[Welcome to the EL Book Introductions series. These posts are all short (<180 words) introductions/reviews of books in the EL library. They focus on telling you what we think will be interesting for you, a college student and English learner, so use them to help you find the right book for you. You can also use the tags to find books about topics you might be interested in.]
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The Alcoholic is about struggle. Everyone struggles with becoming the person they become. And most of us don’t become exactly what we want to become. The same is true for Jonathan A., the main character of this semi-autobiographical work.
This book follows the story of Jonathan’s life, beginning with his high school. It traces his relationship with his best friend, his career, and his addiction to drugs and alcohol. It also intersects with LGBTQ issues, the tragedy of September 11, grief and mourning, and more. As you read, you will keep asking why Jonathan repeats the same mistakes, but you might also recognize how universal his problems are (even if his “solutions” are extreme).
My two cents: This is a modern tragedy, but there are many ups and downs, twists and turns, that will keep you interested until the end.
