Tweak by Nic Sheff (2008)

-


Image result for tweak nic sheffNic Sheff is 20 years old and addicted to crystal meth. From the age of 11, he has been experimenting with different forms of alcohol and drugs, and from the age of 18 he has been in and out of various rehabs, but has never reached sobriety. In the fantasy world, Nic is living his life to the fullest, moving on from one adventure to the next, relying on drugs to help him live smoothly. In reality, he is a college drop-out, a sex worker, and has lost all ties with his family, including his two younger siblings.  At the same time, he is grappling with the brutal reality of living with clinical depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, which makes him take the same drugs he’s addicted to. Going day by day, Nic explores the dark crevices of addiction in his debut and memoir.
By far, I’ve never felt more emotionally attached to a book as I did with Tweak. Nic left absolutely no detail of his life, and cover every thought, feeling, and action he experienced through his years of addiction. While this may sound boring, it was the exact opposite. I found myself going through an emotional rollercoaster with Nic, sometimes being extremely angry at the way he was acting, while other times pushing for him to be his best. While this was an autobiography,  it was written in a fiction-like matter, full of recreated conversations and environments. Still, the most important thing I took away from this book, and why I think everybody should read this, is because it exposed the humanity within addiction. Often times, we tend to think that addiction is a problem far away from our lives, when really addiction can affect anybody, no matter what the situation.

Addiction is an animal that is alive and breathing that will always exist, but behind that animal is a person that has a personality and feelings, and in the end, all we can do is help and support addicts on their road to recovery.

5 Stars

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Andrew Smith (Probably) Saved My Life

-
Image
This is a picture of Andrew Smith, my all time favorite author. Over the past weekend, I got to meet him, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Now, you may be wondering why this guy is  not just my all time favorite author, but also one of my favorite people, and I am going to tell you all about it. Two and a half years ago, I didn’t even know who this guy was, let alone that he wrote books. I was really big into BookTube, and even though I didn’t make videos, I loved being a part of the community. One day, I heard about Winger , and honestly I wasn’t really interested in the book. I had heard so many good things about it though that I had to read it, and I am so glad I did. Within five pages, I kid you not, it was my favorite book, and it still is today. Over the span of my life, I have read over 300 books, and I have never been more attached to a set of characters. Ryan Dean stole my heart from the minute I met him, and his story then shattered my heart into a mil
Read more

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater (2012)

-
Image
In Henrietta, Virginia, magic is brewing. For Blue, this is no surprise. Blue lives in a house full of psychics. Some can predict times of events and some can predict things as a grave as the way someone will die. Blue’s only ability is to amplify other’s. Oh, and the fact that if she kisses her true love, they will die. For Gansey, the magic of Henrietta holds the key to the future. For a year and a half, he’s been searching Henrietta for the ley line that supposedly has the power to awaken a historical Welsh king that, when awakened, is able to grant powerful wishes. Enlisted in his search are his friends Ronan, Adam, and Noah. And now Blue. In a psychic reading gone wrong, the boys and Blue are put together, now all on the hunt for the ley line. There’s only one thing Blue isn’t telling them: she’s predicted to have a role Gansey’s death. Gansey, who’s alive right now. As they get closer to the ley line, it becomes clear that they’re not the only ones after the king and the conseq
Read more

Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King (2016)

-
Image
Sarah is sixteen, and she is going through an early-life crisis. She stopped going to school, and is stuck on the idea that nothing that she does will ever be original. That she is trapped in a world of unoriginality. Her days are spent following the homeless artist on the corner around town, and switching buses for hours until she doesn’t know where she it. On one of her wandering days, she meets herself. The ten year old Sarah, whose family’s explosive trip to Mexico ended with her older brother moving to Oregon, never to return. Then Sarah in her early twenties show up, and Sarah in her forties. They all hold a little piece of present Sarah’s life that she’s trying to figure out, but none of them are offering any clear answers. She better figure it out quick, though, before her whole world falls apart. I am a huge fan of A.S. King. When I was twelve, I first read one of her books, which was called Everybody Sees the Ants , which deserves five stars just based on the great title.
Read more