By Kelly Keene

Title: Beautiful Boy

Author: David Sheff

Star Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: A real life account of one father trying to save his son from narcotics. Sheff starts with an account of a seemingly perfect visit from his adult son. The family gathers, and kids play with water guns in the yard. Everything seems nice, until his son, Nick, takes his car and finally admits that he is using again. David Sheff then takes readers all the way back to when Nick was first born. He recalls Nick’s favorite books, and music at each stage of life. Big moments they shared together, and heartbreaking reflections from Nick’s childhood. The Sheffs are an open book, and David does not shy away from honest commentary on the choices he made as a parent. He examines everything from his decision to share his own past drug use, to how he responds when Nick gets suspended. We also see the underbelling of LA and SF drug life, and learn about how Meth has become so pervasive in these areas, and what treatment options are available to people who struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. 

Memorable Quotes: “An alcoholic will steal your wallet and lie to you. A drug addict will steal your wallet and then help you look for it.”

“We deny the severity of our loved one’s problem not because we are naive, but because we can’t know.”

“How can both Nics, the loving and considerate and generous one, and the self-obsessed and self-destructive one, be the same person?”

“Our children live or die with or without us. No matter what we do, no matter how we agonize or obsess, we cannot choose for our children whether they live or die. It is a devastating realization, but also liberating. I finally chose life for myself.”-David Sheff

My Take: A student of mine recommended this book to me the first week of school. I read it in three days. I could not tear myself away. Heart wrenching, tragic, and sentimental, this story could convince America to take our nation’s drug crisis more seriously, but also leave us puzzled as to how to move forward.  David Sheff is a great writer. He had balance in his writing that brought facts, details and research to a narrative that painted a complete picture. Sheff brought us along on the horrific journey from proud, hopeful parent, to broken, stressed emergency contact. This is a family story first and foremost, but a commentary on addition too. I would highly recommend this read to any parent who’s feeling durable, and families searching for hope and surviving the pain of loving imperfect people.