by David Sheff
First published 2009
David Sheff watches his family unravel as his eldest son Nic transforms from honor student and varsity athlete into a crystal meth addict. The charming, funny boy who once delighted his younger siblings becomes a stranger who lies, steals, and disappears for days. Sheff documents the warning signs he missed, the middle-of-the-night phone calls that might bring news from police or hospitals, and the cycle of rehab attempts and relapses. His own obsession with saving Nic becomes consuming, damaging his health and relationships. As a journalist, Sheff researches every possible treatment, refusing to abandon hope even when Nic seems unreachable. The memoir captures the brutal reality of loving an addicted child and the toll it takes on everyone in the family's orbit.
Genres: addiction, non-fiction, biography-memoir, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, personal-struggle
340 pages · Paperback · Mariner Books
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, substance-abuse