Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

Beautiful Boy

           I recently finished the book Beautiful Boy by David Sheff.  The book is about a father's journey through his son's addiction. His son is Nic Sheff, or Nicolas Sheff, the author of Tweak, a book about his experiences through his addiction. David Sheff goes through what no parent should ever go through, just  to try to keep his son safe.

           David Sheff and his family live in a house in California, he got divorced to Nic's mother Vicky when Nic was a little boy, and soon got remarried and had two other children, Jasper and Daisy Sheff. Besides the divorce, not many people would think he had a bad childhood. He wasn't mistreated, or abused, and he was loved very much by his family members. He was an honor student in school,  played sports and had friends. Perhaps not the best friends, at least in high school.

          Nic started smoking pot when he was in  the seventh grade, until his father found it in his backpack and ordered him to stop. Of course, there wouldn't be a book if he did stop. Nic didn't want to take any orders from his dad, especially in terms of drugs, as his father did drugs when he was in college. He regrets telling his son this, because Nic thought he was more like a hypocrite than a help.

        An assortment of drugs come into Nic's life, and soon he lives on the street, broke, breaking into his old home, stealing money, needles, and finding girlfriends or dealers who can give him even more meth, cocaine,  Xanax, and an assortment of other drugs.

         David sends his son to multiple rehabs, AA meetings and it takes years for Nic to finally get sober. And suffers and explosion in his brain in the process. Many can sympathize with David because many know it feels like to have something happen to a loved one that you can do nothing about.