What do you think?
Rate this book
High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict's Double Life
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An up-close portrait of the mind of an addict and a life unraveled by narcotics—a memoir of captivating urgency and surprising humor that puts a human face on the opioid crisis. “Raw, brutal, and shocking. Move over, Orange Is the New Black.”—Amy Dresner, author of My Fair JunkieWhen word got out that Tiffany Jenkins was withdrawing from opiates on the floor of a jail cell, people in her town were shocked. Not because of the twenty felonies she’d committed, or the nature of her crimes, or even that she’d been captain of the high school cheerleading squad just a few years earlier, but because her boyfriend was a Deputy Sherriff, and his friends—their friends—were the ones who’d arrested her. A raw and twisty page-turning memoir that reads like fiction, High Achiever spans Tiffany’s life as an active opioid addict, her 120 days in a Florida jail where every officer despised what she’d done to their brother in blue, and her eventual recovery. With heart-racing urgency and unflinching honesty, Jenkins takes you inside the grips of addiction and the desperate decisions it breeds. She is a born storyteller who lived an incredible story, from blackmail by an ex-boyfriend to a soul-shattering deal with a drug dealer, and her telling brims with suspense and unexpected wit. But the true surprise is her path to recovery. Tiffany breaks through the stigma and silence to offer hope and inspiration to anyone battling the disease—whether it’s a loved one or themselves.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2017
3740 people are currently reading
42430 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Jenkins
2 books1,113 followersTiffany Jenkins is a wife, and mother to three awesome human beings. She realized her love of writing last year when she started her blog, “Juggling the Jenkins”, where she writes about motherhood, addiction and marriage. Tiffany has acquired a huge social media following where her videos receive millions of views.
She uses her platform to help and inspire others who are struggling with mother-hood, mental health, addiction, and those who just need a good laugh. Her articles have been featured on “BLUNTmoms.com”, “Themighty.com” and “Thoughtcatalog.com”, and her Blog and Face-book page have been covered on several news outlets and television programs.
This month she will be celebrating five years clean and sober from drugs and alcohol. She feels that publishing a book, is a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone.
https://www.facebook.com/jugglingthej...
She uses her platform to help and inspire others who are struggling with mother-hood, mental health, addiction, and those who just need a good laugh. Her articles have been featured on “BLUNTmoms.com”, “Themighty.com” and “Thoughtcatalog.com”, and her Blog and Face-book page have been covered on several news outlets and television programs.
This month she will be celebrating five years clean and sober from drugs and alcohol. She feels that publishing a book, is a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone.
https://www.facebook.com/jugglingthej...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,011 reviews
July 2, 2019
High school cheerleader goes to prison after manipulating everyone in her life and stealing from people and we are supposed to be rooting for her. The tone of this book is so "white valley girl" and the way she describes some of the black and brown girls in prison made me want to beat her up too. She seems to think that only those kinds of women end up in prison. She uses her whiteness and charm to get drugs and get out of getting caught and getting people do things for her. I think drug addiction is real and I don't at all judge her for what she did. I was annoyed by the way she described her trials with no mention of her privilege and the way she used and manipulated a whole bunch of people. She talks like a fun girlfriend telling a cool story, which I think makes the book readable, but I don't think it's the right tone for the subject matter
August 2, 2021
Hope
I found Tiffany on FB one night when I couldn't sleep. One of her videos just popped up and I was like who is this chick? Now I am a follower of her site.
My 23 year old daughter is a heroin addict. This book gives me hope that someday she will be clean and sober. With all the death surrounding her lifestyle, words from someone that has chosen sobriety despite the odds gives me HOPE.
I found Tiffany on FB one night when I couldn't sleep. One of her videos just popped up and I was like who is this chick? Now I am a follower of her site.
My 23 year old daughter is a heroin addict. This book gives me hope that someday she will be clean and sober. With all the death surrounding her lifestyle, words from someone that has chosen sobriety despite the odds gives me HOPE.
July 30, 2019
First -- I love Tiffany online. She's hilarious and comes across as 100% genuine. Unfortunately, this might have been one of the most disingenuous books I've read.
It's possible to ignore the poor grammar and continuity errors (changing names of characters within the span of a page, for one?). And I really tried to like it, but the more I read the more I couldn't stand it.
It comes across as completely false humility. Her character would acknowledge that she was terrible and the worst, but that was juxtaposed with an obvious sense of pride about how "outrageous" her addict story is. It was almost comical how she cartoonishly had other characters "gasp" and "jaw drop" and "eyes bulge" at the WILD OUTRAGEOUSNESS of her story, which was... not worthy of any of that. It was pretty run of the mill to be honest. There is no way that she shocks a therapist who is used to dealing with addicts. PLEASE.
She humble brags about being a master manipulator, without even ONCE acknowledging that she may have (perhaps often) been given the benefit of the doubt in the face of extremely obvious clues, because she was young and white and pretty. Even at points that seem like rock bottom, where she "doesn't want to live", felt more like a tantrum and not wanting to suffer the consequences of what happened. There is no meaningful relationship with any of her "best friends" in the book. She uses them to advance her plot just as she used people in real life to progress the Tiffany Show.
