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Jan 09, 2012

Nancy rated it:

I never understood the appeal of meth. It’s made in clandestine labs using an array of chemicals that are flammable and hazardous to your health. The drug is highly addictive and has dangerous side-effects. Your teeth fall out, your jaw collapses, you get those ghastly sores and ulcers, your cheeks become hollow, and your eyes are sunken in. And that’s only on the outside. On the inside, your brain looks like Swiss cheese, you become paranoid, irritable and even violent.

At one More...

19 comments like (30 people liked it)

Jul 21, 2008

Marianne rated it:

I checked this book out of the library after hearing David Sheff and his son Nick interviewed on NPR. I found this book annoying and unrevealing (for a memoir) and yet I couldn't put it down. David Sheff discusses his own drug use and alludes to his immaturity/commitment issues as a factor in his divorce from Nick's mother which he blames mostly for his son's drug problems, but he never discusses the root of his issues (or even specifically what they were beyond immaturity) or how they affecte More...

4 comments like (23 people liked it)

May 16, 2008

Jen rated it:

I liked this book a lot better than Tweak. The father is a great writer, and he did a great job making me feel as if I was going through the experience with him. He also presents a lot of research on crystal meth and its effects on users. I changed my rating from a 5 to a 4 after I read Tweak however. After I read Beautiful Boy, I was really freaked out about the accessibility of drugs, and the father made it seem as if everyone in the world will eventually try drugs at least once in their l More...

2 comments like (13 people liked it)

Jun 16, 2008

Cathyb53 rated it:

Gut-wrenching! I read this because I saw the author, David Sheff, talking about it on Oprah, and because I have children close in age to his son; although I was fortunate enough to avoid the hell of parenting an addicted kid, I have been there with many of my friends, and with friends of my kids'.

There's nothing new in this story - the "plot", such as it is, is painfully familiar to so many of us baby-boomers as our own children reached the danger years. The strength of th More...

1 comment like (6 people liked it)

Dec 15, 2011

Leila rated it:

The beginning of the book was mildly annoying with the more than picture perfect everything. There is a divorcee, but even it is glossed over as if it is just what happens. This portion of the book definitely gave the impression that the author either didn’t want to be completely honest about himself and his life or he was oblivious to the problems he had.

That being said, once you get past the first couple of chapters the book is captivating. The author did an amazing job of telling More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 01, 2008

Karen rated it:

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0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 24, 2008

Joe rated it:

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1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Jun 25, 2008

Doneen rated it:

This is a book full of millions of examples of how over-idealization of a son by his father can cause as many problems as insufficient attention paid to the child. If you can believe this father, his son was nothing short of the second coming. No wonder the son became a lying, stealing, self-absorbed addict who took multiple rehabs to kick a habit. This is a cautionary tale for parents. Okay, I just re-read what I wrote, and I know it's probably too harsh. But I really believe it's harmful ov More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 20, 2008

Suzanne rated it:

Finally. I. Am. Done.

I swear this book took me a month to read. Maybe longer. I just could not get into it. I read the companion, Tweak, written by his son, and I thought it would be interesting to hear the other perspective. Blah. What started as an article for The New York Times Magazine, the overwhelming response prompted Sheff to write a whole book. Bad idea. It was obviously stretched beyond it's means, and Sheff often relied on random quotes from movies and songs to fill space. More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 01, 2008

Laura rated it:

Very well written touching story filled with anguish, hope and healing.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 11, 2011

Lisa rated it:

It's hard to say I "liked" this book, but it is informative, interesting, and scary. Unfortunately, it is draining to read (or listen to) and I am not sure I will finish it.* David Sheff tells the story of his son, Nic, and his addiction to meth.

As Sheff writes about his creative and smart son, it is easy to believe and see that Nic had a lot going for him especially at a young age. Even after a lot of involvement with drugs, Nic seemed so likeable.

Sheff does a More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 05, 2008

Terry rated it:

I was more interested in reading his son's account of the same events, but now that I've read this, I don't think I'm up for it! Actually I honestly don't know what he (the son) would say--after a point, addiction is kind of repetitive, isn't it?--although I'd like to know if he explores the effect his parents' divorce had on him, since I've recently read another book about how traumatic divorce is for children and they're not as "resilient" and "adaptable" as divorced parent More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jun 24, 2008

Mandi rated it:

This book for me is between 3 and 4 stars. I did like it but not as much as I hoped I guess. I thought the authors style of writing was too rigid I guess- or just too "perfect" and for me that made it lose some of the personal/emotional element that was necessary for the book. Also - the book was just all in all very repetitive - story of his life - in rehab out of rehab in rehab out of rehab - blah blah. :) It definitely had some good points in it though that were thought-provokin More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 27, 2008

Kerri rated it:

3.5 stars. Hmmm... so close to to four stars. A tough read, an easy read. A father's account of his son's addiction to meth (among other things), but there's so much in here that's familiar to anyone who's known someone addicted to anything. The same things that make me consider this book "just okay" (the repetition of themes, the over-dramaticism, the self-absorption) are the same things that make it so realistic and relatable to anyone who's had with an addict in their lives. He More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 13, 2008

Bobbie rated it:

This is a rollercoaster ride of a book. And from page one, you know you're in the hands of a gifted writer. Beautiful Boy gives the father's perspective on a son's downward spiral into drug addiction. For those of us who grew up in a time and place when the the school rebels smoked a few cigarettes in the bathroom, this book is a wake-up call. Crystal meth, Nic Sheff's preferred drug, is a nightmarish concoction that seriously depletes the brain neurotransmitter dopamine and can leave users More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 19, 2009

Paula rated it:

A heart wrenching true story of a father dealing with his son's drug additions. An expansion of an article originally published in the New York Times Magazine, David Sheff, a journalist living in Northern California, tells the story of his son's addictions to meth along with other substances, and the many attempts at recovery. The book deals with family issues and provides insights into the world of rehab centers. It is an honest account of the journey of an addict, told from the perspective of More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 21, 2008

Madison rated it:

For people close to an addict: Read this book if you have not yet realized that you are not alone.

