Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Non- Fiction Book #Review: Hooked


Book Title: Hooked, When Addiction Hits Home
Author: Chloe Shantz Hilkes |WebsiteTwitter|
Publisher: Annick Press Ltd
Genre: Teen/YA
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: ebook, paperback
Cost: $12.95
Pages: 120
How I got it: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Indigo Canada | Publisher
Publication Date: March 2013
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Synopsis:
"Jenny dealt with the stress by forgiving her mom -- over and over and over again." This collection of ten true stories is based on interviews with people who, in their youth, lived with an addicted parent or sibling. The subjects speak honestly about what it was like to grow up with a family member addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, pills, or gambling. While describing how they managed to care for themselves and younger siblings, as well as the addicted family member, interviewees also touch on the topics of depression, social stigma, coming out gay or transgendered, and the health problems caused by addiction and stress. The maturity, sensitivity, and even the sense of humor in these accounts will give teens going through similar situations the important realization that they are not alone and that there are many ways to break free from the chains of others' addictions and to move on positively with one's own life. It's estimated that 1 in 8 Americans struggles with addiction to drugs or alcohol. "Hooked" is an excellent resource for both kids and adults affected by the addiction of friends and family members.
This has been a bit of an eye opener. Recently I have been reading a few fiction books that have been dealing with broken homes due to drug and alcohol. Normally when you read books it's about the romantic relationships that the addict is destroying very rarely do they discuss the effects it has on children so when I saw this non fiction look at the effects I had to snag it. (Plus I love reading anything to do with mental health).

Enclosed are stories told from the children of addicts of varying degrees, from high functioning addicts to those who had to deal with the major fallout each day.  It brushes on the fact that many of them deal with PTSD due to their home lives, have extremely hard times forming attachments and have emotional issues.

The stories here have been heartbreaking and eye opening, and made you realize there are more victims to an addiction than just the addicts themselves.  It highlights how much the children of addicts can suffer even if they aren't originally aware of the addiction.
 ★★★☆
It's a good read, and I believe it would help children who are in the situation to know they aren't alone.
Happy Reading

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