I think that the last conversation with the "bad" therapist was most enlightening.
It feels like this whole thing is a manipulation of the readers. Some of it happened, I'm sure. But it feels fake, poorly edited, and just another version of the Tiffany Show that got her in the mess in the first place.
It's possible to ignore the poor grammar and continuity errors (changing names of characters within the span of a page, for one?). And I really tried to like it, but the more I read the more I couldn't stand it.
It comes across as completely false humility. Her character would acknowledge that she was terrible and the worst, but that was juxtaposed with an obvious sense of pride about how "outrageous" her addict story is. It was almost comical how she cartoonishly had other characters "gasp" and "jaw drop" and "eyes bulge" at the WILD OUTRAGEOUSNESS of her story, which was... not worthy of any of that. It was pretty run of the mill to be honest. There is no way that she shocks a therapist who is used to dealing with addicts. PLEASE.
She humble brags about being a master manipulator, without even ONCE acknowledging that she may have (perhaps often) been given the benefit of the doubt in the face of extremely obvious clues, because she was young and white and pretty. Even at points that seem like rock bottom, where she "doesn't want to live", felt more like a tantrum and not wanting to suffer the consequences of what happened. There is no meaningful relationship with any of her "best friends" in the book. She uses them to advance her plot just as she used people in real life to progress the Tiffany Show.
I think that the last conversation with the "bad" therapist was most enlightening.
It feels like this whole thing is a manipulation of the readers. Some of it happened, I'm sure. But it feels fake, poorly edited, and just another version of the Tiffany Show that got her in the mess in the first place.
October 6, 2022
I was familiar with this author from watching her viral hilarious videos. 🤣 When a friend mentioned how great (and unbelievable) her book was, I knew I had to read it. 🤓 The tone is somber and so different than what she portrays as a comedian. Her life experience is shockingly sad. The double life she led, the risks she took… She’s lucky to be alive. 😬 it’s great that she uses her platform to encourage and uplift those that struggle with addiction.
May 20, 2019
This was possibly the most self-serving memoir I've read. Jenkins literally describes a therapist as telling her she "has a way of talking that makes [her] feel like [she's] in the room next to [Jenkins]". She acts like she's this master manipulator, that EVEN her police officer boyfriend didn't know she was getting high. Ignoring, apparently, the fact that most addicts believe they have everyone fooled, and most families ignore the warning signs.
If you're looking for a memoir of addiction, you can do much, much better.
If you're looking for a memoir of addiction, you can do much, much better.
August 22, 2021
2.5 Stars
An interesting story of one young woman’s struggle with addiction.
I happened on this one while trying to find something to listen to on Audible and it has amazing reviews so I decided to give it a go. I wasn’t familiar of Tiffany Jenkins but I do like a story where someone can overcome, and take charge of their lives and turn a bad situation into something good.
This was a difficult story but my heart went out to all the people Tiffany wronged in the process. I would genuinely loved to have heard her husband’s and his family’s side of the story as how hurt and manipulated they must have felt when this book came out.
Having said that a part of me thinks in order to get clean and move forward in life she has to put her past behind her and if she felt guilty all the time, how long would she stay clean. To be fair Tiffany has paid her dues and turned her life around and that is commendable.
The story is certainly an eye opener in how far someone will go to feed their addiction and how many people get wronged along the way.
I am glad Tiffany turned her life around and her story is certainly interesting and I have no doubt that her story brings hope to many people out there who struggle with addiction or have someone in their family fighting their demons.
I listened to this one on Audible, it was read by the author herself.
An interesting story of one young woman’s struggle with addiction.
I happened on this one while trying to find something to listen to on Audible and it has amazing reviews so I decided to give it a go. I wasn’t familiar of Tiffany Jenkins but I do like a story where someone can overcome, and take charge of their lives and turn a bad situation into something good.
This was a difficult story but my heart went out to all the people Tiffany wronged in the process. I would genuinely loved to have heard her husband’s and his family’s side of the story as how hurt and manipulated they must have felt when this book came out.
Having said that a part of me thinks in order to get clean and move forward in life she has to put her past behind her and if she felt guilty all the time, how long would she stay clean. To be fair Tiffany has paid her dues and turned her life around and that is commendable.
The story is certainly an eye opener in how far someone will go to feed their addiction and how many people get wronged along the way.
I am glad Tiffany turned her life around and her story is certainly interesting and I have no doubt that her story brings hope to many people out there who struggle with addiction or have someone in their family fighting their demons.
I listened to this one on Audible, it was read by the author herself.
April 8, 2019
Quit after 80 pages. Poorly written and lacked depth. Baffled by the number of positive reviews.
August 13, 2019
One of the worst books I've read in a while. The way that it is written is not conducive for a reader's experience, it is written for tv producers to find and say "This is going to make a good tv show!" But Orange is the New Black already exists so there is no need for this (we also all hate Piper Chapmen so we don't need another white lady goes to jail to hate). I thought I would get the story of a woman going through detox, instead, it's a tale of white privilege and the author almost seems pleased with how people are enamored with her story. This true story reads like fiction written by a college freshman taking an intro to writing class.
Save yourself and find something else to read.
Save yourself and find something else to read.
