4.5 stars.

Two things sold me on needing to read this book: the hype and the cover. The title is a shocker the first time you hear it and the accompanying cover photo just sells this as a curiosity. Beyond that, I just kept hearing about this book everywhere I turned. And with good reason.

I was not a fan of Jennette McCurdy going into this book. In fact, I barely knew who she was. I was familiar with iCarly and the character she played, but only in a cursory manner. I'm beyond that age set. And typically, I wouldn't pick up a memoir of someone I've never watched/heard/etc. But the things I was hearing just had my curiosity piqued.

The relationship between Jennette and her mother is unbelievable. I mean that in a shocking way, not a "she obviously isn't telling the truth" way. Jennette's writing is visceral and real. She doesn't shy away from being blunt and she is candid about how she was naive to the goings on and assumed them to be "normal" and just her mother looking out for her best interests. The journey she went on to reclaim her own life and begin the work through her decades of trauma is nothing short of shocking.

The book is told in short vignettes that highlight moments in McCurdy's history from the time she is a child up until present day. The construction is well done and gives enough information without being overly drawn out. The pacing is sharp and the way things are told just sucked me right in. The audio narration is done incredibly well and I highly recommend listening to McCurdy tell her own story. It's quite the firecracker and I can absolutely see why there has been so much talk. This book deserves to be read.