I was prompted to read this book because of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction. While David Sheff’s book was a haunting, poignant, and beautifully written tale about his struggle with his son’s revolving cycles of addiction and sobriety, Nic’s was barely readable. Maybe it’s a side-effect of the years of drug use, but I found his writing style terrible. He repeats many of the same stories his father tells without any of the emotion, there’s just no feeling. When the book isn’t rote, Nic appears in love with himself, seeming hardly affected by his actions. His never ending attempts to justify/explain/or blame his drug use on other people and things was just annoying. Of course there were triggers, but for each of our failings we must take personal responsibility and shoulder a great portion of our blame. We need forgiveness, but we also need responsibility. Nic Sheff seemed to think the world owed him a better life than the one he lived; he was too smart, too good, too talented for this. Drug addiction was for other people. All I could hear was the echoing refrain “Why is this happening to me?“
Perhaps I should also note that the content is much more “in-depth” than his father’s book. If you really want to know the ins-and-outs, highs-and-lows of drug addiction, then this is your book. This includes selling drugs, graphic sex, and male prostitution.
But those are the dirty facts of drug addiction. As a caveat, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a thing about drugs or addictions. You could say I’ve lived a relatively charmed life. I don’t know Nic Sheff or his personal problems. I’d hope to have more grace towards him, personally; as for his book, however, I just didn’t like it that much.
On a lighter note, I’ve reached the big one hundred! With barely a day to spare! I didn’t think I was going to make it. I loved being pregnant, and I love my sweet baby girl more than anything, but it really cut down on my reading time. This is my second year to make this goal, but I’m not sure if I’ll try for a hundred next year or just limit it to fifty.
Good night and good luck!! 4 years ago