Spiral of Addiction: Sunrise Over Half-Built Houses: Love, Longing and Addiction in Suburbia by Erin Steele
A Memoir Review by Pamela Sinclair
Coming of age in a suburban neighbourhood outside of Vancouver, in the early 2000s, Erin, a withdrawn teenager, grapples with jumbled, chaotic emotions and longing. Overwhelmed with shyness, confusion about her sexuality, and acceptance among peers eclipse the importance of school and family relationships. After a bid for the attention of a classmate goes wrong, she spirals into a cycle of substance use and finds friendships and temporary solace on the fringes.
There are secrets in this deceptively attractive neighbourhood with its large homes and perfectly manicured lawns. Well-off professionals populate the area, but not everything is what it seems. With other teens, gathering in basements, nearby woods, unconstructed homes, and beyond the radar of distracted parents, comfort is found in easily accessed alcohol, and drugs with harmless-sounding names. When skipping classes, beginning as an innocent exploration and a desire to feel different, leads to a long, slow spiral into addiction she is haunted by anxiety, poor choices, an inability to access self-forgiveness, and a desire to find meaning.
“The powerful magnetism and grasp of addiction are explored in this book with unflinchingly humble, honest, and delicate prose.”
Drugs and the company of others on the brink of addiction become the not-so-temporary comfort she turns to. Moments of sobriety increase her anxiety; clarity eludes her, and loving relationships and friendships are threatened. She grapples with the courage to move forward, and beyond addiction's grasp. Though the term rock bottom is never used, the teen hits it more than once, and though she is never alone, she must find a way within herself to forge a future and break free of the destructive cycle.
The powerful magnetism and grasp of addiction are explored in this book with unflinchingly humble, honest, and delicate prose. Readers are kept in its grip until the final chapter with its enticing pull. The exacting attention to detail and sensitivity make it easy for a reader to forget this is a memoir. With frank sincerity and blameless truth, the long stretching tentacles and slipstream journey to the dark depths of addiction, the arduous return to dry land is explored. The power of human emotion, connection, and reactions are examined. This was a great read.
About the Author
Erin Steele is a writer living in Kelowna BC. She writes On Being Human on Substack. She has been published in Human Parts by Medium and is a 2022 Writing by Writers fellow. Sunrise over Half-Built Houses is her first book.
About the Reviewer
Pamela Sinclair is a writer and lifelong reader. She enjoys reading multiple genres both fiction and non-fiction. She lives in Halifax, NS with her husband, daughter, and a grumpy grey cat named Ben. She is currently working on her first novel.
Book Details
Publisher : Dagger Editions (Caitlin Press, Oct. 4 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 240 pages
ISBN-10 : 1773861506
ISBN-13 : 978-1773861500