I’d seen a lot of hype around this book, and I was curious to see how the title and the story would play out. I’d seen some promotional material, so I already had an idea of what to expect, but I think you can come to this “cold”.
A great audiobook (my second audiobook ever!), Jennette is a great narrator. She’s direct, clear, and doesn’t get bogged down by the material. Like there’s a good amount of distance and balance in the way she reads her memoir, despite the emotive topic.
Jennette had a really difficult and dark time as a child and young adult and she’s open about her struggles and her thoughts and feelings, it’s amazing how she can access her “child voice”. In this way it reminded me of The Glass Castle, another memoir of childhood neglect and abuse I’ve recently read.
There’s also a little bit of peeking behind the curtain of acting and celebrity in this book, but that’s not the main point.
It’s an interesting and well-structured and thoughtful book. Yes, it’s a dark topic, but there’s a lot of empathy, love, and a hopeful message. It’s very eye opening and maybe not as dark as you’d expect in the end.
Jennette is very good at describing, not judging.
One word: honest.
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