Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction by David Sheff

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Once again, I wish that goodreads had an option for giving half star ratings, because I would have given 'Beautiful Boy' 3.5 stars (one half star more than I gave 'Tweak'). I think David Sheff's personal narrative about his struggle with his son's addiction deserves a half star more than Nic's personal memoirs. David is an adult, has been a journalist for many years, and has writing experience and life experience that make his memoir upsetting, frustrating, heartwarming and thoughtful. Nic's memoir reads like what it is -- a twenty something recovering addict who is still figuring things out. The two books compliment each other very well and I would strongly encourage anyone who has struggled with addiction, be it personally, as a relative or as a close friend, to read both of these books.

I am still very much impressed with the brutal honesty in both of these books. And as far as memoirs about addiction go, these two books are much more fact based than others I have read. I liked that David Sheff provided an excess of information about struggling with addiction and how to seek help. Sadly, the conclusion remains the same -- when it comes to battling the disease of addiction, at the current time there is no certain cure.


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Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I found this book at my mom's house in SF (my aunt left it there) and I probably wouldn't have it read it otherwise. I had nothing else to take with me on the 5 hour airplane back to NYC. I liked this enough to buy David Sheff's book 'Beautiful Boy' which I'll read when I finish Joyce Carol Oates. I appreciate Nic's honesty and his bravery in holding nothing back. I don't tend to like 'memoirs' about drug addiction and rehab, and Sheff is just so young to be writing about his experiences. I was hoping he would write more about his childhood experiences of living in a 'grown up world' and I was hoping he would write more about how his drug addiction and early rehab experiences destroyed his family. This is probably discussed in 'Beautiful Boy' (which I no doubt should have read first).


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