March 9, 2019
1) what sex was the dog?
2) this book was irritating to read bc of the improper grammar (not her slang, the proper way to write a paragraph with dialogue)
3) how can you be an addict and misspell the spelling of the pills?
4) hear the vein pop.
5) you can’t get Hep B from using IV. You catch it by SHARING NEEDLES. I have a hard time believing the SWAT cop said that.
6) I’ve had fucked up therapists but this story is pretty tame, and she was accused of lying. It’s weird, bc I think she’s lying about that 😂
I have 8.5 years clean. I’m also a RN. I also was administering Chemo before I got clean. In my few years of nursing of starting IVs, I’ve never “heard” a vein pop. You can feel it. But I’ve never heard, in the 20 years of studying addiction/nursing ever heard someone say they heard a vein pop when you hit it with a rig. Then again, I wasn’t an IV user.
The only thing that separates her, which she admits, is she dated a cop.
She has an enormous Ego. She still sees the world as it owes her something. I’m a “white” cheerleader 🙄 There is something so irritating about her, how she thinks she’s funny when she’s not. I know she would be a person I would avoid at a meeting.
She went through a few tough things during moments like all addicts do, but she never really hit a rock-bottom in terms that she REALIZES what she did was wrong.
I thought once I got thru her drama that she would have something inspiring to say. It’s a LONG book. That never happens. (According to the Bio, she’s known on social media.) That is why I’m scoring this so low. Her personality wants to give one star, but you have to give a person credit for making it 5 years clean. If you are expecting something with substance, you won’t find it here unfortunately.
2) this book was irritating to read bc of the improper grammar (not her slang, the proper way to write a paragraph with dialogue)
3) how can you be an addict and misspell the spelling of the pills?
4) hear the vein pop.
5) you can’t get Hep B from using IV. You catch it by SHARING NEEDLES. I have a hard time believing the SWAT cop said that.
6) I’ve had fucked up therapists but this story is pretty tame, and she was accused of lying. It’s weird, bc I think she’s lying about that 😂
I have 8.5 years clean. I’m also a RN. I also was administering Chemo before I got clean. In my few years of nursing of starting IVs, I’ve never “heard” a vein pop. You can feel it. But I’ve never heard, in the 20 years of studying addiction/nursing ever heard someone say they heard a vein pop when you hit it with a rig. Then again, I wasn’t an IV user.
The only thing that separates her, which she admits, is she dated a cop.
She has an enormous Ego. She still sees the world as it owes her something. I’m a “white” cheerleader 🙄 There is something so irritating about her, how she thinks she’s funny when she’s not. I know she would be a person I would avoid at a meeting.
She went through a few tough things during moments like all addicts do, but she never really hit a rock-bottom in terms that she REALIZES what she did was wrong.
I thought once I got thru her drama that she would have something inspiring to say. It’s a LONG book. That never happens. (According to the Bio, she’s known on social media.) That is why I’m scoring this so low. Her personality wants to give one star, but you have to give a person credit for making it 5 years clean. If you are expecting something with substance, you won’t find it here unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2020
This book, a real life account of an addict and later on prisoner, reminded me quite a bit of the TV show/book Orange Is the New Black.
The book is in parts about the author’s time in prison – that’s where the Orange is the New Black similarity comes to play, and the other part is about her life as an addict.
Both parts of the novel are incredibly raw. An up-close, sometimes too close, portrait of an addict and what such a person would do for the next high.
The manipulation, the recklessness, and stone cold attitude astonished me. This book portraits the sad truth about an addicts mind. An addict ONLY cares about their next fix. Family, friends, boyfriends as well as moral and ethics – everything can become a kind of collateral damage.
I was hooked from the very beginning, I’m not going to lie about it. Some parts were hard to swallow and listen to. For example hearing the author describe her actions in such a cold and brutal way was a bit disconcerting to me. And her willingness to destroy her own life as well as everyone else’s was quite shocking.
On the other hand I applaud the author for being this truthful (I hope it doesn’t turn out to be a work of fiction). The brutal honesty, was refreshing and probably the reason why this book is so hard to put down.
The author narrated this book herself, and even though I had some doubts about it in the beginning, overall she did a fantastic job. She has an incredible way of telling a story. The book didn’t sound like a non-fiction at all. And the plotting was very well done.
___________________________________
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog.
Find me on Bookstagram.
The book is in parts about the author’s time in prison – that’s where the Orange is the New Black similarity comes to play, and the other part is about her life as an addict.
Both parts of the novel are incredibly raw. An up-close, sometimes too close, portrait of an addict and what such a person would do for the next high.
The manipulation, the recklessness, and stone cold attitude astonished me. This book portraits the sad truth about an addicts mind. An addict ONLY cares about their next fix. Family, friends, boyfriends as well as moral and ethics – everything can become a kind of collateral damage.
I was hooked from the very beginning, I’m not going to lie about it. Some parts were hard to swallow and listen to. For example hearing the author describe her actions in such a cold and brutal way was a bit disconcerting to me. And her willingness to destroy her own life as well as everyone else’s was quite shocking.
