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amesish's review against another edition
3.0
I *love* Breaking Bad. The show's writing proves to be far more engaging and talented than that of "Tweak" or "Beautiful Boy"--but, it's probably not fair to compare sexed-up Hollywood fiction with the gritty memoirs of a meth addict and his father.
All the more reason you should read "Tweak." For those of us without personal or secondhand experience with life-dominating addiction, "Tweak" is an eye opening journey into the white-knuckle roller coaster of self-loathing and single-mindedness that is drug dependency.
I think I was most impressed, not by Nic's horrifying treatment towards his family, his homelessness, hustling, or relapses, but by his observation that while using, he'd steal food even when he had money--because using money to buy food meant less money to buy meth and heroin. So he'd steal food, or just not eat. There's a cold rationality to that logic that illuminates the destructive power of addiction: one's reasoning and intelligence are not snuffed out by addiction, but co-opted to serve a reordered priority.
All the more reason you should read "Tweak." For those of us without personal or secondhand experience with life-dominating addiction, "Tweak" is an eye opening journey into the white-knuckle roller coaster of self-loathing and single-mindedness that is drug dependency.
I think I was most impressed, not by Nic's horrifying treatment towards his family, his homelessness, hustling, or relapses, but by his observation that while using, he'd steal food even when he had money--because using money to buy food meant less money to buy meth and heroin. So he'd steal food, or just not eat. There's a cold rationality to that logic that illuminates the destructive power of addiction: one's reasoning and intelligence are not snuffed out by addiction, but co-opted to serve a reordered priority.
launab's review
4.0
So, I really think this is a 4.5 star book; and, honestly, if I hadn't absolutely ADORED (and related more to) Beautiful Boy, I likely would have given this five stars. The two books are so different, but I couldn't help but compare them. I deeply appreciate Nic's candor, which often made him such an unlikeable guy...but I suppose that's kind of the point, isn't it? Addiction ruins people. I will always cheer for the underdog, the broken, defeated, and seemingly hopeless...it's just who I am. Thanks, Nic, for sharing your story!
icedviennalatte's review against another edition
4.0
Intense, fast-paced, difficult to read at times. I was so invested that I read the whole book in one day. This book invites you into the mind of an addict, which is a difficult place to go, but it is important to understand. I was curious about this book after reading Beautiful Boy and it was interesting to read both sides of the story; the pain of a concerned, loving parent, and the addicted child. If you read this book, I suggest reading Beautiful Boy as well so you can enter the mind of the parent.
annaelenah's review against another edition
4.0
3.8 stars.
I read this book after I read Nic's father's book: Beautiful boy. I think that was a good choice since I was a bit confused in the beginning. Luckily I figured everything out rather quickly since the book is not that hard to understand. The reading is nice and not too slow-paced and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The ending was a bit dragging in my opinion but it doesn't take away the story. The story was pretty unforgettable and had quite an impact on me. In his dad's book, you can read how almost everything revolves around Nic in the family, but Nic rarely mentions his family whenever he's using. I must admit that I felt quite some emotion around some horrible decisions he made which is a good thing in my opinion. I don't understand people don't like the book because of who he is. He's a person writing about his life, not some made-up character. It's definitely something I'll recommend!
I read this book after I read Nic's father's book: Beautiful boy. I think that was a good choice since I was a bit confused in the beginning. Luckily I figured everything out rather quickly since the book is not that hard to understand. The reading is nice and not too slow-paced and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The ending was a bit dragging in my opinion but it doesn't take away the story. The story was pretty unforgettable and had quite an impact on me. In his dad's book, you can read how almost everything revolves around Nic in the family, but Nic rarely mentions his family whenever he's using. I must admit that I felt quite some emotion around some horrible decisions he made which is a good thing in my opinion. I don't understand people don't like the book because of who he is. He's a person writing about his life, not some made-up character. It's definitely something I'll recommend!
livvvmilller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0