Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

By David Sheff

THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR FILM, STARRING STEVE CARELL AND BAFTA AND GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATED TIMOTHEE CHALAMET

‘What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong?’

Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery.

Before Nic Sheff 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.

With haunting candour, David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3am phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll.

But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on Nic. This story is a first: a teenager's addiction from the parent's point of view – a real-time chronicle of the shocking descent into substance abuse and the gradual emergence into hope. 

Beautiful Boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help.

Read the other side of Nic Sheff's bestselling memoir, Tweak.

Praise for Beautiful Boy:-
'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
'An important book... moving, timely and startlingly beautiful.' Richard Branson

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jan 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781471173967

David Sheff

DAVID SHEFF is the author of several books, including the #1 New York Times best-selling memoir Beautiful Boy. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Wired, and many other publications. His ongoing research and reporting on the science of addiction earned him a place on Time magazine's list of the World's Most Influential People. Sheff and his family live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit David at DavidSheff.com, and on Twitter @david_sheff.  

Reviews for Beautiful Boy

[rdra1962 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had no real expectations prior to reading this book, and I am of 2 minds about it.

As a story of the anguish, helplessness and heartache a parent would go thru watching their child fall under the control of drugs, this was a very effective story. I could feel the father's pain, even as I questioned his decisions.

As a memoir I found the descriptions of Nic's childhood overly long and repetitive. I did not need to hear about every hike and surfing experience. That felt like padding in an effort to expand this story from an article to a book.

The chapters recounting the father's own drug use were of no interest, and aside from the huge mistake he made sharing his stories of drug use with his son, they were not relevant to this story. The constant references to popular music made me wonder if the best way to keep your child off drugs is to ban Nirvana! (LOL)

In spite of all that, I could totally empathize with the father's pain and self-doubt. I read the book all the while asking myself, "what would I have done?". I also wondered what I would have done if I was wife #2 - stay or go? A very painful, thought-provoking, and scary book! Worth reading, but have something light and fluffy to read next!!!

[jmcilree_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heartbreaking memoir by the father of a meth addict. The son also wrote a memoir, "Tweak," which is also a five-star rated book.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a hard book to listen to. Who can explain why human nature is the way it is? Why we destroy ourselves and make ourselves miserable and can't stop? And how can one adequately describe the pain and sorrow and helplessness that one feels standing beside a loved one, unable to change or alter or even influence. Mr. Shef leaves the book with a sense of peace - of having reached a place of moving outside the crisis, of setting in place boundaries that work, of focusing on life. This memoir also sheds light on the true horror that is drug addiction with all the destruction that it creates.

[msjoanna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was clearly a difficult book to write and to share with the world, as well as with his actual family members. The author is an excellent writer who deals as honestly as he can with his own emotions and his own journey from disbelief and rationalization to release. Frequently, the book reminded me of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Indeed, the author of this book actually quotes from Didion's work a couple of times. But the perspective of the similarities and differences between losing your child (permanently) to fatal illness and losing your child (sometimes, with permanence possible at any time) to additiction was a powerful and useful lens. The author admits that he hasn't lived a model life, nor has he been a model father. On the one hand, I wanted him to take more responsibility for the difficulties his choices created for his son during his son's younger years. On the other hand, I think the author is correct that no one can really take the blame for his son's addictions and troubles. As the Al-Anon motto goes: he didn't cause it, he can't control it, and he can't cure it. For me, it was also interesting to read a perspective on AA and other recovery programs that was both an insider and a skeptic. For those for whom these programs have worked, the programs become almost religious and sacred. From the outside, it's hard to evaluate. I was impressed with the author's ability to become a participant without becoming a true believer and to find benefit even without becoming a whole-hearted supporter of all recovery programs.

[carioca_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Haunting, a difficult read but at the same time extremely lyrical. I read this book not knowing what to expect, and it surprised me in many ways. David Sheff's account of his son's mdescent into drug addiction is heartbreaking and he invariably struggles throughout the book with notions of right wrong, love and so forth. I also read his son's account of the same time period (Tweak), which definitely enriched my read of Beautiful Boy and provided a different perspective with which to understand where the father comes from, of his perception of what was going on as opposed to his son's perception and so forth. I highly recommend it.

[carolwill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sad and frustrating story of love for a son but it sort of dragged on in the end.

[mrsbeesly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everyone who works with children, has children, grandchildren,etc., should read this book in order to understand drug addiction and the love for a child. My awareness of just how the entire ordeal plays out from beginning to end was heightened with information. It was one of the best books I have ever read and intend to read again. The author's son also wrote a book, "Tweak" that I want to read as well.

