Book Review: A Million Little Pieces

Author: James Frey

Title: A Million Little Pieces 
Genre: Contemporary, Drama
Pages: 432

First Published: April 15th, 2003
Where I Got It: borrowed from Reece (my homie)

"At the age of 23, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his front teeth knocked out and his nose broken. He had no idea where the plane was headed nor any recollection of the past two weeks. An alcoholic for ten years and a crack addict for three, he checked into a treatment facility shortly after landing. There he was told he could either stop using or die before he reached age 24. This is Frey's acclaimed account of his six weeks in rehab."

For this review I am going to divide and conquer:

The Good

• Loved the voice of the man character. Wonderfully written.
• Loved the man character, James. Though he was a "criminal and addict" I really liked him. I connected with him a lot of different aspects. 
• I loved the blend of characters.
• The details were amazing.
• The randomness amused me.
• It took me a while to read it and I thought that was good. There was a lot going on and I enjoyed that I had to take longer with it. I recommend taking your time with this one.
• The including of Tao Te Ching. Though my knowledge on this book is rather limited I enjoyed how this self-help seemed to really help James instead of the stereotypical "god" and "step" programs that are the usual helpers for addicts. I am tempted to find myself a copy and read it to get a full grasp and formulate my opinion on it better. Mhmmmmm...
• "There is no good or evil, no Sinner or Saint. There simply is what is and that is it. You can use that to be and that is enough. Don't talk about it or question it. Just let it be. Just be. 
• "They say in thinking keep to simple, in conflict be fair. They say don't compare or compete simply be yourself. They say fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill, keep sharpening your knife and it will dull. They say chase after money and your heart will never unclench. Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." 

The Bad and the Ugly

• The grammar....the grammar and lack of ANY basic anything. Gah! I understand that it was meant to be the randoms of an addict in rehab and so it was MEANT to be like that. However, I'm working on a minor for English and it killed me sometimes. Especially at the beginning. It took me a while to overcome and get over it.
• The ending....I hated the ending. I can say more for fear of ruining it. 

My reaction....

Conclusion

I simply adored this book. It was defiantly something I never would have picked up for myself. Thank you Reece for making me read this and then allowing me to borrow your copy. ^.^ I would recommend this for those of an older age...there is a lot of swearing and adult content (ie. drugs and sex and all that jazz). Also, for those looking for a change in their reading should pick this up. Just keep in mind this is being narrated by an addict, so the writing may seem sporadic and the grammar is lacking majorly. In the end, I grant this 4 stars. I had to take a star away for the ending...I mean I understand why it ended the way it did, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. *sighs*

Favorite Character(s): James, Lilly, Leonard, and James' brother.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Ted, Matty, and James' Mother (>.>)
Favorite Quote(s): "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." pg.  201

*CaroleRae*