FICTION

We All Fall Down

Living with Addiction
by Nic SHEFF
978-0-31608-082-8.
COPY ISBN
Gr 11 Up—In this follow-up to his debut novel Tweak (S & S, 2007), Sheff, a recovering meth addict, recounts his time in various drug rehabilitation facilities. The memoir also recounts his budding relationship with Sue Ellen and subsequent relapse back into drug use and alcoholism. Sheff is an unreliable narrator. He is constantly contradicting himself, vilifying the vaunted 12-step program and then later admitting that some elements of it work for him. He seems highly critical of rehabs and their staffs yet recognizes that they are working to try and make him better. His skewed worldview makes him difficult to relate to, but his honest and uncompromising ability to relate his emotional state makes him a tragic and eventually redeemable figure.—Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library
Sheff (Tweak) reveals more about his path toward recovery from drug addiction. After leaving rehab and moving in with a woman he met at the center, he slides back into substance abuse while struggling to complete his book and find meaning in life. This gritty and desperate story offers a harsh glimpse into the slow, painful, nonlinear process of addiction recovery.
Reviewed by Ryan Donovan , Apr 01, 2011

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Leave It on the Track
by Fisher, Margot
BOOKS

Fake Skating
by Painter, Lynn
BOOKS

The Sacred & the Divine
by Christensen, Kate & Melissa Henderson
BOOKS

How to Survive a ­Horror Movie
by Dunmore, Scarlett
BOOKS

The Trespassers
by Alvarez, Jennifer Lynn
BOOKS

A Guide to Falling Off the Map
by Arnot, Zanni L
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?