I finished Beautiful Boy, which is the same story told in Nic Sheff's Tweak, however, the story is told from the father's point of view. The style of this book is pretty different. You can tell that David Sheff is a much more experienced writer, however, the tone is very similar. In a way I thought this was a sadder story. While Nic's experiences are tragic, of course, it's almost unbearable to read about the worry and devastation his family went through while he was using and even while he's not. You can tell they live on eggshells, hoping he won't relapse, but understanding that the odds are against Nic and in return, against them. David Sheff intersperses the personal trauma with a lot of technical information about methamphetamines and addiction, which I found interesting and terrifying. For example, he states that because there are so many meth labs in California, often the chemical waste is dumped in yards and as a result has seeped into some of the food supply (produce) in California. He also explained the effect that meth use has on the brain and that it takes at least a full two years before a former meth addict's brain scans are "normal," and in some cases, they're never "normal" again. All in all I thought it was pretty frightening. The worst part of the whole book for me was reading about the confusion and heartache that Jasper and Daisy, Nic's much younger brother and sister, have been forced to endure for almost all of their lives. At one point, Jasper, who was about 8 years old at the time told his dad that he thought Nic had stolen his $8 in savings. Unfortunately, he was right. Even though he received an apology letter (which he carried around in his wallet for years) with $8 enclosed once Nic was again sober; I'm pretty sure nothing fully takes away the pain of having your much revered older brother steal from you. In the end, this book is fascinating, troubling, and heartwarming all at once. Reading the experiences of the entire Sheff family throughout Nic's addiction just gives more reason to root for Nic's continued sobriety because it shows how much really is at stake.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
I finished Beautiful Boy, which is the same story told in Nic Sheff's Tweak, however, the story is told from the father's point of view. The style of this book is pretty different. You can tell that David Sheff is a much more experienced writer, however, the tone is very similar. In a way I thought this was a sadder story. While Nic's experiences are tragic, of course, it's almost unbearable to read about the worry and devastation his family went through while he was using and even while he's not. You can tell they live on eggshells, hoping he won't relapse, but understanding that the odds are against Nic and in return, against them. David Sheff intersperses the personal trauma with a lot of technical information about methamphetamines and addiction, which I found interesting and terrifying. For example, he states that because there are so many meth labs in California, often the chemical waste is dumped in yards and as a result has seeped into some of the food supply (produce) in California. He also explained the effect that meth use has on the brain and that it takes at least a full two years before a former meth addict's brain scans are "normal," and in some cases, they're never "normal" again. All in all I thought it was pretty frightening. The worst part of the whole book for me was reading about the confusion and heartache that Jasper and Daisy, Nic's much younger brother and sister, have been forced to endure for almost all of their lives. At one point, Jasper, who was about 8 years old at the time told his dad that he thought Nic had stolen his $8 in savings. Unfortunately, he was right. Even though he received an apology letter (which he carried around in his wallet for years) with $8 enclosed once Nic was again sober; I'm pretty sure nothing fully takes away the pain of having your much revered older brother steal from you. In the end, this book is fascinating, troubling, and heartwarming all at once. Reading the experiences of the entire Sheff family throughout Nic's addiction just gives more reason to root for Nic's continued sobriety because it shows how much really is at stake.
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