Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Leonard Peacock is pretty unhappy. And his depression has led him to a couple of conclusions: Asher Beal, his former childhood best friend, needs to die. And he would be much happier if he, himself, wasn’t alive anymore either.

But first, it’s Leonard’s birthday and he wants to give each of his four best friends a gift to say goodbye. The first gift is for his very best friend, the old man with whom he watches old Humphrey Bogart movies on days he skips school. The second is for a friend who isn’t really a friend; the rare fellow student with whom he has a relatively positive relationship, but maybe that’s only because they don’t really know anything about each other. The third is for the girl that he really, really wants to kiss, but who is inherently wrong for him (and him for her). And the last is for Herr Silverman, his Holocaust teacher and the only person in his life that invites him to speak and seems to really want to hear what he has to say. He also leaves a wrapped present for his mother (though he wonders why he bothers).

And he saves one final thing for himself: the P-38 pistol that his grandfather saved from Nazi wartime.

Recommended to all high school readers, and all adults, too. This novel is designed to make you think, and Leonard’s story is presented in such a way that we are not only rooting for someone to save him, but we are hoping that he - and all those who are hurting - can figure out a way to save himself, because all futures are worth having.

Leaving Dirty Jersey : A crystal meth memoir by James Salant

While at first solely intrigued by the title and cover of this book (I am a Jersey girl, and have often come across people with the infamous words "Dirty Jersey" tattoed onto their own skin), I couldn't resist the temptation of Jimmy's world of crystal meth, heroin, sex, lies, cheap motels, love, and survival -- most of which takes place in sunny California. Jimmy soon discovers that the streets of Riverside are a world away from life in upperclass Princeton, New Jersey.

Raised in a supportive, financially stable two-parent home, Jimmy was a smart kid who got into drugs in his teens. Following in his brother's footsteps, he briefly entered a rehab program in Riverside, California after a number of run-ins with the cops and drug possession charges in Jersey. There he met an array of characters with both positive and negative influences, although none responsible for the choices Jimmy made -- or didn't make -- while on his own. After rehab, he stayed in Riverside. He used his newfound independence to sell drugs to make money to buy drugs, from pot to meth to heroin. A psychotic episode finally forced him into reality, just barely enough to decide to get clean. At twenty-three years old, Jimmy tells his all-to-true story about his relationship with drugs, his family, his friends, and his ultimate journey of adventure and survival.

This memoir is recommended for high school and mature readers. For another viewpoint from a young recovered addict try Nic Sheff's Tweak, or No Speed Limit by Frank Owens or Beautiful Boy by David Sheff for further observations and perspective.
Access the BCCLS catalog (http://www.bccls.org/) or ask a librarian how to place a request on this title.

Reviewed by kate the librarian