By: Alyson Stoner

Alyson Stoner’s memoirfrom family and eating issues to religious traumabegins in Hollywood, but its chilling relatability will impact anyone navigating identity, purpose, and mental health

Raised on soundstages and studio lots from the time they were six, shuffling between auditions for Disney Channel, Cheaper by the Dozen, or a Missy Elliott music video, Alyson experienced their defining moments of childhood inside the bizarre fishbowl of Hollywood. From being eight with an 80-hour work week, differentiating fan inquiries from kidnapping plots, and TV execs telling them theyre not anorexic enough to stop working and get help, they 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 with addict parents, 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 societys enchantment with fame.

Bold, entertaining, warm, and galvanizing all at once, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is more than a personal memoir: its a beacon for industry reform, a roadmap 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.