If you want to learn how to be a perfect crack addict/alcoholic and be bored doing so, this book is without a doubt for you. I began reading this book with a really open mind because of three things. 1st I am not gay and this book is centered on a character that is gay and expresses the definition multiple times. 2nd I am in no way a crack addict or any type of drug addict so this book I knew would be a eye opener. 3rd I am not an alcoholic so I can’t imagine how a person functions when they are always under the influence.
So what’s interesting about this book? The tone that Clegg writes in fits the content of the book perfectly. Every sentence from the beginning of the story to the end is short and very matter of fact with little to no excitement or change in pace. Clegg’s character does exactly that. There is no real thought process in any of the actions of the narrator. As I would expect a junky to be, the only process that exists is execute then reflect. That seems to be the theme of this book. Clegg does a great job with reflecting this personality in his writing and I would give him an award for that.
What is this book really about? The book is about a single character “Billy” who speaks in multiple points of view. He speaks in first person and third person only. When he speaks in 1st person, we most of the time see him in the present going through day-by-day of his life as a crack addict. When he speaks in 3rd person, we are rushed back to when he was younger growing up as a kid and slowly becoming a crack addict. The most interesting thing about the switching between first and third person, besides the rush we get going back in time, is the development of why he has gotten to where he is in first person. Clegg does a great job of confusing the reader at first making them think “why do we keep going back in time to when this crack addict was younger” Later, we see Clegg move the plot of speaking in 3rd person to revolutionize his building of a crack addict.
Does the book entertain the reader? At the beginning I was hooked, I couldn’t wait to see the big crash of a crack addict burning (no pun intended) through all of his money and his savings and I couldn’t wait to get to this end result of a big crash and burn or maybe even a poetic crack addict death. But, halfway through the book the day-by-day play of a crack addict was less then thrilling. Clegg went too long stringing the reader along with a crack addict. I quickly lost interest in the constant repetition of meeting new people (too many new names that only lasted for a paragraph), scoring crack, having sex with strangers, the “pulls” of each hit, the constant glass tube, and glasses of vodka. It was so over abused and all the images became less and less fresh from the first introduction. I think Clegg could cut this book in half and still get the exact same reaction out of the reader.
After the first few chapters even the voice got so dull and boring. I understand that in a book describing a crack addict you need to constantly show the abuse of drugs but even the poetic language we get in the beginning is lost. We no longer get fresh ideas like the JCPenny guys (who are supposed to be cops undercover), or “we were like two weeds swaying to the same current in the ocean” this is beautiful, fresh entertaining, but the further we get into the book, we see less and less.
What would help make this book more entertaining? Different types of drama. Yes, We have the drama of this character spinning out of control spending thousands on crack each and every day, but that’s it. I think after those images are killed and beaten into the reader spice up story line. I want to see a crack addict who can’t get his fix, who struggles to meet the needs of his addiction and do something rational. Something like stab a dealer for refusing to provide, or mug another crack addict for his goodies. Maybe even see the crack addict steal from his family and ruin that concrete relationship. I want some violence, yelling, but I don’t even get my fix.
The deeper into the book I got, I found myself doubting the authenticity of the speaker. The easiness of scoring boyfriends and crack begins to seem way too easy. After the first few chapters we see our speaker get paranoid about getting arrested by the JCPennys which I assume to be normal but then the issue is dropped. For some reason the book continues and our character scores crack easier then breathing air. It never becomes a problem and I highly doubt you can score thousands of dollars of crack each day without some type of difficulty. Also, on that note it seems like our character can find a mate to have sex with, with the snap of a finger. It seems like any conversation he has with strangers’ ends with them on his hotel room bed or some sexual scene. It doesn’t seem real to be able to simply ask a stranger “do you party? With what” instead of a hello.
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