The book Beautiful Boy by David Sheff is a story a lot of fathers out there could relate to. It shows the journey of becoming a father and the hardships he has to go through; but no matter how big or small the issues that may arise, a father’s love will never be lost. 

Nic Sheff is a young adult who has been addicted to meth since his teenage years yet is deluded into thinking that he can quit whenever he wants. When he overdoses multiple times, his dad has no choice but to put him in rehab. Nic gets so angry with his dad that they fight for many days, but finally Nic decides to get the treatment. This becomes a recurring incident. How can people be so deeply troubled yet not realize it? In my opinion, some of the fault goes to the father because of the way he reacted out of the ordinary when he caught Nic as a child experimenting with marijuana. Nic would continue to smoke. The dad is partly to blame but most of the fault falls on Nic for not controlling his actions or letting people help him. 

My favorite character is David, Nic’s father. He is a very patient man who never gave up on his son and stayed with him through the ups and downs of recovery. Nic, after many promises, kept relapsing again and again. With his own mouth, he would say, “Don't believe everything I tell you; it may be a lie. Denial of reality is a symptom of my illness.” And even still, David trusted him because without trust, a full recovery cannot be made. I realized that David, to a certain extent, portrays God and His actions for us. God never gives up on us, is always right besides us, and He will always trust and love us – just like how David will never give up on Nic. 

I appreciate how the book shows the harsh truth about growing up. The thing is – when Nic was younger, he had good grades, a lot of friends, and most importantly, loving parents who protected him from the outside world. However, parents cannot shield their child forever and kids grow up to experience how life really is. By the middle of the novel, the story takes a sharp turn. Nic went from a college kid to dropout and became an addict in a matter of weeks. It shows how fast life can change for people; therefore, appreciate every moment given. I also love the message about how important a father and son bond is, which is probably one the greatest blessings you can have in the world. A father is a mentor, role model and friend to his son. Every child needs a father figure, biological or not. They need someone to look up to and grow up being taught how to become a man. The book makes you realize how fortunate it is to have parents. 

One thing I didn't like about this book is in the beginning when David caught Nic smoking marijauna and instead of punishing him, he smoked a joint with him. I sort of understand where he's coming from, but smoking with a middle schooler doesn't sit right with me. And this would be the decision that David comes to regret the most. I think the overarching message of the book is responsibility and blame. David tries to find someone or something to blame, especially himself. He always questions if he made the right decision when Nic experimented with drugs when he was younger. The book also makes a point that in order for addicts to heal, they need to take responsibility and stop blaming others and their situations–a reality, however, that Nic doesn’t own up to. 

 I would recommend this book for adults and especially parents. As a teen, I wouldn't be able to come close to how David really felt, but for adults and parents, it can be such a relatable and beautiful book to read. Also, for teens, this book can show how much their parents really love them, even if it doesn't feel like it right now; they love you more than you can ever imagine. My mother also read this book and she said as a parent, this book is so real and relatable. 

Check out Beautiful Boy from NBPL!