Ratings3
Average rating4.5
I loved this book.
If you’re like me and you grew up with Jackass and Viva La Bam, idolizing skateboarding and Tony Hawk video games, then you know who Brandon Novak is.
Of all the guys associated with that group Novak was always the sick puppy of the group. It’s actually such a gripping story about addiction, failure and the road to recovery through rehab. I also had no idea Novak wrote this while on Viva La Bam because Bam was forcing him to keep a journal. What amazing foresight by Bam.
The other thing that is crazy about this book is he wrote this as a book to inspire others to get clean, after this book came out he fell headfirst completely back into his addiction. If you read the afterword it’s insane just how bad his addiction got again afterwards.
Luckily as of today 2025, Novak has been clean for more than 5 years now I believe which is so wonderful. He does a lot of work with addicts and has personally worked with a rehabilitated addict who is a close friend of mine, I have heard great things about Novak and I’m so happy he got his life together.
As of today 2/11/25, I am currently working on his 2nd memoir, The Streets of Baltimore.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading addiction memoirs or anyone who was a big fan of Jackass or Viva La Bam or CKY or even Bam’s Unholy Union.
4.5 STARS