Sheff s story is a first: a teenager s addiction from the parent s point of view a real-time chronicle of the shocking descent into substance abuse and the gradual emergence into hope. Before meth, Sheff s son Nic was a varsity athlete, honor student, and award-winning journalist. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who stole money from his eight-year-old brother and lived on the streets. With haunting candor, Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs, the denial (by both child and parents), the three A.M. phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab, and, at last, the way past addiction. He shows us that, whatever an addict s fate, the rest of the family must care for each other too, lest they become addicted to addiction. Meth is the fastest-growing drug in the United States, as well as the most addictive and the most dangerous wreaking permanent brain damage faster than any other readily available drug. It has invaded every region and demographic in America. This book is the first that treats meth and its impact in depth. But it is not just about meth. Nic s addiction has wrought the same damage that any addiction will wreak. His story, and his father s, are those of any family that contains an addict and one in three American families does.
Amazon Best of the Month, February 2008: From as early as grade school, the world seemed to be on Nic Sheff's string. Bright and athletic, he excelled in any setting and appeared destined for greatness. Yet as childhood exuberance faded into teenage angst, the precocious boy found himself going down a much different path. Seduced by the illicit world of drugs and alcohol, he quickly found himself caught in the clutches of addiction. Beautiful Boy is Nic's story, but from the perspective of his father, David. Achingly honest, it chronicles the betrayal, pain, and terrifying question marks that haunt the loved ones of an addict. Many respond to addiction with a painful oath of silence, but David Sheff opens up personal wounds to reinforce that it is a disease, and must be treated as such. Most importantly, his journey provides those in similar situations with a commodity that they can never lose: hope --Dave Callanan
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A book that does not hide harsh reality:
This book was a good read, but a sad one. I true story of a fathers love for his terminally addicted son, and how more often then not it cuts through the addicted persons loved ones like a knife.
Prepare to feel like a parenting failure:
This book made me scared, sad, hopeless and afraid for the future of my own children. And they are in grade school. I don't need this fear undermining me and making me second guess my parenting choices. I read the book to the end with the fervent hope that I would read an epilogue that was happy and hopeful; something along the lines of Nic struggled but has been alcohol and drug free for ten years. He's happy, married, has kids and is a brilliant father. I'm sure that sounds naive but I want to... more info
Helpful read for me:
I was hesitant to read, but it was suggested to my by a friend. I have a son with similar problems and was currently living the nightmare, so I didnt know if I could handle reading it. But I did, and I am glad I did. It helped me to know that what we have gone through isnt new and we aren't alone. By reading what the author went through I learned alot to apply to my own situation. If you have an addict child, this book may benefit you. It did me. I read the sons book right after. I wanted to see the other... more info
A Father's Love:
This book is the true story of David Sheff and his son, Nic, who gets hooked on drugs. It tells how his family deals with it, but at times it goes off the track. Most of the time though, I was rivetted buy it. Great story and I recommend you read it. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot!!
