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4 out of 5
by
Jenn Dawn
from
Alexandria, VA | Jun 26, 2008
I heard about Tweak/Beautiful Boy through the provocative NY Times book review a few months ago. The idea of having such a harrowing story told from two opposite perspectives really piqued my interest.
Tweak is nothing if not engaging. That being said, I find the writing to be sub-par, at best. After listening to a Nic Sheff podcast, I learned that Nic writes exactly how he speaks. Filled with "like, you know"'s, I found myself frequently wondering if this was the caliber of work that landed him a piece in Newsweek.
That being said, I enjoyed this book. I am stunned by the author's candor and awed at his bravery in telling his story. While his vulnerabilities linked to the drugs were horrifying, it was his sober vulnerabilities that broke my heart.
I do not think Nic is a hero, but I also don't think of him as the spoiled-brat-who-threw-everything-away, as other reviewers have suggested. Nic's experiences detail a very dark side of humanity that seemed almost too easy to slip into. But he did.
While Nic's behavior on drugs violates even the most frayed of moral fibers, at no point did I ever dislike him. I believe Nic to be a compassionate, loving person unable to break a debilitating, monstrous addiction. Seeing such light become such dark is a difficult task, indeed.
9 people found this review helpful
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1 out of 5
by
Marianne
from
Fanwood, NJ | Apr 24, 2008
I tried reading this book after reading Beautiful Boy and I couldn't get through it. This guy's writing was published in Newsweek? Once you get beyond the extremely graphic quality of it, I thought it was terrible. He touts himself as an accomplished writer for his age, yet he uses "amazing" to describe things at least 3 times in the first 50 pages. Come on.
However, it was interesting to read the opposite side of this story after reading Beautiful Boy. Nick is more honest than his father about the root of his problems, but I found it too emotionally heavy and the flashbacks too frenetic. Also, the pseudonym name dropping of stars or famous people that he is/was linked to by 1 or 2 degress becomes annoying.
I'm sure I'm in the minority in my opinion of this book, but I think this book sells itself more on shock value than a well-crafted story.
7 people found this review helpful
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4 out of 5
by
Jennifer
from
Bloomington, IL | May 13, 2008
Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com
Methamphetamine use, commonly known on the street as crystal, tweak, the New Prozac, and crank, has become a growing problem in the U.S. in the last several years. From what I have read, there is no worse drug addiction than crystal meth. It not only affects the person using but the personal relationships they have, as well. It is not just my humble opinion when I tell you that these drugs have the power to kill or cause great harm. A great example would be Nic Sheff, the author of TWEAK. At an early age, just a babe himself, Nick had his first taste of drugs and alcohol. Drug use escalated in Nic's case - he went from just smoking pot to abusing cocaine, heroin, and crystal meth. For over a decade, on and off, Nic used drugs. The book opens up with a bang - Nic relapsing after 18 months of being clean and sober.
You can call TWEAK a young adult book if you like, since Nic is a young adult, just in his twenties, but in actuality it is a book that will appeal to any age level, young and old alike. Teens will definitely gravitate to Nic's story because of the fact that it is someone about their age using drugs, and they can relate to it (maybe not completely but on some level). The general public may find it of interest, because it will give them an insight into the mind of an addict. Perhaps a reader may find comfort in this story, knowing that he is not alone.
It occurred to me as I was reading TWEAK that the book was like a cleanser for Nic; a way to cleanse his soul. Writing TWEAK couldn't have been easy for him, as Nic had to relive everything he did and put it down on paper. Some of what I read admittedly shocked me. I can't imagine what goes inside an addict's mind. The book was so honest; at times I ached for him. Other times I wanted to strangle him for what he was doing to himself and his family. I hate to say that I didn't think his clean and sober status was going to last very long. It was as if it was too good to be true. At the end of the book, we learn that Nic is now clean and dealing with his demons on an everyday basis. I expect that this is not going to be an easy road for him or for his family.
Everybody participates in addictive behavior in some way or another. Some people believe that people get involved in addictive behaviors because they are reckless, self-absorbed, and have no self-control. For the most part, I stand in the camp that believes that drug and alcohol addictions are diseases. You may choose to get treatment, but once an addict always an addict. Nic is never going to escape the addict label even if he does remain clean the rest of his life.
Nic's father, David Sheff, also has written a book about meth addiction. BEAUTIFUL BOY looks at Nic's addiction through the eyes of a parent. Mary Pipher, a psychologist and the renowned author of the book REVIVING OPHELIA, says on the jacket of David Sheff's book: "When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our pain and that of others." Good reason to read Nic's book and his father's. Pick up your copies today.
6 people found this review helpful
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4 out of 5
by
Jeremy
from
Western Springs, IL | Apr 9, 2008
This is the memoir by Nic Sheff that accompanies his father, David's, memoir. The book is an extremely honest look at addiction written by an addict, Nic Sheff.
This book is heavy emotionally. Everything from details on cooking meth to abcsessed arms the size of baseballs are included. Along the way Nic prostitutes himself, steals from strangers, and in a heart-breaking scene, takes $5 from his little brother's piggy bank.
Nic holds nothing back, and what is left on the page is something that is cathartic for him and a real look into addiciton for us. If it has a drawback, it could be that the book is redundant. He's clean, he meets a girl, she uses, he tries to save her, he uses, repeat. But even that complaint is remedied by this thought: this is the life of an addict, a repetitive cycle of insane decisions spurned by insecurities and depression.
While Nic does acknowledge the "disease of addiction" he also bluntly states that it's a "disease of choice". That first hit/injection is a choice, but after that...
The final ten pages, as Nic goes through therapy with his parents, are an emotional roller-coaster. You're there with the father (especially after reading his book, "Beautiful Boy") in his anger and love.
Having lost a friend to drugs I found this book like a therapy session. From the day he died I wondered what his world was like, how his mind worked, and what lead to his demise. I think Nic showed me a lot, and I'm grateful.
6 people found this review helpful
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1 out of 5
by
Carol
from
Oberlin, OH | May 29, 2008
Not gonna finish this one, either.
Just about every drug addict I know (and I know quite a few because I work at a homeless shelter) thinks s/he has a great story to tell - sorry to say, bud, they're pretty much all the same story.
Boring, self-absorbed. Yeah, that pretty much sums up the majority of drug addicts in my opinion. The book, too.
8 people found this review helpful