On the other hand I applaud the author for being this truthful (I hope it doesn’t turn out to be a work of fiction). The brutal honesty, was refreshing and probably the reason why this book is so hard to put down.
The author narrated this book herself, and even though I had some doubts about it in the beginning, overall she did a fantastic job. She has an incredible way of telling a story. The book didn’t sound like a non-fiction at all. And the plotting was very well done.
___________________________________
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog.
Find me on Bookstagram.
August 1, 2019
Didn't she have an editor?
August 22, 2019
Very little, if any, acknowledgment of personal accountability in the narrative. Name calling alone doesn't qualify, in my opinion. I don't feel judgmental of those in recovery, but I do feel that accepting responsibility for one's behavior is a critical component. It's stressed in 12 step programs. Maybe it happened, but it's not recorded here.
Hello, white privilege! So many women of color have committed so many fewer and less serious crimes and are serving out the lengthy prison sentences they were given. The vast majority of her 15 year sentence was suspended. Clearly, we can't help which family we are born into. The enormous advantages conferred by whiteness is a huge part of this story. Its absence in the telling leaves this reader questioning whether the author recognizes it, owns it, appreciates how huge a factor it is in her story.
Hello, white privilege! So many women of color have committed so many fewer and less serious crimes and are serving out the lengthy prison sentences they were given. The vast majority of her 15 year sentence was suspended. Clearly, we can't help which family we are born into. The enormous advantages conferred by whiteness is a huge part of this story. Its absence in the telling leaves this reader questioning whether the author recognizes it, owns it, appreciates how huge a factor it is in her story.
November 26, 2017
Literaly the best book I have ever read. I could not put this book down. When I did, I still found myself wondering what was going to happen next. I laughed ans cried. Found myself at a juicy part of the book and was trying to speed read to see what happened. I highly recommend this book. It's not very often I come by a book that has me so hooked...it literally was a better version of "Orange is The New Black" 😱
September 1, 2020
This book seems... fake? There’s something very weird and off about it. Almost Go Ask Alice vibes, though not nearly that goofy. The writing is poor and the narrator seems hell bent on telling you every time someone paid her a compliment. The title should be a double entendre, but isn’t really. The whole thing is bizarre and uncanny, with stilted dialogue and none of the gravity or emotion you’d expect for such a serious subject. Also she seems to call every Latinex person “Spanish.” I don’t know what to make of this book, but I’m glad the author has made it through whatever part of this story is true, and that she chronicled it for her kids, which I’m presuming was a major incentive. The other incentive seems to be to sneak God into the story, where He sits unremarkably.
If you’re looking for addiction books, I recommend Never Enough and Everything’s Horribke and Wonderful.
If you’re looking for addiction books, I recommend Never Enough and Everything’s Horribke and Wonderful.
August 25, 2018
A lot of self-aggrandizing without a comparable amount of self-reflection. Even when Jenkins is ostensibly self-critical (which is limited to just calling herself some version of “worthless junkie”), her flaws are always overridden by the insidious actions of the myriad bad actors who surround her. The predatory inmates and the authoritarian C.O.’s (both of whose dialogue is rendered in cringeworthy, racialized “ebonics”), the duplicitous deputies, the enabling friends, the sinister dealers, the doofus boyfriend - they’re all complicit, and somehow come across as more at fault than Jenkins herself. Not only is there no exploration of what was underneath her consistently awful behavior (it’s all chalked up to and excused by her disease), Jenkins also doesn’t appreciate, much less recognize, how her socioeconomic and racial privilege (“I was a cheerleader!” aka “I was a white person!”) enabled her to get off virtually scot-free (and achieve internet-fame-level redemption!) for crimes and behavior that would literally destroy poor people of color.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2019
The author is probably best known for her blog Juggling the Jenkins. Most do not know about her criminal past that includes 27 felonies or her lengthy stay in jail. She was a drug addict and willing to go to any lengths to get them. Even if that meant betraying her live in boyfriend who happened to be a Sherriff's Deputy. And she did.
Tiffany had a somewhat tumultuous childhood but she still became the captain of her high school cheerleading squad and student body president. No one expected to her life to take a downward spiral. She seemed on top of the world but she hit rock bottom.
The story is as promised. It's scary to see how far one person will go to get drugs. It's also stunning that she was able to fool her boyfriend. He knew that she had already completed rehab once but he overlooked so many instances that could have revealed her truth. She holds nothing back. She talks about lesbian affairs and jail fights. She talks openly about withdrawal and performing sexual favors and making a sex tape. But she doesn't give us enough.
The story lacked some important features. She talks about the drug abuse for 98 percent of the book. She talks about recovery for a very short period at the end. She doesn't give us the lead up. What caused her to turn to drugs? Did she sustain an injury? Did she try it once and like it immediately? What was life like after her second stint in rehab? How did she cope with all the changes and stay sober? I wanted to know how she repaired the relationship with her sister. Did she make amends with her ex?
I realize the title clearly states it's about her double life but I needed more backstory. I needed to feel empathy and eventually joy when she got clean. It was sadly absent. This was her attempt to clean the slate. It's admirable and absolutely should be applauded. However, it feels incomplete. An open book should have all the chapters, not just a chunk of the middle.
