i've been waiting on this one for a while now, and i'm so glad i was able to get it. I'm Glad My Mom Died is a riveting memoir. McCurdy doesn't shy away from exposing the nastiness of her struggles with abuse, child fame, addiction, and loss in intricate detail.

it shines less in its form than in its content, but the content there is riveting and heartbreaking. while the writing is simple and, at times, a bit uninspired, its matter-of-fact nature lends itself to the material in a way that surprisingly heightens the memoir's emotional output. it's as if someone is calmly telling you about a car crash that left the passengers mangled and bloody.

this was an extremely easy and quick read, mainly because of the bite-sized chapters and the unchallenging writing style. at times, though, I'm Glad My Mom Died can be disgusting. i found my hand reaching for my mouth to cover a gasp more than once. the delivery of these moments is so shocking because of how nestled they are into the narrative, how innocuously McCurdy presents them. it's as if blood-streaked vomit is the most normal thing in the world-- and that's what makes it all the more harrowing.