Jim Carroll’s true story about a young man growing up in the harsh reality of New York City in the seventies is both beautiful and tragic. His story is one that covers topics from innocence, drug addiction, prostitution and just about every horrible thing you can experience at a young age when he becomes a drug addict. His story shows about how he was a kid with a shining future as a basketball star starts doing recreational drugs and how his life and the lives of his friends spiral out of control.

This is not a story that is full of morals and happy endings; this book shows the true and grotesque side of heroin addiction. Jim speaks through poems and beautiful short stories of tripping and everyday life. Even though the stories themselves are shocking and scary he tells them with such casualty that it all makes sense and it seems as if these things were the only options he has for survival on the cold streets of New York.

I really like the way the book is only written in his perspective. It shows how his life goes from shining star to street drug addict. As you read you want to plead with him to stop but you know he cannot because of the vivid descriptions of how good it makes him feel. This book not only shows the negatives, it shows the “highs” of his life as they slowly slip away.

I recommend this book to anyone really. I think everyone can learn lessons from Jim Carroll’s real experiences. The book shows how he almost lost his dream of becoming a poet, who is what the author originally wanted to be a writer or poet, and you get to go on the downward spiral with him. The book is a very quick read but will leave you thinking long after.