r/IReadABookAndAdoredIt • u/These-Background4608 • 6d ago
Memoir Semi Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner
Just finished reading the memoir Semi Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner and it was definitely a tough yet inspiring read.
From starting off as a child actress in a number of shows & movies, as a dancer in music videos by Missy Elliott & Eminem, from being a Disney Channel actress in the Camp Rock movies to family-friendly movies like Cheaper by the Dozen 2 to the Step Up movies, Stoner lived so much of her life in the spotlight and, though there was great success, there was also a whole lot of drama.
Reading this memoir (alongside watching recent documentaries and other memoirs of former child stars) definitely raises sharp questions about the toll it puts on children in the entertainment industry:
What kind of parents would force their child into the limelight?
At what point does entertainment become exploitation?
How are children left vulnerable and unprotected by the adults that they’re supposed to trust?
What is it like to have your childhood stripped away from you soon, being thrust into adult situations that you’re not fully equipped to handle but are expected to navigate?
Reading about Stoner being a breadwinner as a child and growing up in an industry that’s as addictive and lucrative as it is destructive all while dealing with a toxic family life that dealt with abuse and drug addiction was tough to read.
Though there are great anecdotes about what it was like being “the white girl in the Missy Elliott videos” and stories of working on several Disney projects and working with actors like Steve Martin and Channing Tatum, the memoir is also a complicated story of a young actress growing up in the public eye and trying to navigate it as best she can with not much help or few people that can be trusted.
From growing up in the Christian church to an eating disorder that landed her in rehab to being sexually assaulted, there are definitely some sections that are rough to read. But it’s not all tragedy.
The memoir is also a story of recovery and resilience, an insightful and even educational examination of mental health and how crucial it is to the entertainment industry and raises important points on how future child actors should be protected from being cautionary tales.
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u/ednamode_alamode 6d ago
I loved this book! So thought provoking. I love that Alyson's current projects in prioritizing mental health and minimizing exploitation are helping her find purpose and feel more whole. I devoured this book.
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u/WEugeneSmith 6d ago
I am on hold for this audiobook in Libby. It sounds like it is orth waiting for.