I first heard about this story in a movie advertisement at the movie theater. The more I saw people posting about it the more it pushed me to want to watch the movie to understand the importance of everyone talking about it. 

The movie, along with the book, is told through David Scheff, the father of a methamphetamine addict who narrates his  son’s life and struggles to become clean again. The movie gives visuals and heart breaking experiences of the truth behind this dark topic. With actors like Steve Carrell and Timothee Chalamet, it allows this story to come back to life in order to shed light on the darkness of this real life topic. In the ending credits they include a slide mentioning the memoir, which sparked my interest in reading the story as well. 

Beautiful Boy, is a beautifully written piece that really draws you in. This heart wrenching story allows you to live through the eyes of a father who loses the trust and relationship with his son to drugs. Nic grew up as an intelligent child who always participated in the stereotypical experiences. He played sports, worked hard in school, spent time with his friends, etc. But when he sets off to college in suburban California he attempts something that will forever change his life. 

The literary use of flashbacks and time jumps creates this emotional effect and draws the reader in. Each part is about a different chapter in Nic and David’s lives. The first is about Nic’s childhood which allows you to build a connection with the family and grow up with Nic. It gives a sense of inclusivity to the reader in order to understand that connection and correlation. 

Into the second part of the book, David(the father) introduces the reader to the red flags and Nic’s introduction into drugs and his loss of self. His word choice and literary techniques such as internal thoughts and flashbacks illustrate the loss of self, and control. David uses internal thoughts and quotes to allow the reader into his mind and thoughts. He spends his time wondering what went wrong and what he could have done to stop this, and whether it was the divorce from Nic’s childhood.  I think this piece itself is a very important and powerful piece of writing that reflects the struggles and the emotions of losing a child that is very much still in this world. 

I believe that it is very important for teenagers of an appropriate age to read and watch this story unfold. It opens the doors to the emotions of heartbreak and worry, while also causing you to reflect on yourself and your own decisions.