There is a world of fiction being published out there, yet a lot of us spend our reading hours with genre fiction. Horror, SF, suspense...even a Western every now and then, And there's nothing wrong with that. Genre fiction is often among the most vital and satisfying fiction to be found. I myself am guilty of reading too much in one style of books and that's not a good thing. Readers should experience all types of books.
Though Chip Silverman had several other acclaimed publications prior to The Chemical Girl, I had never heard of him. The Chemical Girl was brought to my attention because it was published by Borderlands Press, who only release superlative books. Taking a small chance, but with optimism, I ordered The Chemical Girl and received it two days ago. I began reading it almost immediately and I just finished it moments ago.
Chip Silverman is a fascinating individual. He has worked for the State of Maryland in its drug and Alcohol Administration, and was the Special Advisor to the Governor for Substance Abuse Policy. He is a visiting addictions clinician and a behavior health consultant. And, of course, he is a writer.
The Chemical Girl is a story of addiction and Silverman's experience gives him an intimate, insider's view of that world. And it's a unique novel. While there have been numerous stories of narcotic addiction from a user's perspective, or from a law enforcement angle and even from family members of addicts, this appears to be the first book that focuses on the bureaucratic point of view.
Much of the novel reads as a series of loosely related anecdotes in the year of the life of a man dedicated to the recovery of substance abusers. Some of the incidents are amusing as hell, some are sobering and informative and still more are ghastly depictions of the devastating effects of narcotics. The heart of the story is the protagonist's infatuation with a much younger woman he calls The Chemical Girl. This free-spirited girl drinks and abuses drugs at alarming rates, but manages to maintain a shaky control over her life.
The Chemical Girl is described as "A Historical Novel" by its author and he tells us that most of the events in the book are inspired by true experiences. Taking place in 1986, cocaine treatment is in its infancy and the scourge of AIDS is still a relatively new phenomena. The world is shaken by the drug-related death of Boston Celtics player, Len Bias, who displayed a public persona as a clean cut all American role model. Yet in private he was a chronic abuser of cocaine. The tragic event made many important figures in the political field take notice, bringing the importance of drug and alcohol treatment to the forefront of Important Issues of the country.
Yes, The Chemical Girl is an extremely funny book, despite its grave subject matter. The narrator, "Ted", in his outreach activities, brings himself in contact with a motley assortment of people involved in the world of illegal drug use, manufacture and distribution. And if he sometimes comes off as being a bit evangelical in his quest, who can blame him after the years of nightmarish situations he has witnessed? Yet the majority of the book comes off rather like a slapstick comedy. People in these sort of trenches either learn to laugh or lose their own sanity.
The Chemical Girl is an important book and it is one that I feel needs to be read by a lot of people. For who among us can escape the clenches of addiction? Drugs, alcohol, nicotine, video games and even (or perhaps especially) these damned computers grip people's lives and consume them. Only with information and knowledge can we hope to battle our own demons and The Chemical Girl is an important (and highly entertaining) tool that can help us all.
Get a signed or inscribed copy of The Chemical Girl direct from Borderlands Press.
Though Chip Silverman had several other acclaimed publications prior to The Chemical Girl, I had never heard of him. The Chemical Girl was brought to my attention because it was published by Borderlands Press, who only release superlative books. Taking a small chance, but with optimism, I ordered The Chemical Girl and received it two days ago. I began reading it almost immediately and I just finished it moments ago.
Chip Silverman is a fascinating individual. He has worked for the State of Maryland in its drug and Alcohol Administration, and was the Special Advisor to the Governor for Substance Abuse Policy. He is a visiting addictions clinician and a behavior health consultant. And, of course, he is a writer.
The Chemical Girl is a story of addiction and Silverman's experience gives him an intimate, insider's view of that world. And it's a unique novel. While there have been numerous stories of narcotic addiction from a user's perspective, or from a law enforcement angle and even from family members of addicts, this appears to be the first book that focuses on the bureaucratic point of view.
Much of the novel reads as a series of loosely related anecdotes in the year of the life of a man dedicated to the recovery of substance abusers. Some of the incidents are amusing as hell, some are sobering and informative and still more are ghastly depictions of the devastating effects of narcotics. The heart of the story is the protagonist's infatuation with a much younger woman he calls The Chemical Girl. This free-spirited girl drinks and abuses drugs at alarming rates, but manages to maintain a shaky control over her life.
The Chemical Girl is described as "A Historical Novel" by its author and he tells us that most of the events in the book are inspired by true experiences. Taking place in 1986, cocaine treatment is in its infancy and the scourge of AIDS is still a relatively new phenomena. The world is shaken by the drug-related death of Boston Celtics player, Len Bias, who displayed a public persona as a clean cut all American role model. Yet in private he was a chronic abuser of cocaine. The tragic event made many important figures in the political field take notice, bringing the importance of drug and alcohol treatment to the forefront of Important Issues of the country.
Yes, The Chemical Girl is an extremely funny book, despite its grave subject matter. The narrator, "Ted", in his outreach activities, brings himself in contact with a motley assortment of people involved in the world of illegal drug use, manufacture and distribution. And if he sometimes comes off as being a bit evangelical in his quest, who can blame him after the years of nightmarish situations he has witnessed? Yet the majority of the book comes off rather like a slapstick comedy. People in these sort of trenches either learn to laugh or lose their own sanity.
The Chemical Girl is an important book and it is one that I feel needs to be read by a lot of people. For who among us can escape the clenches of addiction? Drugs, alcohol, nicotine, video games and even (or perhaps especially) these damned computers grip people's lives and consume them. Only with information and knowledge can we hope to battle our own demons and The Chemical Girl is an important (and highly entertaining) tool that can help us all.
Get a signed or inscribed copy of The Chemical Girl direct from Borderlands Press.
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