Book Review: Beautiful Boy

A few years back my book club read a book called The Story of Beautiful Girl. While looking the book up, I noticed a book called Beautiful Boy. Intrigued, I thought I would check it out but didn't. I recently encountered the book again. What a hard, heartbreaking book to read! My husband's family has lived through a similar journey because my husband's younger brother was an alcoholic and ended up taking his life.

David Sheff tells the riveting story of his son Nic's addiction to crystal meth (and other drugs). He opens his heart to readers, pouring out his own feelings of guilt and the intense questions that arise when someone you love succumbs to the disease of addiction. Did his divorce create the inner demons that drove his son to drugs? Did his own experimentation with drugs predispose Nic to a genetic game of Russian roulette? He opens a vein and invites readers into his pain and the perplexing problem of seeking rehab when the addict doesn't desire it personally.

My heart ached for the author and his entrapped son. It reminded me of a video I watched called The Secret Life of the Brain. In it, the section on the adolescent brain discusses how addiction rewires the brain and tells the individual that the drug equals survival. It destroys the dopamine balance and drives the addict to seek further rushes. It truly is a Pandora's box. Once opened, they cannot return the contents. I also encountered an idea I have heard twice in recent days. He wrote that a parent at one support group expressed, "Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

I wish Anne Lamott's endorsement on the cover could be true. She writes: "This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts." The problem with addiction is that it deludes the addict into thinking salvation comes from the drug not from avoiding the drug. Yes, the book is eye opening and allows you to come alongside their story. But, is the story capable of saving lives or healing hearts? The author shared his approach, but addiction is probably not a one solution game. Indeed, countless others have taken a similar course and ended up with a different conclusion. However, having said that, there is much to gain in walking through life in another person's shoes. He has wisdom to share about what he learned as a parent, and that wisdom is valuable for anyone who picks up this memoir.

Even if you don't read the book, you could hear their story in this brief interview. Or, the 2018 movie is available to watch on Prime Video, trailer here.