As soon as I began to read Tweak by Nic Sheff I wasn't able to put the book down. I started to read Tweak for my English class, and was excited to do so. I started off with reading the back cover I immediately knew that it was the perfect book for me. The story is told from Nic Sheff’s perspective, a 22-year-old drug addict who knows his addiction is killing him but continues to use. As the book progresses Nic sobers up, but never completely. He always fails and ends up as an addict again. Nic is hooked on all types of drugs from meth to heroin to speed during the book.
The book is based on the authors real life experiences. Nic Sheff grew up in a broken home and matured much faster than the average kid. Nic had a close relationship with his father when he was young. The story tells Nic’s father would take him to work events, parties, and lunch. When Nic was at these events with his father, he would feel very mature and would join in their conversations. Nic grew up very fast, and did things most kids wouldn't do at such a young age. As Nic began using drugs, his father, stepmom and him drifted apart. His drug usage began to get out of control and ripped him apart from his family. It was a different story when Nic was sober. When he wasn't on drugs he had a good relationship with everyone. Nic is a good guy but feels like he is in love with drugs. It is all he can think about and is all that he wants.
Nic has a lot of friends throughout the book. Some try to help him stay sober and others use drugs with him. One of the best friends he has is Spencer. Spencer and his family help him work through his “12 steps to stay sober”. Nic managed to stay sober for eighteen months before he relapsed again. Because of this he loses all the progress he has made. Nic was making money, reconnecting with his family, and had made good successful friends but that didn't stop him from using drugs again. The more Nic uses the more his body starts to give out on him. Once, he used a dirty needle and got an infection in his arm that almost caused him to lose his arm.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an exciting story. This book will definitely keep you engaged until the end. It has a very graphic scenery about drug use, and what it can do people, The book does contain profanity, and drug references. It is very detailed with the struggles a drug addict faces and sets the picture in your head with his amazing writing style.