Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything Book Review

I recently listened to the audiobook of Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything. The Alyson Stoner book is one that has been on my radar for a while now. I love to read memoirs about actors, musicians, and other pop culture icons so it felt like a book that would be right up my alley. In today’s blog post I’ll be sharing my full review of Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner.

And if you’re looking for more memoir recs, you can read more of my book reviews here.

What is Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything About?

Actor-dancer Alyson Stoner’s revelatory and incisive memoir―from family violence and betrayal, to eating disorders and religious trauma―may begin in Hollywood, but its chilling relatability will resonate with anyone navigating identity, privacy, purpose, and mental health in a digital age.

Raised on soundstages and studio lots from the age of six, shuffling between auditions for Disney Channel, Cheaper by the Dozen, or Missy Elliott music videos, Alyson Stoner experienced many of the defining moments of childhood inside the bizarre fishbowl of Hollywood. From working eighty hours a week at eight years old, to learning how to distinguish fan mail from kidnapping plots, to TV execs saying they weren’t “anorexic enough” to stop working and get help, Alyson struggled to find stability and sanity in a chaotic world.

In Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, Alyson shares their powerful story for the first time, detailing a turbulent home life fractured by substance abuse, harrowing accounts from rehab, the messy process of discovering their sexuality in church, rebuilding a life after an early professional peak, and charting a path of self-discovery and advocacy. With striking introspection, Alyson connects the dots across the entertainment industry ecosystem, child development, and media culture, exposing the “toddler to trainwreck pipeline” of child stars and sparking timely conversations about success and society’s enchantment with fame.

Bold, entertaining, warm, and galvanizing all at once, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is more than a personal memoir: it’s a beacon for industry reform, a road map for breaking the bonds of generational trauma, and a testament to the freedom and strength that come from finally trusting your own voice and power. (from Amazon.com)

My Initial Thoughts

I’ve always been a big fan of Alyson Stoner. I remember her fondly from Mike’s Super Short Show, Cheaper by the Dozen, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Lol. What can I say… I was a big fan of Disney Channel!

This book covers so many different topics in regards to Alyson’s life. She really shares all of the intimate details, and I think that’s important. She may have grown up on TV sets, but she was just a kid for a majority of that time. The things that she went through are not things that most kids experience.

My initial thoughts about this book are really that it’s so brave for Alyson to be sharing her story like this. As a former child actor, she went through so much both professionally and personally. It’s an unconventional life path that led to her living a completely different life than her peers, or even her older sisters.

What might you know Alyson from?

When I say that Alyson worked a lot, I mean she worked a lot. And that’s because she’s so talented. Here are some of the childhood roles that you might know her from. She was in:

The Missy Elliott music video for Work It
Other iconic music videos
Mike’s Super Short Show
Cheaper by the Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Step Up Franchise
Camp Rock 1 and 2
And many other TV shows and movies

Why Are Stories Like These Important?

It’s really important for stories like Alyson’s to be told. There needs to be someone taking care of and looking after the children. And unfortunately in Hollywood that’s not something that really happens.

Alyson’s story is scary. There are so many highs and so many lows. It’s a lot for anyone to experience, so to imagine a child going through everything that she went through is scary.

It really terrifies me how some parents take advantage of their kids. In Alyson’s experience, her Mom paid herself a salary from Alyson’s earnings to take care of her everyday expenses. And it’s like, just because your kid is making money doesn’t mean you are entitled to it.

That part really disgusted me. It’s terrible how parents are using their children to support themselves. Just because your child is making money doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to work and provide for your family yourself. That’s part of what being a parent is.

What I Loved About This Book

The Alyson Stoner book is really a story of personal discovery. There’s a part in the book where she reunited with her Dad later on in life. And he reminds her of all her hobbies and interests that she had as a kid, before acting and performing took over her life.

It’s clear from this book that Alyson is a writer (along with whatever else she wants to be!). I really enjoyed her storytelling. I think that if she writes more books or articles in the future I will be first in line to read them.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my Sem-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything book review. I didn’t want to go too in depth on the plot because that’s what makes this story so surprising. It’s what sucks you in. Just know that this is an emotional book that will make you feel a lot of things.

But it’s not all sad! Alyson details her deep personal healing as well, and it’s amazing to see how far she has come. She is so admirable. If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy reading Jennette Mccurdy’s book which is also about growing up in the spotlight. Former child actors are finally feeling safe to share their life stories with us.