Can I recommend this book? Yes, with the understanding it's not so much a tell all book as a tell some.
Tiffany had a somewhat tumultuous childhood but she still became the captain of her high school cheerleading squad and student body president. No one expected to her life to take a downward spiral. She seemed on top of the world but she hit rock bottom.
The story is as promised. It's scary to see how far one person will go to get drugs. It's also stunning that she was able to fool her boyfriend. He knew that she had already completed rehab once but he overlooked so many instances that could have revealed her truth. She holds nothing back. She talks about lesbian affairs and jail fights. She talks openly about withdrawal and performing sexual favors and making a sex tape. But she doesn't give us enough.
The story lacked some important features. She talks about the drug abuse for 98 percent of the book. She talks about recovery for a very short period at the end. She doesn't give us the lead up. What caused her to turn to drugs? Did she sustain an injury? Did she try it once and like it immediately? What was life like after her second stint in rehab? How did she cope with all the changes and stay sober? I wanted to know how she repaired the relationship with her sister. Did she make amends with her ex?
I realize the title clearly states it's about her double life but I needed more backstory. I needed to feel empathy and eventually joy when she got clean. It was sadly absent. This was her attempt to clean the slate. It's admirable and absolutely should be applauded. However, it feels incomplete. An open book should have all the chapters, not just a chunk of the middle.
Can I recommend this book? Yes, with the understanding it's not so much a tell all book as a tell some.
October 28, 2019
One of my favorite shows, and one I’ve seen almost every episode of, is "Intervention." It has given me so much empathy for addicts because it makes it clear that addiction can take down anyone. An addict is not weak or lacking in self-control; an addict has a disease that needs treatment and compassion.
So I went into this memoir with every intention of having as much compassion for Jenkins as possible. The problem is, it’s hard to summon positive feelings for the person portrayed in these pages, and not because of her drug addiction. I’m a fan of memoirs, so I do realize that one has to think highly of oneself to even pen a memoir, but the tone of this one felt so fake and self-serving. It’s hard to believe that Jenkins was capable of thoroughly shocking a therapist who is experienced in dealing with addicts when Jenkins’s actions under the influence weren’t all that appalling. Yes, she stole guns from her boyfriend and his parents’ home and sold them to drug dealers. Most addicts do far, far worse. Jenkins also seems to have a bit of a superiority complex. She is better than IV drug users because she only snorted pills, and then when she does resort to shooting up, she’s better than heroin addicts because she’s still using pills, which are legal. She also seems to feel superior to just about everyone in this memoir that has darker skin.
This memoir isn’t even written very well. The prose is choppy and overly purple in tone, and it feels almost like Jenkins, master manipulator that she is (and she admits it freely), is manipulating the reader to engender far more sympathy than perhaps she deserves.
I didn’t care for this memoir at all, but then when I got to the "about the author" at the end of it, I realized that she’s Tiffany Jenkins of "Juggling the Jenkins" (which, pedantically, really ought to be "Juggling the Jenkinses"). If you enjoy her on social media, I’d suggest avoiding this book because it really does her no favors.
So I went into this memoir with every intention of having as much compassion for Jenkins as possible. The problem is, it’s hard to summon positive feelings for the person portrayed in these pages, and not because of her drug addiction. I’m a fan of memoirs, so I do realize that one has to think highly of oneself to even pen a memoir, but the tone of this one felt so fake and self-serving. It’s hard to believe that Jenkins was capable of thoroughly shocking a therapist who is experienced in dealing with addicts when Jenkins’s actions under the influence weren’t all that appalling. Yes, she stole guns from her boyfriend and his parents’ home and sold them to drug dealers. Most addicts do far, far worse. Jenkins also seems to have a bit of a superiority complex. She is better than IV drug users because she only snorted pills, and then when she does resort to shooting up, she’s better than heroin addicts because she’s still using pills, which are legal. She also seems to feel superior to just about everyone in this memoir that has darker skin.
This memoir isn’t even written very well. The prose is choppy and overly purple in tone, and it feels almost like Jenkins, master manipulator that she is (and she admits it freely), is manipulating the reader to engender far more sympathy than perhaps she deserves.
I didn’t care for this memoir at all, but then when I got to the "about the author" at the end of it, I realized that she’s Tiffany Jenkins of "Juggling the Jenkins" (which, pedantically, really ought to be "Juggling the Jenkinses"). If you enjoy her on social media, I’d suggest avoiding this book because it really does her no favors.
October 3, 2019
I am perplexed why this book has such a high rating on Goodreads. It’s horribly written and grotesquely self-indulgent. Ms Jenkins thinks her addiction story is “incredible” because she was dating a cop while she was using. I’ve read writing from my fourteen-year-old freshmen that’s more engaging and less painfully cliche. A hot mess.
November 25, 2017
I couldn't put it down!
I saw this book was released today so I purchased it as I follow the author on Facebook and I love watching her videos and only knew a little about her life story but I was always intrigued. I'm not a reader and if I do get a book it better be good because I need to be hooked immediately. I purchased the book this morning and just finished it. So soo good! I couldn't put it down! I had moments of shock and moments where I wanted to cry. I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. She is truly inspiring. I am so happy her story has a happy ending. I started watched her videos because she always made me laugh and I related to her mommy moments! I am so happy I purchased the book. Thank you for writing it.
