Stephanie S.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction." She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail.

Viral mom blogger Brooke Binkley tells her painful story about the domestic violence she endured while simultaneously becoming a public figure, and uses her story to highlight the many types of domestic violence that both victims and survivors experience. On the outside, Brooke was the funny vlogger making moms laugh across the world, but behind closed doors, she was experiencing nearly every form of domestic violence that existed.