BOOK REVIEW: Things I Should Have Said by Jamie Lynn Spears

"A memoir provides a record not so much of the memoirist as of the memoirist's world." - Arthur Golden

To be honest, I wasn't planning on writing a review for this book. I was going to write this review on Malibu Rising, but I haven't finished it yet. So, I decided to get over my anxiety of writing a book review about a book I didn't love and write a review on Things I Should Have Said by Jamie Lynn Spears.

Even though I'm Team Britney, I tried to go into this book with an open mind. This was pretty difficult because I was obsessed with Britney as a kid and as a teen, and my TikTok FYP had been swamped with videos tearing this book apart as being a book all about Britney. I will say this book was more about Jamie Lynn, but she does mention Britney A LOT. I feel like instead of clearing up anything related to her relationship with Britney, she just muddied the waters.

Typically, I feel like listening to a memoir read by the author makes the book that much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, that was not the case with this book. A lot times it felt as if Jamie Lynn is wording things or using a certain tone or pitch to make her version sound better than it might actually be. It just does not come off as authentic. The only time that I felt a true connection with Jamie Lynn throughout the whole book was when she was describing her daughter's accident. I teared up during her description and truly felt for her and her family having to experience the whole ordeal.

I did learn a lot about Jamie Lynn throughout this book. Even though we're closer in age than I would be with Britney, I didn't follow Jamie Lynn's career. I didn't realize she got her start in All That or that she's written songs for multiple artists. I do slightly remember that she had a song at some point, but I didn't realize that she had moved to Nashville to pursue her passion.

I've recently been learning more about child actors of the early 2000s and 2010s and how they were treated. Jamie Lynn touched on this and a point she made that stuck with me was how these child actors are expected to act as adults while filming, but in every other aspect of their life they are still treated as children.

She went on to discuss how adults continued to make decisions for her, but having her daughter, Maddie, made her realize how she had to stand up for herself and begin to choose work that was fulfilling, as well as lucrative. I feel like this is something that a lot of girls can relate to. For most of our childhoods and adolescences, many women are taught, whether consciously or subconsciously, to push their wants and needs to the side. Jamie Lynn's realization that she had to stand up for herself and make her wants and needs a priority is a realization that I think a lot of women go through at some point in their lives.

Overall, I gave Things I Should Have Said a three star review. I did not feel as if Jamie Lynn was authentic throughout the book. However, it was interesting to read more about how Jamie Lynn views her life, especially if you've been caught up in all the Britney drama! If you’d like to see what I’m reading now, check out my Goodreads or follow us on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with me!