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

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.

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.

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!

Raw and honest account from what felt like an old friend

This book felt like catching up with an old friend. Alyson was raw and honest in a way that most are scared of. She is so smart, kind and brave. I wish her the best of luck and happiness the rest of her life. She deserves it.

Heartfelt and beautiful

Such a great book. Vulnerable, honest, and demonstrating a clear passion and action to make a difference in the film industry for children.

A harrowing story of the child star to trainwreck pipeline made slightly less miserable via the optimism & strength of Alyson

The content of this book is terrifying and depressing, but the care, intelligence, and optimistic energy Alyson carries with their through life shines through in their narration and story telling. Love you so much!!! So proud of you 💓💗💓

We hear you

It’s astonishing the stories (real stories) that child stars tell and yet we as a society are deaf to them. I hope stars like Alyson and Jeanette and any others, know there are people out here listening and care. I hope peace stays for you. Wonderful telling of the story. Alyson should look into ASMR, her voice is incredible and people use ASMR for relaxing and coping, kind of goes hand in hand with her other endeavors.

Realness and Relatable Mindset

Loved the storytelling, how the themes were crafted and the lessons within. It was beautifully done.

a triumph of the industry. a resurrection

so happy for your healing, alyson 🩵 thank you for sharing with us, keep being you! an edge-of-my-seat read.

Powerful, Insightful, and Beautifully Written

I admired Alyson Stoner growing up, even though I was never a tom boy and she got older I could see how she was handling gender non-conforming identity and that resonated with me and my current journey along with being bisexual. Along with struggling with my own eating disorder for years. This memoir gave me a whole new appreciation for her. It’s well written, deeply thoughtful, and offers an honest look at the realities of growing up in stardom. She writes with intelligence and depth, sharing personal moments that felt vulnerable and relatable. I’m excited to see what she does next both in her activism and her continued personal growth. I love listening to these books in the authors voice and she is a great voice actor so the audio book really brought you in. I’m happy I pre-ordered this book and I listened through it in a few days. Really captivating and will continue to watch for the work she puts out. Including her awesome dancing videos. 10/10