Jennette McCurdy, who most of us know from iCarly, has dropped the bombshell of hell she went through at her own mother’s hands. We usually see celebrities and think nothing beyond the screen, and yet this memoir is a big, fat nod at “you never know what people are going through”. 

The realities of the complicated, nuanced, and sometimes abusive relationships that many children have with their parents or guardians is not often in the spotlight. Yet this memoir about Jennette’s childhood and her maternal relationship is just that: honest, candid, occasionally humorous, and often disturbing. It was by no means an easy read, yet somehow cathartic. I was absolutely engrossed in her story and finished it in two days. I look forward to seeing where Jennette goes and appreciate the hope she brought to this dark reality.