How to Grow an Addict

How to grow an addict by J A Wright took my 5 hours to read, I could not/would not put it down. The book starts by introducing us to Randall who "somehow" ends up agreeing to go to rehab. Then we go back to her being around 12-13 living with her Mom, Dad, and brother Robbie. I am not sure Wright could have created a more realistic and authentic look inside a dysfunctional family which ultimately leads to Randall trying to self medicate and block the pain. The subtlety of the writing about the ho [...]

This is a tough book to read, but the story is relevant and sadly all too common. From the opening pages, my heart ached for Randall. Through no fault of her own, she is saddled with a family no one would want – her father is an alcoholic who is self-centered and mentally abusive, her mother is weak and unable to stand up for anyone, and her brother has problems of his own. To block the pain she feels, Randall becomes an addict, and for a large part of the book makes incredibly bad choices tha [...]

Won on giveaway. Thanks very much for that.& I always appreciate a little extra touch on a giveaway. Like Ms Wright enclosing a matching card.& the layout & presentation of this book is quite beautiful.J A wright was born in the States & that is where this novel is set. Is part of this harrowing tale autobiographical? (Wright's brief bio at the back says she has been in recovery for 30 years) I don't know, but Randall's sad life is powerfully told. With an alcoholic father & [...]

I received an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.She Writes Press is a publisher that is new to me, and the same can be said for J.A. Wright. That being said, I was certainly not disappointed. This book was beautifully written, and though darker at times, it tugged on all of my heartstrings. I couldn't put it down."By the time I turned seventeen and finished eleventh grade I wanted to die. I didn't know why; it just seemed like it would be easier."Our main chara [...]

A dark, ultimately hopeful story that reveals how a young, female addict is grown (starting with a mean, drunk dad, an equally mean brother, and a distant, damaged mother). I fell for Randall Grange in the first line: "I still can't figure it out. How the therapist persuaded me to stay in rehab." And then we go back in time to see how Randall ends up drinking and popping pills before she's turned fifteen. Randall's story isn't sugar-coated, but throughout her voice is strong. Even in her darkest [...]

"I know a lot about trouble. Mostly about causing it and not much about staying out of it."I will start off by cautioning you that you will cry. You will get upset. You'll want to crawl through the pages of this book and taken Randall by the hand, away from the toxic people she is forced to grow up around. You will be taken on the full rollercoaster ride of emotions with this read.Randall is just 26 when she is finally checked into rehab. She doesn't belong here, the hospital made a mistake and [...]

It takes a great deal of determination to overcome the sort of upbringing Randall Grange had, and we are left at the end of the book hoping desperately that she's going to make it. The author's own two sentence bio at the end lets us know that drug addiction can be overcome, though we also know that no recovering addict can ever afford to relax. And while I have no personal experience of addiction, I was a telephone counsellor for some years and worked intensively with many people struggling wit [...]

When you think of addiction you often think of the seedy, shameful side of it. You forget that it happens and can happen to anyone you know. Your mum, daughter, sister, neighbour, aunt, employer. So when you see the title of "How to grow an addict" it would be easy to dismiss this book as a just another book written by a screwed up junkie with no real ambition, homelife or future. It isn't like this at all but is an amazing, honest, funny story about a regular young girl who has bad luck, makes [...]

I read books when I brush and floss my teeth at night and sometimes over my tea in the morning. I got on a cross-country plane with "How To Grow An Addict" and six hours later I was wishing the ride was a little longer so I could get to the end that I was rapidly approaching. As soon as I got to my destination I barred the door, sat down and finished. I felt elated, shaken and awakened by this story. J.A. Wright speaks to my heart with her frank, in-depth and vivid writing shot through with razo [...]

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of 'How to Grow an Addict' by JA Wright, and I could not put it down! The prologue sets the scene with the main character entering rehab and being asked by her counselor what 'three things' led her to become an addict. For the protagonist narrowing it down to just three things is the hard part and from there we are taken on a journey that delves into the repercussions of being raised by dysfunctional and emotionally unavailable parents, and the ways [...]

I was fortunate to get an early copy of J.A. Wright’s novel, “ How to Grow an Addict”. The title grabbed me and the writing kept me reading. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s beautifully and descriptively written. The main character, Randall Grange is an intensely loveable girl, often in frighteningly circumstances, due to drugs and alcohol. The author engages the reader at depicting a believable progression of addiction.Randall has meaningful loving relationships with her Aunt Flo an [...]

Booze, pills, sex with a side order of violence? Don't mind if I do! This cautionary tale reveals the inner mind of the addict but does so in a way that is compelling without being preachy. Impossible you say? You'd think so, but JA Wright manages to wave a deft hand across this narrative and bring us both the life and the soul of protagonist, Randall, without falling into schmaltz or clinical notes. Humour abounds as we look through the eyes of the young girl growing up in the fertile soil of a [...]

I absolutely love the title of this book! It sums it up perfectly. How To Grow An Addict is the very moving tale of 23-year-old Randall. Written in the first person perspective, Randall chronicles her life growing up with an abusive father addicted to alcohol and a disconnected mother who copes with the help of pills and alcohol. I had to read this in small stints to get over each little heart-wrenching episode that left me thinking 'that poor kid'. Randall's "relationship" with her father was s [...]

It's not easy to write as an adult about a child from the child's point of view. But Wright did it right. I read that she herself was a wicked alcoholic and blacked out a lot and therefor didn't feel she could write a memoir so this was second best so perhaps drawing from her memories as she felt what it was like to be Randall was what made it so good but whatever. It was good. Randall grew up with a jerk of a father and a mother who was sort of there but mostly not. She also had a brother who t [...]

If I had to describe this book with one sentence, it would be "oh my god". I don't know how often I thought this while reading. The writing is really good, so good in fact that you get sucked into the story and can hardly put this book down. At least I had trouble doing so.The title describes How to grow an addict perfectly, because that's exactly what it is about. You get taken back to Randall's really bad childhood and experience her life with her up until she is 'mistakenly' admitted to a reh [...]

I'm not surprised this novel has so many 5 star reviews. J.A.Wright gets Randall's voice so right, and we are there with her as she tries to make sense of her world. It is raw, especially as we experience Randall's young adult struggles with addiction and understanding herself and her family. I heard the author interviewed recently on National Radio, and her insightful responses about her own alcohol addiction as a young person made reading this novel even richer. As she made very clear, Randall [...]

Captivating and compelling, this novel shows us how an innocent child can grow to be an addict, and the impact of family on confidence and sense of self-worth. The story flows extremely well and I was hooked from beginning to end. The character of Randall comes alive, the story told through her 1st person voice. This is an awesomely riveting story and highly recommended.

How to Grow An Addict is a startlingly personal, beautifully insightful account of a young woman's journey from childhood to young adult, fighting a crippling dependence on drugs, alcohol and sex. Author J.A. Wright weaves a seamless and beautifully written account of Randall Grange's life, dominated and terrorized by an abusive, uncaring father; bullied by an older brother she idolized; and benignly tolerated by a largely indifferent mother. None of them realize there is a sensitive, eager-to-p [...]

This well-received novel is a very readable and engaging look at the multiple factors that lead central character Randall to rehab - and hopefully redemption. Randall's growing up in the late 70s, early 80s in a complicated family. Her dad's an unapologetic and embarrassing drunk, while her mum deals with her stress with prescription pills. On the flip side are her loving, quirky aunt and uncle, who often offer Randall a respite from life at home.It would have been too easy to split Randall's fa [...]

“I still can’t figure it out. How the therapist persuaded me to stay in rehab. Maybe it was her smile or the way she motioned for me to sit down, or perhaps it was the way she put her hand on my shoulder when she introduced me to the group. Most likely it happened when I saw her wipe a tear from her cheek after I lied to the group about my black eyes and broken nose.”How to Grow an Addict is a fresh and fascinating addition to the addiction genre. Written in the first person, I felt as tho [...]

‘How to Grow an Addict’ is like a terrible car crash. You cannot, no matter how hard you try, look away. Very aptly titled, the book is the story of twenty-three-year-old Randall, who through a series of unfortunate events and circumstances from as young as twelve - grows up to become an addict, a pill popper. Bad parenting, lack of household familiarity and warmth, the death of a beloved uncle and early abusive romantic relationships; all of these seem to be the sum total of “how to grow [...]

An Exceptional Book To Read!How To Grow An Addict is a must read if you enjoy contemporary fiction, laced with addiction and recovery, family drama and pain. Family dynamics play a large role in this storyline that will have you rooting for Randall from the time she is a little girl into her adult life. She struggles many let downs from people she vested in as support, but never finds that relief of 'unconditional love' she desperately craves throughout her life journey. Heartbreaking and raw at [...]

I won a copy of this book through First Reads.Lately it's been difficult to find a book that grips me from the very first page, but I simply could not put this book down unless I had to grudgingly go to work or sleep. Every chapter is an emotional roller coaster, and I often found myself wanting to reach out to the protagonist and stop her from doing things that would have, and often did, lead to incredible repercussions. As the saying goes: "Sometimes it's like watching a train wreck. You're un [...]

Right from the start the story grips you, as you see how naive but at the same time smart Randall is as a young girl. Her honesty as she tells her story drives you to read on and on in the hope that soon she will learn the consequences of her actions and turn her life around. J.A Wright’s insight into the lives of the troubled family is raw and heartfelt and certainly left me with a greater understanding of how subtle the slide to addiction is and how easily you can make excuses for it. This b [...]

How does a seven year old take the first step, and the next, on the path to drug and alcohol abuse? Randall Grange will tell you in her raw and authentic voice. Author J.A. Wright, with her 30 years of recovery under her belt, has the street cred to write this novel, and that makes it all the harder to witness the situations her protagonist faces - being handed tranquilizers by her mother, learning the hair-of-the-dog hangover cure from her father, tolerating sexual abuse from a boyfriend that s [...]

How to Grow an Addict isn't my usual genre of book to read, however this was rather a charming and easy to read story which I didn't want to put down. Randall is very likeable and you really do feel quite sorry for her, her family almost ignore her existence and the only father figure she has dies! I was relieved to find out that her story wasn't too traumatic, she basically just has a life filled with bad luck resulting in her bad choices but then she gets into rehab and things seem to turn aro [...]

I loved this book. So funny and yet also so insightful. Could not put it down and it continually put a smile on my face. Jodi should be a stand up comic!Thank you thank you.

I started J.A. Wright’s novel while on a cross county flight and hardly looked up until the plane was descending! The book depicts what for many in this country is real life—addiction that destroys lives and families. The book chronicles Randell’s difficult life, her internal battle to overcome addiction, and her repeated setbacks. Wright does a great job invoking the reader’s frustration with Randall when she keeps making bad decisions and, with her mother who often sabotages Randall’ [...]

I loved this book! It was sad but also very real.

Clear messagesA good book to read and relate to, I would have given a higher rating but much of the book was written from the perspective of a child and that is very much reflected in the writing style. Excellent way to deliver so many of the tips and tricks to successfully staying so