Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson (Epub)

Description

“Thoughtfully traces [Mara Wilson’s] journey from child actress to Hollywood dropout…Who is she now? She’s a writer.” —NPR’s “Guide To 2016’s Great Reads”

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.

User’s Reviews

Review “Wilson’s humorous literary voice tells the story of growing up as a young female in the spotlight (and eventually stepping out of it) and the road of self-acceptance, discovery and everything in between.” —BuzzFeed”[Wilson] returns as a talented writer with this collection of essays.” —Entertainment Weekly, “15 Books You Have to Read in September””Funny [and] insightful.” —GoodReads, “Best Books of the Month””Wilson has left the acting (almost) completely behind — and moved on to become a talented writer and playwright.” —Bustle,”12 Memoirs By Badass Women to Add To Your Wishlist in Fall 2016″”Candid…witty and insightful. A-” —InTouch”Contains engaging, poignant accounts of the actress-turned-storyteller’s struggles to find her identity after losing her mother and Hollywood’s adoration…Wilson covers difficult topics but can leaven a painful anecdote with incisive wit…When fans ask for a picture with her, she panics: ‘I don’t photograph well, and…they’re going to put it on the Internet, where not everyone knows I’m funny and charming and generally a decent person.’ And that’s exactly how she comes across in this memoir.” —ShelfAwareness “Lyrical and affecting . . . humorous, relatable, and ultimately real. . . [Where Am I Now?] is more than just another Hollywood memoir; it is a truly refreshing coming-of-age story.” —Library Journal”A heartfelt portrait . . . [Mara Wilson] has experienced a great many highs as well as lows in her young life, and she shares them all with honesty, humor, and humility.” —Publishers Weekly”A coming-of-age story that is not only entertaining, but also wise. . . . A readably candid, sharp memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews”Uplifting…charming and accessible.” —Booklist”Refreshingly earnest…If Where Am I Now? and its biting wit and charming self-awareness is anything to go by, [Wilson is] very easily running in the same league as the Lena Dunhams, Rachel Blooms and Ilana Glazers of the world.” —National Post (Canada)“Growing up, I wanted to BE Mara Wilson. I always loved that she portrayed strong characters, especially as a female, even as a young child. Where Am I Now? is a delight.” —Ilana Glazer, co-creator and star of Broad City“Genuine and authentic, funny and heartbreaking, Where Am I Now? is a book that reminds you that no matter how unique your life is, some things bind us all together.” —Jenny Lawson, author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend this Never Happened “Former child star Mara Wilson has grown up to be a moving, funny, and thoughtful storyteller. Well, not up. As I understand it, she’s still approximately the same height.” —Megan Amram, author of Science…for Her! “You don’t have to be a fellow neurotic Jew who grew up in Southern California to adore this book. Though Mara Wilson’s childhood was unique, the themes of Where Am I Now? are universal.” —Rachel Bloom, creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Of course when I saw that Mara had a book coming out I had to pre-order it. Loved her in Matilda and while I hadn’t really followed her career very much after that, I did enjoy the few times she’d cameo in Nostalgia Chick’s videos or when Nostalgia Critic would talk about her. Every now and then something she’d put on twitter would end up on my Tumblr dashboard, so of course I loved whatever she said because she’d always hit the hammer right on the nail. I was curious about what Mara did after being a child actor. This book doesn’t entirely focus on when she was in Matilda; I assumed as much before even reading it. Her story goes back and forth between when she filmed for Matilda, Miracle on 34th Street, Thomas the Tank, etc. She talked about her inner fears and general anxieties, dating, not fitting in at school, her parents not understanding how to relate to her problems/ not realizes the full extent of what she was going through; how she stepped up and acted as a mother to her younger sister when their mother lost her battle with cancer, being confused about religion/sex, how fans would find it difficult to see that she wasn’t a child anymore, and casting directors not finding her cute enough after she grows older, amongst other things. *spoilers* There were a few moments in this book where I did actually shed a tear or just feel very sad for what Mara had to go through…The three scenes that stuck with me the most were when she was asked to audition for a fat girl and she didn’t enjoy the part very much and wanted to audition for the friend role instead, only to realize that that role was going to go to a girl that was beyond beautiful and Mara realized that she wasn’t it. The second part is the night before her mom passes away and says goodnight, only for Mara’s baby sister to say “Okay Mommy. See you in the morning.” Then of course, when Mara realizes that the author that wrote the book that helped her realize that she had severe OCD was actually the mother of one of the girls that she worked with on the set of Matilda, and how she reached out to her former cast-mate and retold her story and how it brought them to tears by how much it helped her when she was younger.I’m about 79% finished with this book, cried I think maybe once (shed a tear at certain parts maybe about three times…) and honestly I just want to thank Mara for sharing her story with us; the good times and the bad times.