Obviously I'm aware that I'm not the only person out there with an addict in the family. However after reading this book, I realize that I'm not alone in feeling completely confused, furious, wronged, neglected, saddened, helpless, judged, torn, and exhausted, (not to mention a million other things) when dealing with my always recovering drug addicted sister.

David Sheff repre More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Apr 29, 2008

Jenny rated it:

Recommended by one of my favorite book critics!
What a horrifying story, having to watch your child deal with a meth addiction. Every time I opened it, it was like being stabbed in the heart multiple times because as a mother you feel so much sympathy for any parent who has to go through something like that. It was interesting how the author talks about how not only was his son addicted to meth, but that he himself became "addicted" to his son's addiction, to where it was all-con More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 11, 2008

Currie rated it:

I enjoyed this book. It was a glimpse into what a parent goes through with an addict and what "worked" for him. I found David trying too hard to be "hip and cool" throughout the book and it takes away from the honesty and integrity of what he was writing. It almost came off as trying too hard to be cool instead of trying to tell his story of a desperate father. I found this book more informative b/c of his personal experience. I asked myself the question 'was he in denia More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 30, 2008

Marianne rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jul 18, 2008

Linda rated it:

I was reluctant to read this book after reading reviews. I was worried it would be too painful, having had first hand experience with the subject matter and still suffering from post-traumatic stress from the ordeal. But it was actually a sense of relief realizing that horrible situations come up often in families. Morbid thought process, isn't it? It gave me a better understanding of the dynamics between parents and kids dealing with severe drug addiction. It eased wounds that are still raw, an More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 09, 2009

Kristen rated it:

This book will help so many people suffering with, or because of, drug addiction. I've already promised my copy to a friend who lost her sister last year and still blames herself for not trying harder to save her.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Apr 25, 2008

Lori rated it:

I grew up around meth users, so I was particularly interested to see the trend from the outside: A famous-in-his-own-world dad chronicling the tragedy of his son's addiction.

It's safe to say their lifestyle was a tad different from the one I knew. But it was no less horrifying.

Though criticized for bringing "nothing new" to the addiction genre, I liked viewing the story from the dad's perspective. He never quite got all that was going on, and yes, he put himself More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 06, 2009

Robin rated it:

This book was incredibly sad. Addiction in families is a horrible reality and especially so for parents of an addict.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Aug 14, 2008

Linda rated it:

This was a great book! Sheff has gone through a horrible time with his son's addiction. But this book is much more than a tell-all. It is deeply searching, both inwardly and outwardly. It is about the grieving process, about love, about commitment, about allowing yourself to be in pain to arrive at a better place. This book has a lot to offer. And for me, as a mother of four, it is a wake-up call to be diligent and passionate about keeping my kids educated about and away from drugs as much as I More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 06, 2011

Amanda added it

I've read my share of addict memoirs, but I don't think I've ever read a memoir from an addict's family member before. Sheff is a great writer. It's easy for authors -- especially journalists I think for some reason -- to get sucked into quoting classic literature and think they are being deep. Sheff quotes a variety of sources (including Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking of which I am not a great fan. But what's wonderful is that Sheff clearly is not quoting to impress or even because More...

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Mar 18, 2009

Diane rated it:

After the disappointing flak that came about with the exaggerated memoire by the author of A Million Little Pieces, I wasn't sure whether to read this book or not. "Pieces" ruined memoires for me for awhile. I began to suspect every autobiographical book I picked up. But this bok looked different. It is written by the father of a teenage boy addicted to crystal meth. It is heartwrenching and at the same time so difficult to comprehend what this father and the rest of the family endured More...

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Feb 10, 2009

Kristy rated it:

Picked this up when I was stuck at the SFO airport this Sunday because it sounded familiar (I think I read Ashley's review in these past months). Read it in about a day and a half because it was such an intense combination of frightening, intriguing, loving, and heartbreaking emotions. I have never read anything by David Sheff before, nor do I have any firsthand experience of relating to people with addictions. However, Sheff's memoir is full of well-written prose and does not become a pity p More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 28, 2009

Alicia rated it:

This book connected with me on so many levels. It's about a father living in the Bay Area of California who's son has a very strong addiction to Meth. I've never been addicted to meth personally, but I still connected with this book. I think it's because my brother Jacob has has such a rough time for the past 4-5 years with drugs and alcohol.

One thing that really REALLY upsets me is when they call drug abuse or alcoholism a "disease." To me, a disease is something that you More...

1 comment like

Jan 27, 2009

Nicole rated it:

It was hard to choose between three and four stars. The memoir started off slowly, glorifying Nic. But then it started the gut wrenching pain of having a drug addicted son and the toll it takes on not only David Sheff but his whole family. He goes through the pains and roller coasters of having a meth addicted son. Its amazing how much research he did on meth and how its incorportated in the memoir.

His writing style is of a journalist, which I understood but it sometimes hinder More...

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