Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything

ctor and dancer Alyson Stoner offers a raw and unflinching memoir—spanning family violence, betrayal, eating disorders, and religious trauma. Though their story begins in Hollywood, its haunting relatability speaks to anyone navigating identity, privacy, and mental health in a digital age.

Raised on sets from the age of six—Disney Channel, Cheaper by the Dozen, Missy Elliott music videos—Alyson grew up in the bizarre fishbowl of fame. By eight, they were working 80-hour weeks, dodging kidnapping threats disguised as fan encounters, and being told by executives they weren’t “anorexic enough” to get help.

In Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, Alyson recounts a turbulent home life with addict parents, stints in rehab, discovering their sexuality in church, and rebuilding a life after an early professional peak. With sharp insight, they expose the “toddler to trainwreck pipeline” of child stars while charting a path toward healing and advocacy.

Both vulnerable and galvanizing, this memoir is more than survival—it’s a call for industry reform and a testament to the power of reclaiming your own voice.