I saw this book was released today so I purchased it as I follow the author on Facebook and I love watching her videos and only knew a little about her life story but I was always intrigued. I'm not a reader and if I do get a book it better be good because I need to be hooked immediately. I purchased the book this morning and just finished it. So soo good! I couldn't put it down! I had moments of shock and moments where I wanted to cry. I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. She is truly inspiring. I am so happy her story has a happy ending. I started watched her videos because she always made me laugh and I related to her mommy moments! I am so happy I purchased the book. Thank you for writing it.
January 27, 2021
Audiobook....library overdrive...read by the author, 8 hours and 53 minutes long.
This National Best Seller, “High Achiever”, has 10,977 ratings with an overall of 87% five stars, on Amazon.
Our library had it instantly available. I was curious...so I downloaded it.
Tiffany’s voice was personable- easy to listen to. (but only for about an hour).
I begin to feel bored.....then suddenly very sleepy.
I set the book down, ( I was in the kitchen finishing up a late breakfast). I finished my tea, then went to have “a lie down”, as Gabriel Byrne might say, from his memoir “Walking With Ghosts”.
When I returned to the book, I was less inspired- ( good nap though).
Neutral.....Yep kinda neutral about “High Achiever”.
Not awful - not great.
3 average stars. ( I hope I didn’t hurt that 87% high rating on Amazon)
This National Best Seller, “High Achiever”, has 10,977 ratings with an overall of 87% five stars, on Amazon.
Our library had it instantly available. I was curious...so I downloaded it.
Tiffany’s voice was personable- easy to listen to. (but only for about an hour).
I begin to feel bored.....then suddenly very sleepy.
I set the book down, ( I was in the kitchen finishing up a late breakfast). I finished my tea, then went to have “a lie down”, as Gabriel Byrne might say, from his memoir “Walking With Ghosts”.
When I returned to the book, I was less inspired- ( good nap though).
Neutral.....Yep kinda neutral about “High Achiever”.
Not awful - not great.
3 average stars. ( I hope I didn’t hurt that 87% high rating on Amazon)
October 21, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
"Norėjau visam laikui atsikratyti priklausomybės, bet norėjau ir kaifuoti. Norėjau būti normali, bet neturėjau jėgų bandyti tokia tapti. Buvau palūžusi, bet desperatiškai troškau vėl atsistoti ant kojų."
Visų pirma, tai be galo džiaugiuosi ir gerbiu Tifanę už tai, kad jai pavyko išsikapstyti iš to liūno. Kad jinai eina per gyvenimą aukštai iškėlus galvą ir savo patirtimi dalinasi su kitais, siekdama jiems padėti. Tačiau niekaip nesuprantu ir nesuprasiu, kaip niekas iš jos aplinkos per tiek metų nepamatė jokių įspėjamųjų ženklų? Jos šeima? Vaikinas? Jų bendri draugai? Juk jie visi POLICININKAI!!! Tifanė buvo pastoviai arba apsinešus, arba kamuojama lomkių, tad man tikrai galva neišneša, kaip niekas to nepastebėjo..
"Norėjau visam laikui atsikratyti priklausomybės, bet norėjau ir kaifuoti. Norėjau būti normali, bet neturėjau jėgų bandyti tokia tapti. Buvau palūžusi, bet desperatiškai troškau vėl atsistoti ant kojų."
Visų pirma, tai be galo džiaugiuosi ir gerbiu Tifanę už tai, kad jai pavyko išsikapstyti iš to liūno. Kad jinai eina per gyvenimą aukštai iškėlus galvą ir savo patirtimi dalinasi su kitais, siekdama jiems padėti. Tačiau niekaip nesuprantu ir nesuprasiu, kaip niekas iš jos aplinkos per tiek metų nepamatė jokių įspėjamųjų ženklų? Jos šeima? Vaikinas? Jų bendri draugai? Juk jie visi POLICININKAI!!! Tifanė buvo pastoviai arba apsinešus, arba kamuojama lomkių, tad man tikrai galva neišneša, kaip niekas to nepastebėjo..
July 26, 2019
2.5 stars. I’m really surprised this book has such a good rating. What an irritating way to tell this story. The author reminds me of that kid who smoked a cigarette once and thinks he’s more hardcore & rebellious than everyone else. She spends 3/4 of the book trumping up her awful, horrific, so-bad-you-can’t-possibly-imagine-it past. And then it turns out to be a sad, but pretty standard and not particularly shocking, story about drug addiction. It’s like she wants extra credit for being the worst of the worst, when she seems run of the mill. It’s hard to imagine telling this story in a way that’d leave me feeling so little sympathy, but this author somehow managed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2018
Came to this book after reading more about the author after spending most of one afternoon laughing out loud at her videos on Facebook ("Juggling the Jenkins"). She could be me/you/our sisters/friends.....dealing with anxiety and cramps and life in general. To find out that she is a recovering drug addict who uses her voice on social media and in real life to support people coping with addiction/incarceration of any sort was surprising. Not the supporting part; I mean, you totally get the feeling she would be a great shoulder to cry on, someone who would eat popcorn and M&M's with you until you both wanted to puke, then she'd get you to wash your face and soldier on. Nope, it's the felon/recovering addict part that makes you go, YOU? With your nuclear family and nice house and obvious intelligence and wit? Well, yes, of course her. Addiction doesn't play favorites, how many times must one learn that particular lesson? As to this book -- it was easy to read and told part of her story. But I found myself wishing she'd dealt with her teenage years and how/when/why she started using, to give full context. Probably quite selfish of me.
