A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (review)

I was at a thrift store with my friends and I raided the book section. This book had an Oprah sticker on it and was 50 cents…so I jumped on it. So before I bought this book I knew nothing about it. I brought it to my dorm and someone told me that is was not real, that it was all made up. I decided against the Google search to see if it was real or not, and it has sat on the shelf for a while…like 2 years, but I decided to give it a chance. 

The book is written in a way that I have never experienced. Once you get used to the format it is an easy read, besides the graphic and cringe worthy moments. As you are reading, it is VERY shocking. I have drank, I have been drunk, but I have never done any drug so the experiences he has and the addiction he feels seems unreal. I had learned about addiction before but this is a huge look into someone’s suffering mind. I think if I encounter anyone in my life struggling with addiction, after reading I am more equipped to attempt at understanding how they feel and how to help. The things he has done, and how young he started is actually heart wrenching. His attitude, and “The Fury” and his depression are written about in ways that anyone suffering from anxiety/depression can understand, but also on a whole different level.

When he enters the facility and things start looking up, I just want to skip to the end and make sure Leonard, Matty, Miles, Lilly and James make it, stay sober and get what they wanted out of their lives. The characters I assumed names were changed but I still felt like I knew them and he really put us as readers in those hallways, in that dining hall, outside by the lake, and there is some exceptional writing. It was very hard to get through the parts about Lilly, and Leonard’s past also. My jaw was dropped and I did not want to believe those things could happen to people.

Turns out, those stories he told about himself where I was near tears, the stories about others that made me immediately be thankful for my life and family, were fabricated are embellished. I was not as angry  as Oprah, but my name was also not on the book….The Oprah interview is on her website, and a full detail report on the accuracy of the book can be found on The Smoking Gun. I hope that other people accept the fact that he made it more dramatic, and look past the fact the arrest and jail time were not what he said, and here is why…

Survive. Hold On. This book can be inspirational to anyone really. I mean I know I have gotten way too attached to fictional characters before so who cares if this is slightly fabricated? I get it that he lied and there should have been a disclaimer but the message is still there. Many people addicted to substances or alcohol read this and went to a facility/rehab. I honestly never had any intention of doing drugs, and I really do not now. It also showed me that people all around could be going through horrible things, and no matter the sadness or loneliness I feel, I can survive, I can hold on, I can get through. I recommend this book (but not for people under 18) and I recommend that everyone holds on, and stays strong no matter what you are going through.