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Yoga Cocaine
Jessica Needs a Fix. Vacillating between a desire to get high and a yearning for a substance-free life, she finds herself alternating between cocaine and yoga, dependence and freedom. Will she be able to let go of her self-abuse and find sobriety one day, and one breath, at a time? An addict who once disappeared into crack dens, she now seeks solace at yoga studios. As Jessica attempts to create a path to recovery "on the mat" and in Alcoholics Anonymous, she grapples with one unanswerable question: "Is recovery worth it?" Yoga Cocaine traces one addict's journey from the unknown of addiction to the unknown of recovery.
" A raw, compelling, artfully crafted novel, Yoga Cocaine takes us on a deep dive into the shadowy world of addiction. This novel powerfully illuminates what's available to us when we commit ourselves to the redemptive path of recovery. Even if you've never struggled with addiction, you will be shaken, moved and inspired."
-- Kezia Renée Lechner, author of Close to the Bone: An Uncommon Love Story
"Jessica's experiences could put any fraternity guy to shame, yet you feel for her and root for her, despite her nonexistent moral compass. Through yoga, and some serious diversions, she undergoes a powerful, poignant transformation. Yoga Cocaine is an emotional roller coaster ride of despair and recovery. It's a must read for anyone who's ever dealt with addiction or loves yoga."
-- Heidi Doheny Jay, author of Confessions of 400 Men
"For anyone who has known addiction and sobriety - or wondered about it - Yoga Cocaine is a powerful, painful, hopeful, inspiring and addicting story that you won't be able to put down. Pick it up now and dive in."
-- Lisa Kohn, author of To the Moon And Back: A Childhood Under the Influence
Learn more at www.DaralyseLyons.com
" A raw, compelling, artfully crafted novel, Yoga Cocaine takes us on a deep dive into the shadowy world of addiction. This novel powerfully illuminates what's available to us when we commit ourselves to the redemptive path of recovery. Even if you've never struggled with addiction, you will be shaken, moved and inspired."
-- Kezia Renée Lechner, author of Close to the Bone: An Uncommon Love Story
"Jessica's experiences could put any fraternity guy to shame, yet you feel for her and root for her, despite her nonexistent moral compass. Through yoga, and some serious diversions, she undergoes a powerful, poignant transformation. Yoga Cocaine is an emotional roller coaster ride of despair and recovery. It's a must read for anyone who's ever dealt with addiction or loves yoga."
-- Heidi Doheny Jay, author of Confessions of 400 Men
"For anyone who has known addiction and sobriety - or wondered about it - Yoga Cocaine is a powerful, painful, hopeful, inspiring and addicting story that you won't be able to put down. Pick it up now and dive in."
-- Lisa Kohn, author of To the Moon And Back: A Childhood Under the Influence
Learn more at www.DaralyseLyons.com
- GenresFiction
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2016
32 people are currently reading
1486 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 7, 2020
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, for which I'd like to thank the author and publisher.
I had a difficult time reading this book. I'm probably not the intended audience, but the synopsis caught my interest. I cannot say that this was an enjoyable book (it's a difficult subject matter), but it was interesting.
Positives - The path from "user" to "sober" is incredibly difficult. I applaud the author for portraying the path from "rock bottom" to "attempting to come clean" to "going off the wagon" to, hopefully finally, "becoming clean day by day" in what seemed like a realistic manner (I don't have personal experience with alcohol/drug addiction, but know people who have and this seemed to line up with some of their experiences). The ending of the book gives the reader hope - something that seems the main character (Jessica) greatly needs. The healing process - through both the AA book and yoga instruction - was interesting and I admired that take.
Negatives - From the title one can tell there are going to be trigger warnings, but there were so many in this book that I actually started becoming numb to the main character's situations. I also had an issue with the rough language - although that was a stylistic choice, and the correct choice, I didn't like reading it and it lost its effectiveness for being shocking. Also - and this is so amazingly minor a nit - Jessica is a blonde; the woman on the front cover is has auburn hair; a little bit jarring.
EDIT - upon reflection, this book is somewhere between a 3-3.5 rating for me, so I revised my rating to reflect this.
I had a difficult time reading this book. I'm probably not the intended audience, but the synopsis caught my interest. I cannot say that this was an enjoyable book (it's a difficult subject matter), but it was interesting.
Positives - The path from "user" to "sober" is incredibly difficult. I applaud the author for portraying the path from "rock bottom" to "attempting to come clean" to "going off the wagon" to, hopefully finally, "becoming clean day by day" in what seemed like a realistic manner (I don't have personal experience with alcohol/drug addiction, but know people who have and this seemed to line up with some of their experiences). The ending of the book gives the reader hope - something that seems the main character (Jessica) greatly needs. The healing process - through both the AA book and yoga instruction - was interesting and I admired that take.
Negatives - From the title one can tell there are going to be trigger warnings, but there were so many in this book that I actually started becoming numb to the main character's situations. I also had an issue with the rough language - although that was a stylistic choice, and the correct choice, I didn't like reading it and it lost its effectiveness for being shocking. Also - and this is so amazingly minor a nit - Jessica is a blonde; the woman on the front cover is has auburn hair; a little bit jarring.
EDIT - upon reflection, this book is somewhere between a 3-3.5 rating for me, so I revised my rating to reflect this.
April 6, 2020
I have never experienced drugs, alcohol, sex, and abuse like this character has. I also didn't know about the intensity and in-depth of AA is. The book is fictional but I enjoyed it anyway, it is an eye opener of what is around me. Addiction and abuse is real and something I hope never to experience.
April 11, 2020
Read this book!
It was difficult to put this book down. It was also difficult to read. Jessica is so mangled and damaged and real. If you enjoy stories that are predictable and filled with sunshine this will be a hard read but stick with it because the light that comes beaming through the heartache is blindingly gorgeous. Thank you Dara 👏🏼🙂
It was difficult to put this book down. It was also difficult to read. Jessica is so mangled and damaged and real. If you enjoy stories that are predictable and filled with sunshine this will be a hard read but stick with it because the light that comes beaming through the heartache is blindingly gorgeous. Thank you Dara 👏🏼🙂
May 14, 2020
Yet to receive this book that I won from a goodreads giveaway and I am on the fence on weather I will enjoy it or not. The description seems pretty heavy and serious and I am not sure how that will gel with me right now with the current climate. I will update my review once I have finished the book.
Star rating based on description and cover.
Star rating based on description and cover.
January 6, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It was definitely not the typical book I would be interested in but I decided to give it a shot since I won it. It took me a while to get into it but it is a great depiction of addiction and recovery.
February 2, 2020
Very well written book. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you.
Unique story and I was rooting for Jesse to reach her internal goals. What a treasure. It could likely be a true story for someone.
Unique story and I was rooting for Jesse to reach her internal goals. What a treasure. It could likely be a true story for someone.
February 20, 2020
I won this book and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the book very much and am glad I discovered the author. Can't wait to read more from this author!
February 24, 2020
I won this book from Goodreads. This was a good book written by an addict. She has to choose between to being an addict or being healthy. Interesting reading a book from this view.
April 30, 2020
Definitely a good surprise. About a young woman addicted to sex, drugs and alcohol who finally begins recovery through 12-step and yoga. I learned a lot, especially about hope and letting
go.
go.
June 2, 2021
This book was well written and I could not put it down. This is more than just a story. Addiction and mental health are real problems that we need to understand, this book shows great insight.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews