icz's review against another edition
4.0
Mohr is a great writer, and I plowed through the first half of the book in a few hours. I read the next 25% a little less enthusiastically, and ended up skimming the last 25% from the end backwards (forwards?). I can’t help feeling that as tortured and sometimes beautiful as his story was, it needed a little bit more editing. Or, maybe I just felt a little wrecked by it all by the end? Also, I couldn’t tell help but think that the cute little girl that helped keep him sober is going to turn into a pre-teen/teenager one day, and well— he may need to find a more stable source of motivation to stay clean. But, a worthy read by a brilliant mind.
ms_torpey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
4.0
Incredible writing and really flips what a "memoir" is to the literary world. If you are looking for the answers to the universe--this isn't it. But, if you want to challenge your bias, understanding, and empathy (or lack thereof) towards addiction and "addicts", this is your book. It's an in-your-face memoir that will force you to expand your understanding of human behavior.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Drug abuse
lilyaronovitz's review against another edition
3.0
{3.5} It took me a little bit to settle into the rhythm of this book because of the constant time jumps and abundance of long run-on sentences. The time jumps were disorienting at first, and I wasn't sure where the book was supposed to be going, or what cohesive story Mohr was really trying to tell. The long sentences were a little overwhelming, and led me to read too fast and miss some of the details. It's also worth mentioning that the "freelapse" in the synopsis which seems like a major part of the story really takes up no more than a few pages. The rest of the memoir is about Mohr's addiction journey as a whole. But I would say around halfway, I really started to understand the time jumps and notice the beauty and lyricism in the writing. The metaphors Mohr used throughout the novel were so unique and expressive, and I loved how he was able to tie his thoughts and experiences with addiction to the everyday events. This isn't the most linear or "story"-like book/memoir, but undoubtedly, the writing is beautiful.
mike_trigg's review against another edition
5.0
This blurb on the book perfectly captures my sentiment: “No one anywhere writes into the gap between grit and grace better than Joshua Mohr.” I’ve read few other works that can describe such horrifyingly heartbreaking scenes in such exquisitely rendered prose. Makes you cry double when you read it.
noteyjoanie's review against another edition
3.0
Overall it was a good book. I would have liked it more if it was in order and not jumping around as much.
chubbybunnyreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
mebarney35's review against another edition
5.0
Raw, moving, and gritty. I finished this book in one day. Joshua Mohr doesn't hold anything back, and at times, it's uncomfortable. Despite his flaws, you want to see him recover and succeed without any setbacks. It's an insightful and relatable memoir that I'll be recommending for years to come.
bibliocyclist's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
3.0
Have you ever felt hooked on an activity or a substance, whether intoxicating or seemingly more benign? Did you know that the word “addiction” comes from a Latin verb that means “to worship” and that in Roman law, an addiction was an enslaved person? Have you ever wanted to speed shirtless through a Nevada snowstorm to certain death on the back of a lunatic’s motorcycle to put everything finally to rest? Did something compel you to do otherwise? If you can relate, check out Model Citizen by Joshua Mohr to find out if “addicts dream of electric shame,” what awakens them, and how they face the world when they do.
tacomike's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
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