Having spent most of my time of late sat in a tiny carrel in the middle of my college’s library; head in my revision and bordering on a coma-like state, I couldn’t wait to open a new book and escape from reality.

‘A Million Little Pieces’ was a novel recommended by a friend who, like me, loves nothing more than delving into the darkest secrets and deepest emotions of a fictional character. However, this novel’s character James Frey was unlike any of those I had previously encountered, partly because he was not entirely fictional… The novel begins with a disorientated James waking up on a plane to Chicago, unaware of his location, his injuries or the events that led him to that point; the reader knowing nothing more than the sights, smells, tastes and thoughts of the main character as he gains consciousness. It is only when James’ parents take him to a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre that we are made aware of his near fatal history of addiction, and from there we accompany him on his brutal battle against self-hatred and compulsion, all the whilst learning the power of love and friendship on even the most negative of people.

Throughout the novel, we see James undergo root canals without anaesthesia, strike a friendship with a Mafia boss, form new bonds with his parents, pull off a toenail in order to control ‘The Fury’, and fall in love with a drug-addict despite rules against contact with the opposite sex; all in all making the novel one that makes you laugh unexpectedly, stare in wonderment and cry in complete understanding. Not only that, but James’ strength in his refusal to be victimised and avoid blame by using the ‘Twelve Steps’, forces the reader to evaluate their own morals and principals, and provides a sense of respect for a man that in the real world, would not be viewed in such a light.

This novel is a raw and heartfelt account of an experience very few of us can relate to, but somehow leaves you feeling completely at one with James Frey and his way of thinking. I truly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a truthful memoir, in which the darkest moments are not sugar-coated or removed. It is what it is.

Jessica Grundy.