Review: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

How innocent we are of our mistakes and how we responsible we are for them.

David Sheff provides a necessary perspective for millions of grieving parents and loved ones of addicts across the globe. While I've never personally experienced going through something like this, reading this book allowed me to learn, at least a fraction, of how debilitating addiction is, and not only for the addict. Based on Sheff's words, and the response he has received to his writing, people feel alone and guilty in this issue. The fact that he told his story so raw and honestly, not shying away from feelings of shame or guilt, has definitely helped so many people cope.

This book also exposes how inaccessible and confusing finding resources to help addicts can be, especially for meth. Costs aside, there's no designated person to guide people through this topic. So, while his son is losing life by the day, Sheff has to desperately gather information and use conflicting opinions to form his own. There's no certainty, no sense of control, and it's debilitating.

I did find some of the book to drag a little, but the impact hit me just the same. I'm glad I read a book on this topic, as I really have not been exposed to the idea before-- of not only an addict, but the loved ones whom they affect.

I really enjoyed the film adaptation back in 2019, and I'm excited to revisit it again. I know Nic himself also has a memoir out called Tweak, but for now I think I'm satisfied with this perspective of the story, and I feel a little burnt out. And that's just from reading it. I can't even imagine living it.