Addiction
The book spends the majority of the time discussing the consequences and implications of addiction. Nic becomes addicted to drugs from an early age, which puts a strain on his family life as well as his future prospects. Despite wanting to change and going to rehab multiple times, his addiction is difficult to recover from and he ends up relapsing over and over again.
Guilt
Despite the fact that David attended counseling with Nic and helped him as much as possible with his recovery, he has a strong sense of guilt. He blames himself for not doing enough or being there for his son when he was getting a divorce. However, by the end he realizes that he cannot cure his son’s addiction, and he must absolve himself of the guilt associated with that fact.
Parenting
David highlights how, no matter how good the intention, children won’t always heed advice from their parents. He stresses that there is no magic parenting technique that can be used to prevent one’s child from becoming an addict. In the end, he states that his relationship with Nic is now stronger for his addiction and the journey they took together in his recovery.
