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Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Fatphobia, Self harm
I didn’t mind the writing style either, but I also normally read a lot of fiction with very loose rules and experimental writing. That doesn’t mean James always does it correctly and yes there are in general a lot of grammatical errors. Many sentences that are not “style” but clear indications that he is not an English major. But in some way that’s kind of the honesty of the prose and storytelling that is so compelling. This is an addict writing. He’s been a liar for his entire life. And now you expect him to give you the honest truth? So take the entire story with a grain of salt, or maybe that should be a Line of Salt, and you might just enjoy it for what it is: A damn good addiction-recovery story.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Excrement, Police brutality
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Forced institutionalization
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Body horror, Blood
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
FINALLY!!!!
THIS BOOK IS TOO HEAVY TO SPEED THROUGH. that end note? as if the whole book is not enough to break me?
i won't deny that this book is all but DRAGGY (took me months!!! had long breaks in between) but i also admit its praises in terms of depicting the lives enslaved by addiction. *claps* it taught me a lot of things about it and given the time it took me to finish this, it'll definitely lessen the chance of me forgetting. it discussed a lot of sad and hard facts about addiction: how small a chance for one to make it to recovery even after rehab; how stigma greatly affects this chance; how genes and addiction are related; the perspectives of people going through addiction: how they got into it; tried to get better and failed many times; etc. it showed how vulnerable and human they are still, in contrary to the prejudice oftenly charged against them. i am attached to the community (u know i love communities 🥺) James had within the rehab, and it was heartbreaking to read about their struggles. this book was good in all that matter although i must say that 80% of the part, James didn't make this an easy ride because of his writing style and format... :| no quotations aside, there are a lot of repetitive monologues that exhausted my reading energy lol. although i understand it might be for poetic volume, but that purpose was only defeated by making it more draggy and LONG. i mean-- the theme IS DARK and GRAPHIC enough, no need for emphasis on that, James.
also, i can't help but critique James' sense of self-reliance. i'm happy for his recovery and all, but throughout the book, this self-reliance made this memoir a little bit performative, hence, it gave me doubts regarding the truthfulness of his testimony. definitely not a fan of this attitude from him but nonetheless, i still respect his journey and rejoice in his sobriety. (this book shone a new light major on respect for me, btw)
would i recommend this book? yes and no. yes, because as i've mentioned, it has real addiction and rehab content that could inspire change in the way we empathize people going through addiction, and change in the management of addiction especially within family corners. i wouldn't recommend this if you can find another book with the same type of content but more accessible in writing because this might get you into a slump. :')
all in all, i give it a 3.5 ⭐
TW: GRAPHIC (!!!) contents of violence, sex, drugs, sexual abuse & harrassment, foul language, suicide
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Vomit, Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment