Alyson Stoner chooses their words carefully. In a world where almost everyone says the first thing that comes to their mind or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, delivers a sanitized PR answer, Stoner is refreshingly honest. This comes through in their writing too; they are not only vulnerable but transparent.After reading their debut memoir, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, which was published on August 12, the question that immediately arose for this reader (and interviewer) was: Wait, why didnt they talk about their nonbinary identity in the book? They came out as queer in a Teen Vogue essay published back in 2018, and then, within the past few years, shared that they identify as nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. But they never officially shared the details of discovering their nonbinary identity, which many were expecting to be in the book.I had things drafted, Stoner tells Out over Zoom in mid-July. I realized that there would be people who had never met a single openly queer person in their life, reading this alongside people who would probably already feel quite shocked by all of the other revelations and my journey with gender identity.Stoner, who is now 32, starred in memorable pieces of youth popular culture in the 2000s/2010s, including Camp Rock, Phineas and Ferb, Step Up, and Cheaper by the Dozen, decided it wasn't time to talk about their gender journey just yet so they cut it out."This book really highlights the first quarter of, hopefully, my 100-year-long life, Stoner says. Its unclear where they plan to share this part of their life, maybe a second season of their podcast or a second book. I feel like I could write a whole book on it because once you unpack gender, now you start to deconstruct every construct in society, they say. I was trying to think of everyone who's going to be reading this, and how many things I could tackle in one book before it actually was too much to process. Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything: A Memoir by Alyson StonerCourtesy Macmillan PublishersFor now, theyre taking things one step at a time, starting with unpacking their childhood and young adult years. Stoner is easily one of the most recognizable young actors from the early aughts. Their breakout moment was as one of the child dancers in Missy Elliots Work It music videos, and from there, they went on to appear in a laundry list of major film and TV projects.But having such a long credits list came at a price, and that was all laid out in their memoir. Their writing is immersive, putting readers directly in their shoes as they experienced these memories. They don't shy away from describing the uncomfortable feelings they had to grapple with, the voices in their head that made them question themselves and their self-worth, and challenging themselves on social norms.One of the most difficult ideological stances Stoner reckons with in the novel is their faith. They didn't grow up Christian, but found themselves gravitating towards it in their early years. When their faith didn't align with their queerness, and they were taught to view LGBTQ+ people as "unhealthy" and "immoral," they had to take a deeper look into their beliefs."I recognize that there were other churches that had different values and who showed up for queer folks in very loving and accepting ways. So I never felt the need to throw away faith, spirituality, and contemplation altogether. It was more so, which aspects of these beliefs are rooted in some othering, in an inability to see someone's humanity and value them deeply, and that really opened my eyes to how much fear I had toward queer people at the time." Alyson StonerM.K. Sadler, @mksadler (provided)"I'm so grateful that queerness became very apparent within my own experience, because now I obviously understand that it is the most exquisite expression of humanity and it's ever expansive," they say. "I noticed before my faith practice used to lead to a life of shrinking and exclusion. Now, my faith practice and personal development continually transcend the experience and include."Stoner rarely leaves a stone unturned in the book as they talk through their toughest days as a Disney star being told they were the person considered for starring roles in projects like Hannah Montana (which later went to Miley Cyrus) and Camp Rock (which they would go on to have a role in). But through it all, they talked about how, in their family, the person who was by their side from the beginning was their mom, who'd divorced their dad and remarried, which put distance between them and their dad.Once Stoner's career took off, their mom became heavily involved in their work and later finances. Right before Stoner was set to do a performance, one of their backup dancers told them she hadn't been paid. While looking into the issue, they found out that their business team had mishandled their finances: There were over-the-top gifts for the cast and crew, and their mom had been drawing an annual salary plus multiple $1,000 one-off payments. Alyson StonerM.K. Sadler, @mksadler (provided)Towards the end of the book, readers see Stoner reconnecting and rekindling a relationship with their dad, but they don't mention much about their mother. When asked about who read the book, Stoner answers carefully: "I definitely went over some scenes with my sisters, and wanted to be sure they felt seen and heard accurately, because family dynamics feel one way when you're in the moment. But as you reflect, 10, 15, years later, you realize everyone was having a very different experience of reality."As for their parents, they said their dad has read the book and added, "I've had to make some really complex decisions around how I've gone about the writing process."For now, Stoner seems content to keep the focus on their mental health advocacy work. They're currently completing their certificates to be a mental health coordinator, in addition to three programs that allow them to work on film, TV, and stage productions as a coordinator, and working with SAG-AFTRA to help create better working conditions for performers.They haven't left Disney or the entertainment industry altogether as they reprised their voice acting role as Isabella in the newest season of Phineas and Ferb (ten years after the show went off air) and other voice acting roles, but they're energized to make the entertainment industry a safer place."I was a young kid who loved art, who loved making," they tell Out, mentioning they're open to new opportunities in Hollywood. They added, "But at the moment, I'm most excited about going in and restructuring the system itself so that we can have healthier experiences that invigorates me from head to toe."Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is now available for purchase through Macmillan Publishers and wherever good books are sold.