Addiction

Addiction affects millions of people around the world, yet the stigma of addiction remains. We hope this Collection inspires conversations about addiction, whether you are a professor looking to round out a syllabus or someone hoping to better understand your own experiences. Read on to discover Study Guides for both novels and memoirs tackling a variety of topics, such as alcoholism, methamphetamine and heroin addiction, myths surrounding addiction, and the effects of addiction on families.

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Order & Chaos, Community, Power & Greed, Self Discovery, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Mental Health

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Doctor Sleep is a 2013 horror novel by Stephen King. It is a sequel to the events that occurred in King’s popular novel The Shining and features the return of Danny Torrance. Decades after the horrors at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance must now reckon with the renewed threat of the spirits. When the novel begins, the dead woman from the Overlook’s Room 217 has returned and threatens Danny in his bathroom. King uses this... Read Doctor Sleep Summary

Dopamine Nation

by Anna Lembke

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Self Discovery, Guilt, Forgiveness, Shame & Pride, Gratitude, Family, Community, Apathy, Nation, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Health, Psychology, Science & Nature, Self-Improvement, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Leadership, Psychology

... Read Dopamine Nation Summary

Dry

by Augusten Burroughs

Publication year 2003

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Grief, Apathy, Perseverance

Tags Humor, LGBTQ+, Psychology, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Trauma & Abuse, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

... Read Dry Summary

Emergency

by Denis Johnson

Publication year 1991

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Safety & Danger, Teamwork

Tags Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Humor, Psychological Fiction, Satirical Literature, Education, Education

Denis Johnson originally published “Emergency” in the September 16, 1991 issue of New Yorker magazine and later as part of his critically acclaimed 1992 short story collection, Jesus’ Son. These linked, fragmentary stories, all narrated by the same troubled, drug-addicted character, examine themes of violence, addiction, loss, and friendship from an unreliable yet sympathetic narrative voice. This guide uses the 1992 version of Jesus’ Son published by Picador/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.“Emergency,” the sixth story in... Read Emergency Summary

Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Siblings, Art, Trust & Doubt, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Health, Politics & Government, US History, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Business & Economics, Crime & Law, Finance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Biography

... Read Empire of Pain Summary

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

by Hunter S. Thompson

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Nation

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Journalism, Addiction & Substance Abuse, US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Travel Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1971 novel by American author Hunter S. Thompson. The book chronicles the story of journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Doctor Gonzo who drive to Las Vegas, ostensibly to cover an iconic off-road vehicle race. However, they are also looking to “find the American Dream” and take with them a car’s load of hard drugs. Duke is a fictionalized surrogate for Thompson, while Gonzo is based off... Read Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Summary

Finding Me

by Viola Davis

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Love, Shame & Pride, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Art, Justice

Tags Inspirational, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Bullying, Love & Sexuality, Poverty, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Biography

... Read Finding Me Summary

Firekeeper's Daughter

by Angeline Boulley

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Appearance & Reality, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, American Literature, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

... Read Firekeeper's Daughter Summary

Firestarter

by Stephen King

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Love, Family, Fathers

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Firestarter Summary

From the Ashes

by Jesse Thistle

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Indigenous Identity, Safety & Danger, Community, Family

Tags Inspirational, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Biography

... Read From the Ashes Summary

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

by Isabel Quintero

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Sexual Identity, Family

Tags LGBTQ+, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces (2014) is a young adult fiction novel by Southern Californian writer Isabel Quintero. It is a bildungsroman following Gabi’s transition to adulthood, her evolution as a writer, and her growing acceptance of herself. Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is Quintero’s first novel and earned various awards for young adult readers, including the California Book Award (2015 Gold Medal) and the William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel. This summary... Read Gabi, a Girl in Pieces Summary

Genesis Begins Again

by Alicia D. Williams

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Poverty, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Genesis Begins Again is a contemporary middle grade novel published in 2019 by Alicia Williams, a teacher and an author of children’s fiction and young adult books. Genesis Begins Again, Williams’s debut novel, was met with critical praise for exploring and adapting complex emotional themes such as colorism, addiction, and bullying for a younger audience. Genesis Begins Again was a finalist for the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature and the recipient of the... Read Genesis Begins Again Summary

Girl, Interrupted

by Susanna Kaysen

Publication year 1993

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, The Past, Femininity, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Death, Memory, Science & Technology

Tags Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Psychology, Gender & Feminism, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Health, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Susanna Kaysen’s 1993, Girl, Interrupted, is a memoir that explores Kaysen’s time as a teenage psychiatric patient in McLean Hospital in the late 1960s. Kaysen explores the murky definitions of mental health and illness, as she recounters her experience of being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and makes compelling arguments about the subjective nature of personality, behavior, and disorder. Girl, Interrupted is a bestselling book and was adapted into the 1999 film starring Winona Ryder... Read Girl, Interrupted Summary

Go Ask Alice

by Beatrice Sparks

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Depression & Suicide, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Initially advertised as an anonymous, true story of a teenage girl, Go Ask Alice (1971) by Beatrice Sparks is an epistolary novel, or a fictional work structured as a diary. The diary entries chronicle two years of a teen girl’s experience with social acceptance, family relationships, and drugs—primarily marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines. Although Beatrice Sparks initially claimed to be the diary’s editor, considerable evidence suggests that she’s the sole author of the fictional work. Nevertheless... Read Go Ask Alice Summary

Heart of a Champion

by Carl Deuker

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Masculinity, Fathers, Grief, Wins & Losses

Tags Sports, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1993, Heart of a Champion is a young adult novel written by award-winning author Carl Deuker, whose work is primarily about sports and intended for young adult readers. The novel is the first-person narrative of a California boy, Seth, whose father died prematurely, leaving a huge void. Seth befriends Jimmy, whose love of baseball quickly becomes Seth’s passion as well. After the death of his friend after an alcohol-induced car crash, Seth... Read Heart of a Champion Summary

Hey, Kiddo

by Jarrett Krosoczka

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Children`s Literature, Mental Illness, Arts & Culture

Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction is a 2018 graphic memoir by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A finalist for the National Book Award, it earned praise for its compassionate and honest portrayal of a child growing up in a family marked by addiction and abuse. This guide refers to the 2018 Graphix edition.Plot SummaryThe story traces Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s childhood and his family. Beginning and ending with... Read Hey, Kiddo Summary

House Made of Dawn

by N. Scott Momaday

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Apathy, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Place, Animals, Religion & Spirituality, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Justice, World History

The novel House Made of Dawn, by N. Scott Momaday, was first published in 1968. Heralded as a major landmark in the emergence of Indigenous American literature, the novel won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. House Made of Dawn blends fictional and nonfictional elements to depict life on an Indigenous American reservation like the one where Momaday grew up.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2018 First Harper Perennial Modern Classics (50th Anniversary)... Read House Made of Dawn Summary

Howl

by Allen Ginsberg

Publication year 1956

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Justice, Conflict

Tags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, World History, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary