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bookishadvocate's review against another edition
5.0
You know what I love about graphic memoirs? They can be so damn vulgar, but it's okay, because it's like you're watching a cartoon. This story was intense. It's all about Matthew Parker, his (many) incarcerations, his heroine addiction, and his climb out of its grip.
I'm a former addict, so I like reading about other people who have experienced it to remind myself that I'm not alone. I never touched heroine, but I'm glad every day because of how people explain it. I know it would have ruined me. Matthew's story is hard to read, but it's also very inspirational. He seems hopeless at first because of his crazy run in with the law time after time, but he made it. Anyone who has had a little trouble in their lives should read this.
No matter WHAT you did in the past, you can change your future. Matthew's life is a perfect example of that. Great book, I would love to read an update.
I'm a former addict, so I like reading about other people who have experienced it to remind myself that I'm not alone. I never touched heroine, but I'm glad every day because of how people explain it. I know it would have ruined me. Matthew's story is hard to read, but it's also very inspirational. He seems hopeless at first because of his crazy run in with the law time after time, but he made it. Anyone who has had a little trouble in their lives should read this.
No matter WHAT you did in the past, you can change your future. Matthew's life is a perfect example of that. Great book, I would love to read an update.
chidseyca's review against another edition
4.0
This was interesting but the narrative was a little hard to follow at times. Some chapters seemed scattered because they consisted of different time periods with no pause or interjection in the text. I expected a little more than a three page revelation at the end; I was sympathetic to Parker's situation throughout the text until the last few chapters. I thought Parker did a really good job getting the reader to sympathize with him, regardless of the fact that most of his problems were self-inflicted and he didn't appear to be learning from his mistakes until the last few pages. By the last few chapters my sympathy started to sway, and I was a little annoyed that he was continuing to hurt people. Overall, his "wake up call" seemed short and tacked on at the end. It would have been nice to see a longer transition regarding his growth as a person, but it was still an enjoyable read.
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