[nickelini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This memoir is haunting. Sheff clearly has a deep and palpable love for his family that he is able to articulate beautifully. Most of the book focuses on his son Nic's descent into a horrendous crystal meth addiction and struggle for normality, but he frequently talks about his other family members and himself too. This makes the book more than a look at addiction, but also a exquisite study of a family. He has a gift of capturing the experiences that make us human . . . he sure made me feel the pain of having a drug addicted child.This is perhaps one of those books that should be a must-read for all parents. It certainly shows the power of addictions and how they can take over people in a way you'd never expect. My only criticism is that at times he is overly wordy. Writing this book was obviously therapeutic for him, but I think his editor should have been a bit sterner. Minor complaint though, I highly recommend this.His son, who was sober at the time of publication, has also written his side of the story. I must now read this, because Nic disappears for huge periods during this story, and you don't know what he's doing (other than being a stoned wreck). I love hearing two sides to a story, so Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, by Nic Sheff, is now high on my TBR list.

[tianakai · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have given this book to several people as a gift. I thought it was an incredibly powerful story about a father struggling with his son's substance addictions. This book has inspired several people in my life to attend their first ALANON meeting to gain support for addiction in their own families.

[sunflower6_cris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful Boy is an amazing (and sad) journey that David Sheff describes about his son Nic and his addiction with Methamphetamines. This book provides a personal parent's point of view of the rollercoaster life that his family and his son endured during his son's drug addiction. This book was so easy to read and understand coming from a family who has endured drug additions. I didn't want the story to end when I finished the book. I wondered what happened to him and his son. Have they been able to get through these past years? Is Nic still struggling with addition and recovery? I look forward to reading Nic's book, "Tweak" to see the other side of the story.

[revslick_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic journey of a father's love and experience with his son's meth addiction. The best part is when his younger brother and sister are discussing what happens to him when he goes back to using. Their definition brought me to tears. Usually, I'd just describe the scene or comments, but all the lead up to that one scene both before and after have to be read to fully experience.

[lalalibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intense. I like how much research is included in this book. I can't wait to read the son's memoir.

[gkleinman_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most books on addiction are from the point of view of the addict. In Beautiful Boy the perspective is shifted and we see the impact of addiction from a parent's point of view.Extremely well written, heartfelt and engaging Beautiful Boy is one of the better books about the impact of drug abuse and addiction out there. It's also one of the better books to give to a teen to open a discussion about drug use and experimentation.

[alirambles · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Beautiful Boy" is a poignant reflection of a father's enduring love for his drug-addicted son. Sort of a companion novel to the very compelling "Tweak," by Nic Sheff (the son). I definitely recommend reading both, in either order. Because I read "Tweak" first, I knew how this book would end, but it didn't matter because I didn't know how this protagonist/author would find closure amidst the ongoing saga of loving an addict. I hope to read more from David Sheff, and from the Beautiful Boy who grew up hard.

[donna828 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A father writes with polished prose and raw emotion as he tries to make sense of his son's addiction to crystal meth--"the devil's own drug." Nic is a precocious kid immersed in sports and school activities when he (like so many kids) tries pot. Drugs and alcohol reel him in, slowly but surely. Despite love from two sets of parents along with counseling and rehab, Nic continues his self-destructive course.As Sheff dredged up these painful memories, I became aware of the difference between the father's fantasy and the son's reality. David is always sure that the latest effort has "cured" his son, until he is forced to accept that addiction is a lifelong disease. The real hope is found in a father's love that transcends the pervading worry that is his constant companion. Nic has also written his story, which I will check into as soon as I recover from this little trip into hell.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an amazing book about a father and his son who becomes addicted to meth. Fascinating book--I devoured it.

[bobbieharv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written account of his son's battle with addiction.

[pclay123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful and helpful book to parents that are dealing with an addicted child. I also think that it would be very helpful for young adults to read about the very harrowing effects of addiction. The information on meth and its effects is very disturbing. What a horrible drug! Sheff is a gifted writer and this must have been a very difficult undertaking. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[lilac_lily01 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this book on audio CD and found it to be a very honest and moving story. The author is the father of an addict, and in this memoir he tries to come to grips with his son's drug problem. He chronicles his son's life thus far in a very open and honest way. Revealing to the reader what seems to have been a normal childhood with very loving and caring, yet divorced, parents. As almost any father would do, the author examines everything he did and could have done to prevent his son's addiction. Only to find that he was at no point in control of the situation. This book doesn't claim to be a How-To book and there is no neat conclusion at the end. Some people might take comfort in reading this story and some people might end up feeling a little hopeless. The only definite conclusion that you come away with, after reading this book is: There isn't much one can do to keep another person from becoming addicted- whether their drug of choice are cigarettes, alcohol, food or hard drugs. To quote from the book "You didn't Cause it. You can't Control it. And you can't Cure it."

