This is not something I would've read had I not received a free review copy from the publisher. The life of a heroin junkie...what do I care? But Christiane's story really illuminated what goes on in an addict's mind. This was so much more than a story of drug use. This was a story of a child being neglected and mistreated by both parents, who then looks elsewhere for the acceptance she so desperately craves...and uses drugs to gain that acceptance from peers. This book gives the reader a rare look into why an addict chooses to start using drugs in the first place, as well as how difficult it is to truly stay clean. It details how drug use impacts the user's relationships--parental, familial, peer, school, etc. Christiane does not appear to be holding back, and her voice in this novel is clear. I am downright impressed by her ability to tell her story.