April 6, 2023
"Kaifuotoja" - memuarai, kuriuos mums pasakoja pati Tifanė. Opioidinės narkomanijos abistinencijos priepuoliai, laikas kalėjime bei naujo gyvenimo paieškos.
Tikrai labai atviras bei pagaulus pasakojimas, kurį skaitant sunku patikėti, jog tai tiesa. Ir tokie dalykai vyksta realiame gyvenime.
Tifanės kasdienybė iki suėmimo buvo nuolatinis galvojimas kaip "užgaudyti kaifą". Kasdieninis melas mylimiems žmonėms, susitikimai su narkotikų prekeiviais, o galų gale ir apsilankymai lombarduose. Kad ir kokia Tifanė buvo tobula melagė, tačiau pabaigoje ji tikrai nemąstė blaiviai ir tai jai tikrai pakišo koją. Nutiko tai, kas grėsė visą laiką gyvenant po vienu stogu su policijos pareigūnu. Jos melas išaiškėjo.. Taip moteris atsidūrė Floridos kalėjime.
Džiaugiuosi, jog Tifanė nepaleido vėjais savo gyvenimo ir perėmė savo likimą į savo rankas. Ši moteris įrodė, jog sveikimo kelias nuo priklausomybės nors ir buvo duobėtas, tačiau įveikiamas. Stipri, sukrečianti istorija, kuri patiks tikrų istorijų gerbėjams.
Tikrai labai atviras bei pagaulus pasakojimas, kurį skaitant sunku patikėti, jog tai tiesa. Ir tokie dalykai vyksta realiame gyvenime.
Tifanės kasdienybė iki suėmimo buvo nuolatinis galvojimas kaip "užgaudyti kaifą". Kasdieninis melas mylimiems žmonėms, susitikimai su narkotikų prekeiviais, o galų gale ir apsilankymai lombarduose. Kad ir kokia Tifanė buvo tobula melagė, tačiau pabaigoje ji tikrai nemąstė blaiviai ir tai jai tikrai pakišo koją. Nutiko tai, kas grėsė visą laiką gyvenant po vienu stogu su policijos pareigūnu. Jos melas išaiškėjo.. Taip moteris atsidūrė Floridos kalėjime.
Džiaugiuosi, jog Tifanė nepaleido vėjais savo gyvenimo ir perėmė savo likimą į savo rankas. Ši moteris įrodė, jog sveikimo kelias nuo priklausomybės nors ir buvo duobėtas, tačiau įveikiamas. Stipri, sukrečianti istorija, kuri patiks tikrų istorijų gerbėjams.
July 4, 2018
I rarely give a negative or bad review but The book was about 250 pages to long. It constantly repeated itself and had no umph to it at all. I forced myself to finish it thinking something HAD to climax somewhere in there..... no luck.
June 29, 2025
I'd never heard of the author until I got sent an arc of her second book, so I decided to pick this one up to see where it all began.
High Achiever reads like a thriller - like fiction. It's a wild ride, that's for sure, yet I got the impression that Jenkins hasn't been entirely truthful in her recollection.
A lot of this book seemed very exaggerated, everyone she encountered was in awe of her story. While I do think she has a talent for telling it, and quite like the writing style and the humour, I found it hard to believe.
Like, she had therapists sitting on the edge of their seats to hear more, medical professionals were stunned by what she had to say, and then you actually hear the story...and it's not something I'd call particularly shocking.
Certain scenes felt reminiscent of Orange is the New Black, but it could just be that they had similar experiences.
To be clear, I'm not saying Jenkins made it up, maybe it did all happen exactly as she said it did, I'm not here to judge. But I do think it was written this way on purpose, take that as you will.
Overall, it was interesting, her time in jail and what landed her there most of all, the rehab bits less so, and there wasn't a lot of post-rehab info (I'm guessing that's what book two is for). She did overcome an addiction, so good on her for sticking to it, it clearly wasn't easy.
One last thing I'd like to mention is her descriptions of the women she met in jail, particularly those of colour. Like a few other reviewers mentioned, it read as if she was looking down on them and it rubbed me the wrong way.
High Achiever reads like a thriller - like fiction. It's a wild ride, that's for sure, yet I got the impression that Jenkins hasn't been entirely truthful in her recollection.
A lot of this book seemed very exaggerated, everyone she encountered was in awe of her story. While I do think she has a talent for telling it, and quite like the writing style and the humour, I found it hard to believe.
Like, she had therapists sitting on the edge of their seats to hear more, medical professionals were stunned by what she had to say, and then you actually hear the story...and it's not something I'd call particularly shocking.
Certain scenes felt reminiscent of Orange is the New Black, but it could just be that they had similar experiences.
