Imagine yourself as a young adult with the pressure of the world stacked up against you. Everyone around you seems to have their whole life figured out while you’re stuck waiting for a purpose to push through. The Book I reviewed titled, “Beautiful Boy” by author, Nic Sheff, put you right in his shoes as he shares his first hand experience of growing up and dealing with addiction. He shares every traumatic period of his life in this story and exactly how he solved it. If you’re looking for a story based on real events that showcases a rollercoaster of emotions, this story is the one for you.
The story starts out in the peak of his addiction, which I’m glad the author decided to do because it mentally prepares you for what is to come right away. In this story, I noticed some details that caught my eye. You are not given any backstory right away as to what caused the addiction so it leaves you wondering for the first few chapters. Another example, the author flashes back in time to memories that he can remember as a child with his father and then switches back to present day.
There were times in this story where it felt so real that I could visually and mentally see the emotion that Nic portrayed. He really took the reader through the eyes and mind of a drug addict. His family became dysfunctional and the relationship with his mother and father were strained due to Nic’s resentment towards help and therapy. After awhile, the story brightens up a little. Nic is given a sponsor who has been in the same situation as him. His Sponsor seems to be helping and before you know it, Nic is healthy and is back with his family stronger than ever. This doesn’t last long. As a reader, you learn to understand the hardships and what it takes to quit. It doesn’t always take 1 attempt to become sober, you may relapse over and over again before you get better.
After reading this story, my point of view towards someone who is dealing with addiction altered. Before the story, I understood that relapsing was a part of recovery but I never realized how much mental toughness you need to get better. Millions of people across the world fall victim to addiction every year and not everyone is strong enough to recover from their disease. This story is just one of many that has taught me valuable life lessons that I take deep to heart. I would give this book a rating of 10/10 or 100/10 if I could because I enjoyed every page that I read.
