a teenager, I was a big fan of iCarly. Jennette McCurdy’s character “Sam” was always my favourite. That’s why I was really interested in Jennette’s autobiography.
I decided again to listen to the audiobook, which she narrated herself. I really liked her fast speaking tempo and the way she tells her stories. At times it felt as if a good friend is talking to me.
Jennette’s story starts when she was a kid, before her mother started to drag her to auditions. She grew up Mormon and says herself that going church gave herself at least a small break from life at home. Her mother was a hoarder and their house was filled with so much stuff, that Jennette and her brother couldn’t even sleep in their own beds.
Her early life was heavily influenced by her mother’s cancer diagnosis. Even later, when the cancer was in remission, her mother would often use it to gain sympathy and Jennette would use it in her auditions (e.g. to make herself cry more convincingly).
Her mother was both emotionally and sexually abusive. She pushed her into acting when she was only six years old to financially support the family. Even though Jennette disliked acting, she continued to audition as not to displease her mother. Her mother was obsessed with making Jennette a star, because she herself never became one. She also introduced Jennette early on to very restricted eating habits and would continuously comment on her weight. She would perform very invasive exams on Jennette and never let her shower alone until she was 17 years old.
Due to the ongoing abuse of her mother, Jennette was dealing with both an eating disorder and also alcohol problems in her adult life. Jennette talks very open about her issues. During the spin-off “Sam & Cat” she became jealous of Ariana Grande’s success, especially because Jennette was originally supposed to have her own spin-off. She became a very bitter person during this time, but I really appreciated her candor.
After the death of her mother, Jennette does not accept for a long time that her issues are the result of her mother’s abuse. It was heart breaking to hear how difficult it was for her to come to terms with the abuse she had suffered. In her mind, her mother was always perfect (because that is what she taught Jennette). She had to changer her whole world view to accept her mother as her abuser.
I really liked Jennette’s autobiography. I appreciated her being so open about her negative feelings. We also have the same dark sense of humour.
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