Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything

A Memoir

De: Alyson Stoner

Narrado por: Alyson Stoner

*AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER*

Actor-dancer Alyson Stoner narrates their 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. This audiobook contains clips from the song "Stripped Bare," by the author, Alyson Stoner.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

©2025 Alyson Stoner (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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

Honest & Necessary

Thank you Alyson for your vulnerability. I really enjoyed your story telling. Raw, honest, and necessary in today’s world.

Breathtakingly Transparent

I grew up watching Alison Stoner on TV, thinking she was everything I wanted to be: creative, talented, funny, beautiful, and -- most embarrassingly for me -- skinny. Listening to this audiobook healed something deep within me that I thought had already healed, but had merely scabbed over.

Her journey is so well-written. Every inner thought and reaction, every decision, every movement. This doesn't feel like you're watching someone go through a lifetime of experiences; I went through those experiences as her as I listened. It was a guided healing process. Truly her Ikigai is this production of media centered on mental health and healing.

Not to mention her voiceover work is incredible. I listened through even the every end of the acknowledgements (which I have always skipped in other books). It's the gentle balance of soothing and energetic, real and animated.

100/10 I recommend this book to literally everyone.

incredible story of a very strong woman.

Such an amazing read, Alyson is in an incredibly strong woman to have made it through all the struggles they had to go through throughout their life. this book is sure to be an inspiration for everyone. Alyson does a great job reading it and puts you right there next to them the whole way. highly recommend this book.

WOW! As good as I knew it would be!

As a former IMTA contestant, I actually met Alyson back in 2004 when she was a special guest at the LA convention. It's so crazy to hear her talk about being there and for me to remember it. The descriptions, the detail, the depth, the storytelling - all top notch. I am so appreciative of the courage it took to spell it all out in a way that connects you back to just being child, even not in Hollywood. So beautifully done.

Wonderful book!

Anyone interested in acting, especially if they are young or a parent of a young person that wants to act, should definitely read this! Alyson radiates authenticity. Her story is a powerful one and she’s such a lovely, intelligent person! It’s heartbreaking to hear the hateful experiences she went through when every time I saw her on stage since she was little, I thought she shone the brightest! I’m grateful and feel honored that she has shared some of her stories with all of us strangers! A lot of it is so relatable, especially when it comes to experiences of being a woman and treatment from most men. She is doing powerful things and I’m so glad she didn’t give in to so many people in the world trying to silence her! (Her music is great too, btw!!!)

Authenticity and powerful

Just a great read on the road. This memoir was written beautifully and empowering. I’m so happy Alyson had found and continues to grow. I’ve always loved her when I was a kid growing up. Can’t wait to see what happens next! ❤️

Awesome listening book

THank you Alyson for being so open and vulnerable to the public. You are a survivor!

Truth and vulnerability

Alyson has been intelligent on all levels since childhood. Their analytical mind and drive to learn all they could on a subject of interest, their emotional intelligence to read others and always stay a step ahead.

You can do anything! Your movement on childhood protections is admirable and inspiring. Also- can't wait to hear more music!

Excellent

Alyson Stoner has quit the story to tell. While some celebrities hire ghost writers for this kind of endeavor, Alyson has shown she can blow you away on a written page just as well as she can bust a move on the dance floor.

Tragic Yet Full of Hope

Alyson beautifully articulates her tumultuous life with such great insight. Her story is heartbreaking, but it’s amazing to hear how she is using her experiences to help make the world a better place.