Review: Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson

A former child actor best known for her starring roles in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, Mara Wilson has always felt a little young and out of place: as the only kid on a film set full of adults, the first daughter in a house full of boys, a Valley girl in New York and a neurotic in California, and a grown-up the world still remembers as a little girl. Tackling everything from what she learned about sex on the set of Melrose Place, to discovering in adolescence that she was no longer “cute” enough for Hollywood, these essays chart her journey from accidental fame to relative (but happy) obscurity. They also illuminate universal struggles, like navigating love and loss, and figuring out who you are and where you belong. Candid, insightful, moving, and hilarious, Where Am I Now? introduces Mara Wilson as a brilliant new chronicler of the experience that is growing up female.

Review: This was a really interesting read. As soon as I saw this book in the bookshops, I knew I had to read it. As I do with most autobiographies/memoirs, I listened to this on audiobook which I downloaded from the library. This was a very interesting read because I've always been a little bit fascinated by Mara Wilson. When you grow up watching somebody in films, really good films that you love and then they just disappear, you really do want to know, where are they now and this book allowed me to answer that questions, along with a few others I had about this actress!

One of the other interesting aspects about this book is that it deals with the subjects of death and anxiety, two very serious subjects, but two which were dealt with honestly and sensitively in this book. Mara talks about the death of her mother, as well as the death of her friend Robin Williams. It is really interesting to hear her talk about these deaths that happened at very different times in her life, and also to hear how differently they affected her. It was also great to hear how honestly she talks about her anxiety, right down to describing her trips to the doctors and how she spoke to her family about it. 

I was also interested to hear how acting at such a young age affected her, how she dealt with school and how she chose which parts to take and which to turn down. All of the different essays in this book contain honesty but also a lot of humour. I really enjoyed listening to Mara tell these stories in her own words, and laughed along with her as she laughed and felt for her when things weren't going so swimmingly. I think that if you enjoy memoirs and autobiographies in general, even if you've not seen many of Wilson's films, you'll enjoy this one because of the structure, the content and the writing. 

To get your copy now click here!