Customer Reviews

Tweaked: A Crystal Meth Memoir

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I enjoyed this book---it certainly kept me turning pages throughout, and I finished it almost in one sitting. However, I would agree with some of the other reviewers in that the book seems to be more about Moore's sex addiction than his meth addiction. The book chronicles Moore's sexual escapades in 1980s New York and 1990s Los Angeles; it seems Moore just used meth and a host of other drugs to lubricate his sexual excesses. The only section of the book that exposes meth's dark underbelly is when he goes out to visit a "cooker" who lives in the California desert and cooks the drug in a trailer. I think a more apt title for the book would be "SCREWED" rather than TWEAKED due to its highly sexual content, but this book is worth a read nonetheless, especially if the ins and outs of pre-gentrification New York's sexual underground of the 80s and early 90s interests you.

As someone who has heard a lot about crystal meth but who has no experience with it, I turned to this book to develop an understanding of why crystal meth has affected gay men and influenced HIV transmission as much as it has. I did learn a lot from this book, though I thought I would learn more about how crystal meth affects the body and mind, how it clouds and mind and encourages unsafe sex, and there was not as much of that in this book. Though there were many scenes showing the damaging effects of crystal, and Moore did not seem to hold back in any way describing the negatives of his life on crystal. This is a good book worth the time.

Patrick Moore presents a memoir that looks at his personal drug abuse as a gay man and his sobriety in the face of unrelenting temptations. Ultimately, the story is one of hope that begins in Iowa and takes the readers through dexatrim use in high school to a wild hallucination involving a possum in a Los Angeles garden. Cruising through clubs and cruising areas, as well as working with other addicts in recovery, Moore tells a fast-paced and sometimes moving story of holding his grip on sobriety continually in front of him. There are spots of true compassion and insight that add to the overall positive nature of this memoir in spite of real moments of despair, death, temptation, and self-doubt.

I had high hopes when I purchased this book. I guess that's why I try to eliminate expectations when beginning a book. I didn't think the quality was high and was not very engaged by the story. It described sex addiction much better than Meth Addiction. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend the book if you are looking for inspiration. Perhaps if I finished the book it may have been better, but it didn't even keep my interest enough to do that. There are two many books to read and I don't have time for those that are not giving me insight or understanding into the nature of life and the Universe.

"Biker's Coffee, Chicken Feed, Crank, Glass, Go-Fast, Ice, Stove Top, Trash and Yellow Barn," that is, Crystal Meth, is what I expected this book to be about. But Tweaked is more about the details of Patrick Moore's seemingly infinite gay unprotected sexual exploits while using a variety of drugs than it is about meth addiction, although it's probably hard to separate the two. The writing itself is excellent, but Gay Sex on Drugs might have been a more appropriate title, and its X-Rated theme will be interesting to few mainstream readers.

The details about meth, meth-use and meth-users, few and far between, are by far the most interesting parts. Unfortunately, the struggles of a sober gay man, the relationship between a man and his grandma, and details about an unimaginable variety of different drugs, did not hold my attention. I kept waiting for the parts about meth. It would be more appropriate divided up as a series of articles in a magazine for gay men. If you are an average Jane like me, you'll skip this one in favor of a future, (hopefully mainstream) novel. Although admittedly full of lies and half-truths, James Frey's R-Rated quirkily-written but fast-paced account of alcohol abuse and recovery, A Million Little Pieces, is a better choice.

I've read quite a few books on addiction and this is one of the worst. In fact it really has nothing to do with addiction and, therefore, "A crystal meth memoir", as it is called, is completely inappropriate. In fact it should more accurately be called; "My life AFTER crystal meth." If you are looking for drugalogues you will not find them here. There is no fall from grace or struggle against inner demons to learn from in this opus. It is actually a simple tale of someone adrift on the wind describing in great detail absolutely everything around him. Honestly it's like not a single person who reviewed this book and contributed a blurb on the Amazon site or on the back cover actually read it. The story is the farthest thing from "gritty" or "gripping" or "harrowing". Now I know why none of the reviews are by anyone I recognize. No offense to the author but skip this and buy Tweak by Nic Sheff. A significantly better book!

I expected a different "Tweaked" book, there's alot out there... Odd to say I loved it, it opened a different "scene" or side (if you will) of this nightmare drug & addiction. The basic story line runs through them all. This was about love, loss, giving, understanding, helplessness, paranoia (ya think?), & stepping up & out & looking back. If you don't enjoy diversity in your book collection & overall reading - this isn't one to add. Read it twice early on. Probably would be worthy of another read every now & then.

This book is very little about the meth, and allot more about the adventures of a gay man.I couldn't beleive how little the story talked of meth for being called tweaked.

I sent this to my incarcerated son trying to fill the $25.00 free shipping offer and had to choose something similar to "Beautiful Boy" and "Tweak" (great books, by the way!) since they only accept "self-help" books in some of the TDCJ facilities. He said it was a very strange book and was not too enthusiastic about it. I bought this book pretty much blind and it was not received very well.

I was hooked from page 1, he takes you places so seedy, so OMG, are you serious!?
Great, Awesome Read!