Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything

Actor-dancer Alyson Stoner''s 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. 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.

Autorentext

Alyson Stoner (they/them) is a multi-disciplinary entertainer, author, and the founder and CEO of Movement Genius, a mental health company providing therapist-led content to improve well-being. As the writer and host of the award-winning Dear Hollywood podcast, Stoner advocates for industry and policy reform centering the protection of children in traditional and digital media. With multiple certifications and fifteen years of group facilitation experience, they've led and contributed to programming for the United Nations, the World Health Organization, LGBTQIA+ centers, and leading universities.

During childhood, Stoner appeared in over 200 films, TV shows, and tours, including Camp Rock, Phineas & Ferb, Step Up, Cheaper by the Dozen, and iconic music videos with Missy Elliott and Eminem. Today, they're focused on impact-driven and community-based initiatives, such as designing Artist Wellbeing Essentials, a robust digital toolkit including expert-led education and tools for performers to pursue their passions in a healthy and sustainable way. Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is their first memoir.

Klappentext

The instant New York Times Bestseller

You knew their name. You didn't know the real story.

The world knew Alyson Stoner as the charming tomboy from Cheaper by the Dozen, the iconic kid dancer with Missy Elliott, and the friendly face on Disney Channel hits like Camp Rock and Phineas and Ferb. But behind the scenes, a different story was unfolding-one of relentless pressure, family trauma, and a lonely battle to get help.

Semi-Well-Adjusted is more than a Hollywood memoir, it's a fierce and unflinching look at what it takes to heal in a society that seems determined to break us. With bravely and hard-earned wisdom, Alyson shares their harrowing journey from an eighty-hour work week at age eight and stratospheric child stardom, to navigating religious trauma and rebuilding a life on their own terms.

Now a mental health advocate, Alyson offers a masterclass in self-reclamation for anyone ready to break free from the narratives that have defined them. Semi-Well-Adjusted is a roadmap for finding your own voice and power-despite literally everything.

• The instant New York Times Bestseller, based on sales from week ending 16/08/2025