[beccajoy_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Highly recommended read for all parents. While this book specifically covers a father's perspective of his son's addiction I believe this book is one that contains valuable information for all parents.

[skipstertoo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Just when you think you've covered all the parental bases and you're feeling cocksure about your skills as a parent...along comes the very painful reminder that parenting has never been about the strength of your own will and intentions. Sad portrait of the power of meth/speed/whatever-the-kids-call-it-now. Unfortunately, the book's editor didn't read through to the book's conclusion...it ends innumerous times with the author self-congratulating himself on his parenting skills through countless irrelevant stories about his two other children. The author still wants to cling to his initial belief that politically correct parenting is superior. Why does it seem that every journalist-turned-author struggles with story endings? And, crikey, how they torment the reader with their myopic navel gazing.3 star rating on CONTENT, only. Writing style gets a solid 2.

[lbm007 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I usually don't impulse buy anything but trashy novels, but after hearing David Sheff and son, Nic, speak at a mental health provider conference about their experiences with Nic's crystal meth addiction I was so moved that I bought both the father and son's version of the story (Beautiful Boy and Tweak, respectively) on the spot and then immediately read them back-to-back. I could quibble with the presentation of a few sections of Beautiful Boy but, all in all, it was a great read.

[ronda73ca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction is one of the most Gripping, fascinating, and frightening. A father strugling with this son who is addicted to Meth, and slipping away right before his eyes. Fantastic read, once you read this it is a good idea to read his son's book 'Tweak' and see the other side. Both father and son have a talent at sharing there lives through the written word, pulling you so you can fell what they feel. A great read!

[queenalyss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read Tweak and loved the idea of seeing an addiction from the father's POV. The portrayal feels raw. I feel the overwhelming anxiety, frustration, amd sadness David and the others feel. The fear of what will happen to Nic. You also see what you can't fully grasp from Nic, since his novel is his point of view, which is the utter lack of control in his life and the justifications he makes. David also excellently exposes the reader to facts and real accounts thereby expressing the validity of the problem and why we aren't seeing better results in treatment

[marshapetry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really liked a lot of this book and the narrator was excellent... but... it just got really hard to listen to the author have the same reactions over and over to his son's meth habit. He did drugs himself as a kid and yet can't understand how his son could possibly become a meth addict, and he searches for an answer over and over, and it just gets all so repetitive. Plus the minutiae of taking kids here and there and driving to this place and that place... definitely could have used a bit extra editing. Still, you really feel for the parents when their son/stepson steals and/or gets lost in addiction for the umpteenth time... and yet you want to reach in occasionally and yell at them!Oh, and the author mentions Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking". I've seen the audiobook but never heard it - guess I'll have to pick it up. I think if you have read/heard that book you'll understand some parts more than those of us who haven't.

[bibleblaster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Heart-wrenching, courageous, beautiful book about a father and son; living with addiction; struggling with regret; the dangers of hope; the blessings of insecurity; the uncomfortable and sometimes unspeakable feelings of hurt and anger that arises with people who love one another...in short, I greatly admired the courage of the writer that shone through these pages.

[lauracarr333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A father watches his son's painful descent into addiction and feels powerless and unable to help his son find the way back to the light, in spite of his broken heart.

[mandochild · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd kind of stopped reading the kind of books about families and individuals in crisis, but I needed to borrow an audiobook and decided to give this one a go, since the choice in downloadable audiobooks from the library isn't massive. I'm glad I did. The text is wonderfully eloquent, though a bit long and repetitive in places, and also wonderfully thoughtful. And the narration is outstanding. I loved listening to the narration as much as I enjoyed the beauty of the text.

[azuremountain_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The faith and courage that Mr. Scheff and his extended family exhibit is remarkable and inspirational. They draw on a huge reserve of strength to again and again face the addiction, recovery and relapses of Nic. The book is eye-opening and absolutely terrifying. At the same time it is also poignant and hopeful.

[imbookingit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Touching and scary.