Number 1 New York Times bestseller With a new afterwordNow a Major Motion Picture Starring Steve Carell * Timothée Chalamet * Maura Tierney * and Amy Ryan “A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.” — Anne Lamott “‘When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for … us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our own pain and that of others.’ That’s ultimately what Beautiful Boy is about: truth and healing.” — Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia
What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls—is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And he refused to give up on Nic.
“Filled with compelling anecdotes and important insights . . . An eye-opening memoir.” — Washington Post
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An absolutely fantastic read. Beautifully and tragically written. I felt like I was going through this father’s pain with him. Cannot recommend enough!
Beautiful Boy is a sad, yet insightful book. It shows the temptation that’s build in everyone to rebel, along with the worry and stress people have. David Sheff tried to control Nic his whole life, he never gave him the freedom that everyone seeks to have. He took all the responsibility and carried a burden, thinking that everything that happened …
I struggled with this book, not so much because the topic is tough and heartbreaking to read about, but because of the style of writing. It starts out reading as a story then breaks pace with pages of research details. There were also lots of instances of unnecessary detail describing a scene. (Do I really need to know the color of the shirt …
Excellent account of a great family tragedy. I know I have been through the same situation. I hope there is a second book that deals in more detail re: the guilt that just doesn’t go away.
One of the best books I’ve read ! Coming as a movie in October
Drug addiction is a terrible thing itself, and even worse, if you are a parent of it. Sheff shares his own experiences with his son very openly and honestly. You will learn very quickly about how difficult it is to take an addict from the addiction. Massive amount of love and care would not stop from using it. Thus, families must go through …
During the time when my son’s own afflictions with alcohol and depression had reached a peak, I came upon David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy. Even though the type of substance our kids were addicted to was different, I SO related to the angst, frustration, and fear the author depicted so authentically in his memoir. I read the book twice and then saw the …
It was too technical for me and I just did not find it interesting. I had to force myself to finish it.
A real eye opener for parents of addicts. Anyone struggling with the ripple effects of addition can find useful, helpful and hopeful information here.
Learn how drugs can tear families apart and how ultimately we can only change ourselves
Learned A LOT about addiction and the family dynamics it creates. Very glad I read this book.
Very sad story but never ending since he had so many relapses
Amazing memoir about the author’s reactions to his young son’s addiction to Meth and other drugs. Haunting reading for everyone, but if you’ve ever had drug issues in your family, a must-read.
Heartrending and beautifully told tale.
The book is a heartbreaking and wrenching story of a wealthy family that never gives up on their drug addicted son. I found the book interesting in that the father’s every waking day was spent with the oldest son’s addiction at the front of his mind. I could not help but wonder what his other two children really though about the obsession with …
I am so thankful meth is not in my life. I had to read this, this father’s journey while foreign to me is a lesson. The story was heartbreaking from all sides, nothing good in life comes out of this drug’s use. I have one major issue with this audiobook version, the narrator was so monotone through the whole book it took so much away from the …
Every parent needs to read this book, especially those who think they don’t need the message written here.
David Sheff does what most of us won’t: he shares the life he thought was blessed until he discovered it wasn’t. He talks about all he didn’t know, all he discovered in horrifying detail. The lies, the pain, the worry. It’s all in this book. …
Very informative and heart wrenching.
This book provides an accurate picture of the difficulties faced by the parents and families of young people who become addicted to drugs. As a former high school faculty member, I have known many who have suffered. Of course, we have all been aware of many celebrities who have also been through addiction, gone through rehab, done well, then …
A great read if you have a family member with an addiction. However, it seemed the author had an endless supply of money to be able to put his son in so many rehab programs – not realistic for most of us. Also, unlike the author, some of us have had to draw the line and, as much as we love our children too, have had to say “Enough is enough. I …