Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything

The Instant New York Times Bestseller

De: Alyson Stoner

Narrado por: Alyson Stoner

This audiobook edition is read by the author.

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Stoner doesn't shy from sharing the dark side of fame.

With its moments of hope and eventual healing, this is a truly revelatory take on the child star tell-all.

Given the odds, how does someone emerge from the Disney machine sounding like your most introspective friend?

[Stoner's] writing is immersive, putting readers directly in their shoes as they experienced these memories.

How can a book be so heart-breaking and yet so hopeful? Alyson's memoir is a bracingly honest and necessary examination of what it actually means to be a child in the spotlight, and everything that happens after. Candid, insightful, and healing in ways I didn't know I still needed (JoJo Levesque, New York Times bestselling author of Over the Influence)

A ballsy page-turner that puts the greed of the entertainment industry on blast, while simultaneously being a grounded narrative of incredible tenacity, courage and healing. A compelling argument for the abolition of child stardom (Stephanie Foo, New York Times bestselling author of What My Bones Know)

Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is an intimate and compelling view into Alyson Stoner's unique developmental journey as a child celebrity. Stoner courageously shares the challenges of a demanding professional life through family fractures, self-doubt and personal discovery. Stoner is a gifted storyteller; this book is a perfect mix of reflection, humor, generosity and empathy. It is the rare book that can carry so many important lessons without being shrill or preachy. Highly recommended (Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Principal of The Neurosequential Network and #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of What Happened to You)

Alyson is one of those exceptional people who brings so much hope into the world. They have turned navigating a childhood surrounded by addiction and the negative side effects of fame into a journey of discovery and a guide to breaking generational trauma and finding personal truth. I highly recommend this wonderful book! (Dr. Caroline Leaf, neuroscientist and bestselling author of Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess)

Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything peels back the glittering facade of childhood stardom to reveal the complex and often hideous realities that lurk beneath the surface. With raw honesty and remarkable insight, Stoner crafts a narrative that's both deeply personal and universally resonant. A must-read that empowers, educates, and illuminates (Blair Imani, author of Read This to Get Smarter)