To be clear, I'm not saying Jenkins made it up, maybe it did all happen exactly as she said it did, I'm not here to judge. But I do think it was written this way on purpose, take that as you will.
Overall, it was interesting, her time in jail and what landed her there most of all, the rehab bits less so, and there wasn't a lot of post-rehab info (I'm guessing that's what book two is for). She did overcome an addiction, so good on her for sticking to it, it clearly wasn't easy.
One last thing I'd like to mention is her descriptions of the women she met in jail, particularly those of colour. Like a few other reviewers mentioned, it read as if she was looking down on them and it rubbed me the wrong way.
February 20, 2024
“Addiction is a sneaky bitch. It doesn’t care who you’re dating, who you love, if you have kids, a job, or goals. It doesn’t care who you were or who you plan to be.”
Like all addiction memoirs, Jenkins’ story is an impactful cautionary tale. Highly readable but at times elementary, I found myself wishing for a little more depth and genuine self-reflection.
3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like all addiction memoirs, Jenkins’ story is an impactful cautionary tale. Highly readable but at times elementary, I found myself wishing for a little more depth and genuine self-reflection.
3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 29, 2019
I find Jenkins’ videos about mental health issues on point and hilarious, so I was really looking forward to reading this.
Unfortunately it seems there was no editor to pare down the repetitiveness in some sections. I also felt the author was trying too hard to shock the reader. Yeah, you dated a cop and hid it from him, or more likely he ignored every single warning sign which was multiple relapses and shady behavior. I actually couldn’t feel one bit sorry for him.
I have 12 years of sobriety. I know what a rock bottom looks like. I also studied to become an addictions counselor and can tell you her story is nothing special. All addicts have stories that involve manipulation, lying, hiding the truth, and letting loved ones down. I felt this author thought there was a competition as to whose story is the worst.
Her constant reference to her spectacular status in high school was over-wrought. The lesbian scenes felt forced and condescending, as if she is somehow better than them. As were her mentions of Women of Color. It set off alarm bells in my head, the way she handled her descriptions of them. She seriously wrote in Ebonics. Which dropped my respect for her to the floor. Her white privilege is so thick she can’t even see through it to realize she had it way better than all the WoC.
I’ve read a lot of addiction memoirs, and the really good ones start out with the truth, detail some shocking, yet inevitable bits, and conclude with understanding, meaning, humility, and growth. This book contained none of that. She never once mentioned when she started using. She never explored her emotions or made sense of why she started using. All we get is this, what she clearly wants people to think, outrageous story. Read Lit by Mary Karr or Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp. From WoC: Rabbit by Patricia Williams; The Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward.
That treatment center she went to? Unethical and horribly unprofessional. I sat horrified that the state hadn’t shut them down. If you have a loved one needing treatment vet the place! No counselor OR staff should treat a patient the way that place treated Jenkins. And didn’t she go there to find God? She neither found God nor a good treatment center. The book ends abruptly, and by that point I was well past done.
Unfortunately it seems there was no editor to pare down the repetitiveness in some sections. I also felt the author was trying too hard to shock the reader. Yeah, you dated a cop and hid it from him, or more likely he ignored every single warning sign which was multiple relapses and shady behavior. I actually couldn’t feel one bit sorry for him.
I have 12 years of sobriety. I know what a rock bottom looks like. I also studied to become an addictions counselor and can tell you her story is nothing special. All addicts have stories that involve manipulation, lying, hiding the truth, and letting loved ones down. I felt this author thought there was a competition as to whose story is the worst.
Her constant reference to her spectacular status in high school was over-wrought. The lesbian scenes felt forced and condescending, as if she is somehow better than them. As were her mentions of Women of Color. It set off alarm bells in my head, the way she handled her descriptions of them. She seriously wrote in Ebonics. Which dropped my respect for her to the floor. Her white privilege is so thick she can’t even see through it to realize she had it way better than all the WoC.
I’ve read a lot of addiction memoirs, and the really good ones start out with the truth, detail some shocking, yet inevitable bits, and conclude with understanding, meaning, humility, and growth. This book contained none of that. She never once mentioned when she started using. She never explored her emotions or made sense of why she started using. All we get is this, what she clearly wants people to think, outrageous story. Read Lit by Mary Karr or Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp. From WoC: Rabbit by Patricia Williams; The Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward.
That treatment center she went to? Unethical and horribly unprofessional. I sat horrified that the state hadn’t shut them down. If you have a loved one needing treatment vet the place! No counselor OR staff should treat a patient the way that place treated Jenkins. And didn’t she go there to find God? She neither found God nor a good treatment center. The book ends abruptly, and by that point I was well past done.
August 25, 2018
I couldn't finish this book...I was hoping for something that gave a bit more insight into the author's state of mind, and I couldn't help but feel that this was disingenuous, and written "for a reader" rather than as an honest account.
February 17, 2020
Whoa, Jenkins does not sugarcoat. With great detail, sadness, regret, and humor, she divulges what addiction did to her life, and what she did to people she loved and respected. As the daughter of a recovering alcoholic, parts of this absolutely resonated. Addiction is an horrific beast.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,011 reviews