⭐ The writing in this book is captivating while the stories are relatable. Even though she was raised with more privilege than most, you don’t get the feeling she holds it over you. Instead, her middle and high school stories could be anybody’s experience. Best of all, unlike how I felt about Lena Dunham’s memoir, Mara Wilson’s essays don’t try too hard or seek to lecture and caution the reader; they seek to exist.I will definitely be rereading this book in the future, looking back on chapters again and again seeking wisdom or advice, a good laugh, or a reality check.

⭐ I have always loved Mara Wilson, but I just didn’t know her in that name, I love Matilda. I understand as an adult they aren’t the same person but Matilda was my favorite movie as a kid and I would make my dad rent it every single weekend. So when I learned the adult behind that character was writing a book I had to have it. She is smart, and funny, she gets very real with her life as a child star and not so famous adult. She gets real about her mental illness and that resonated with me through her honesty. I loved getting to know the woman behind Matilda and now she tells stories for a living. Also she is a killer on Twitter and I love that. As a person the stories told are very relate-able for anyone who loved her growing up because it was kind of like growing up together.

⭐ I have always enjoyed movies Mara Wilson acted in as a child. I thought I related to her characters and the stories they were telling. I relate to Mara the person so much more. The thoughts and experiences she has had or so raw and honest and what many women-regardless of profession go through. I read through this so quickly and wish that there was a sequel (which is not something I look for too often!) it’s refreshing to know that someone else out there has similar thoughts, wishes, and tears as me. I will most definitely keep my eye out for anything she does in the future.

⭐ Having children of similar ages who grew up watching Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, I was very interested in reading how this beloved child actress matured and experienced real life. The early loss of her mother, the power of her thoughts and how acting helped anchor and propel her was both wrenching and inspiring. Like a beautiful metamorphosis, Mara takes you through her success as a child actress and the reality that she’s “not enough” in Hollywood terms, to finding her niche as a strong woman and writer. I thought Matilda was an amazing character however, courageous Mara Wilson left even more of an impression on me. Loved this book!

⭐ Finally, I’ve read the memoir that everyone has been talking about this year. Mara Wilson was in some of my favorite childhood movies and I always enjoy a good celebrity bio, so there’s literally no reason I wouldn’t have enjoyed this. And I enjoyed the s*** out of this. I discovered that I have a lot of the same personality traits, and (once again) that celebrities are still people with their own personal struggles. I just find it inspiring to be able to see bits of myself in other people, and/or vice versa. I’m not a person who really socializes a lot, so a lot of the connections I make are through retrospectives like this one. One thing I found interesting was its topical, instead of chronological, approach to storytelling. Not that one is better than the other, but the epistolary(?) approach fit really well with the stories Mara related, and the kind of person she is. If there’s one celebrity memoir you read this year (only two more weeks, and it’s a quick read), this is one that’s definitely worth the time and money.

⭐ This book gave me all the feels, which is what a memoir is all about. There is a vulnerability to Mara’s storytelling that comes across as very genuine and refreshing. There was an artist waiting to break free for most of her early life, and in the course of growing up, she learned to embrace that strange side and join the like-minded creative spirits around her. I could relate to much of this book, and if you enjoy reading her blog, you know what you will get here. Her sense of humor is fantastic, and I am so thankful to have this book. Highly recommended!

⭐ When I hear or read that some celebrity of a current or former status has written a biography of some sort, I cringe. And then I ignore it. In the case of Mara Wilson, I have to say that I’ve always thought the world of her performances. She was both painfully shy but delightfully impertinent. She has managed so eloquently to describe a life of considered hesitation that amazingly partners with surprising, disarming humor.(Excerpt: “So . . . where are you from?” I said, trying not to sound shy. “S’theffrikeh.” “Sorry, where?” “S’theffrikeh.” I must have looked bewildered, because Allison said, “He’s from South Africa.” “Oh,” I said. “So that’s South African for ‘South Africa.’”If someone were to ask me, however unlikely that might be, whom I’d most like to meet in my lifetime, I would have to say that Mara Wilson would have to be in the top five, if not the top one. She makes it very clear in this book that taking chances is not and should not, in and of itself, ever be considered some kind of risky behavior. I wholly recommend this book to anyone who recognizes b*******t behavior, yet refuses to cave to the temptation of cynicism. Sure to its title, within this book are many stories of girlhood but I see too that Mara’s observations can be translated very easily and enjoyably into those of boyhood, manhood or humanhood as well. This is a lovely memoir.

⭐ I actually bought this book thinking Mara Wilson was Jena Malone, so I felt like an idiot right away! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the book, especially since I share some of Mara’s anxiety and was very similar to her in my childhood years – there was a lot to relate to in this book! I would give it five stars because I think it was excellent, however there was a lengthy passage about show choir that bored me half to death and the overall pace of the book could have been better. Considering I had very little familiarity with Mara Wilson prior to reading this, and now am quite interested in her, I would call that a “win”.

⭐ I really liked this book. Mara has a great perspective on life and has had an interesting one. She could’ve whined about the challenges she faced/faces but chooses not to, instead meeting them with determination, humor and optimism. It’s a quick read and an enjoyable one. I’ll likely read it again.

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