A Million Little Pieces

Well what can I say? This book is simply amazing, but before I review it and give you my opinions on it, I wish to address the controversy over this book that you may or may not have heard about. It has been said that although this book is classified as a 'memoir' it is in fact not entirely true and that major parts of the story have been made up by Frey himself; Whether or not the story is true, fake, or semi-fictional, the story holds a strong message that cannot be changed, or diminished by the genre of the novel. Regardless of that big question mark you may have at the end of the novel wondering if all this really did happen, this novel is worth the read.

The story focuses on the 23 year old James Frey (also the author of A Million Little Pieces) and his drug and alcohol addiction. It mainly covers the six weeks that Frey spends at a treatment center but also goes back in time and covers some of Frey's past. The book is a little slower paced than others, and there is a lot of inaction but it sure does get your heart racing once you begin to read and learn about the characters. Your will to find out what happens to them carries you through the book, but please don't have high hopes for the characters as I did, because you will be greatly disappointed. This book does not have a happy ending, although Frey does stay sober, but be ready with a box of tissues to wipe away those tears that I guarantee you will have on at least one occasion during your read of A Million Little Pieces.

My favourite characters include James, Lilly, Leonard, Miles and Lincoln and each impact the story line a great deal. This book is about love. Love in all it's forms, and the importance of holding onto love when you find it and never letting go. It is about addiction and the brutal, horrific and shocking truth of what a life of addiction entails. It is about friendship and the strength it gives you when you are at your lowest, and when you are at your highest. It is about family, and how family sticks together through thick and thin and how there is no clear cut definition of family. And lastly, it is about holding on. When times are rough, when you are down, when you have reached rock bottom and then dug down another 50 feet, just hold on and you'll pull through (Leonard, A Million Little Pieces).

This story, whether true or false, real or fake will break your heart and give you strength. It empowers you. It makes you realize what really matters in life, and it gives you great compassion, sympathy and empathy for those who deal with a life of addiction. I would recommend this book to everyone, and although it is a little pricey in comparison to the other books I have reviewed ($21) it is definitely worth the extra money.

Happy reading,
Ash Bee.