Friday, March 29, 2019

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

Book: Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
Author: David Sheff

What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls—is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And he refused to give up on Nic. -Goodreads
Review: Beautiful Boy is a companion book to Tweak. BB is written from David's (Nic's father) perspective. David reflects on his own life, their family and his son's spiral into addiction. What could he have done differently as a parent? How did his beautiful, sweet, kind loving son become a drug addict? David Sheff is an exceptional writer and I was immediately drawn into his story. Even though I knew how it would end (and it's harrowing reading about a father's hope that rehab would stick 'this time' knowing from Tweak that it wouldn't time and time again) I couldn't put this down. I recommend this to all parents to read. 

Grade: 5/5

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