In the publisher’s second (and lesser) recent drug memoir, golden-boy-to-be Sheff recounts his descent from casual drinking and pot smoking as a teenager to heroin, cocaine and crystal-meth abuse in his early 20s. Full of jaw-tightening and occasionally grisly scenes of shooting up, deals gone bad, guns and sex, Sheff’s story takes off like a shot in the arm with a terse, honest and spontaneous narrative. However, the page after page of needle-packing, drama and fighting among friends, lovers and drug partners eventually leads to desensitization and disconnect, which may be Sheff’s point. But less patient readers, numbed by the truckload of troubles dumped on every page, may find themselves flipping through the pages to get to that point. Part 2 begins with what appears to be the author’s recovery: Our hero, now seemingly clean—albeit temporarily—works part-time in a salon and publishes film reviews by night. Once again, however, he falls under the spell of romance and cocaine in the guise of a wealthy, L.A. socialite’s daughter, and he’s shipped off to rehab once again. A raw, directionless search for the truth. (For his father’s side of the story, see Beautiful Boy, 2007) (Nonfiction. YA)
