Book Review: "Crystal Lies" by Melody Carlson

Drugs hurt everyone. Any Questions?

Glennis thought she had the perfect family. She thought everyone was happy and this was the way her life was always going to be. But then she learns her son has a drug addiction. And she will do anything to protect him and help him out. However, her husband wants nothing to do with him because it will harm his career. Her daughter blames her brother and mother for everything bad happening in the family. The family because ripped apart and soon Glennis finds out there's nothing she can do about it.

Are you a fan of happy books that sugar coat life and make you feel warm and cozy inside? Well then you will be in for a shock after reading this book. I'm not an expert on crystal meth so I learned a lot from reading this book. Reading about how the family got torn apart because of the drug addiction was very difficult. Everyone turns against each other, the family didn't have a good sense of unity. Since I've read many Melody Carlson books, I was prepared for a gritty, realistic story that would not hide back any details. Well reading this book was like a punch in the gut. The scene where Glennis finds the stash of needles under Jacob's bed and he keeps lying to her about them was very emotional. You really could feel her character wanting to break down at that point.

Now there were times during the book where I wanted to yell at Glennis because she kept ignoring the signs of her son's addiction. Of course I know as a parent, there are times where you turn a blind eye because you want to see the best in your kids. It just made the story sadder because things could have been prevented if people had just noticed earlier. I think the best thing about this book is how realistic it is. There is a note in the beginning of the book where the author writes about how she knows what it's like first hand to be the mother of an addict. I believe this book should be read by everybody. It's a heart wrenching tale but the events mentioned take place every day. It's a sobering (no pun intended) read will really shake you up. VERY HIGHLY recommended.

Crystal Lies by Melody Carlson is published by Waterbrook (2004)