I hated every character in this book, but the sharp and precise prose really kept me engaged. I found the story to be depressing and darkly hilarious in equal measure. I also enjoyed the early 2000s NYC setting. It‘s an interesting read because there‘s not a lot of action besides sleep and drug use, so a lot of the book is spent examining the narrator‘s own nihilistic thoughts.

People with PTSD have their floodgates wide open. Lacking a filter, they are on constant sensory overload. In order to cope, they try to shut themselves down and develop tunnel vision and hyperfocus. If they can‘t shut down naturally, they may enlist drugs or alcohol to block out the world. The tragedy is that the price of closing down includes filtering out sources of pleasure and joy, as well.
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This is one of the most comforting books I‘ve read, which is surprising since a lot of the subject matter is very heavy. The 50 stories in this book are snippets of recorded verbal conversations from the StoryCorps project, so at times I think the book suffers because you can‘t hear the voices. I also found myself wanting more of certain stories. The stories vary in subject matter and theme but it‘s very easy to find relatable, touching bits.

What a beautiful memory and thing to remember. Even at our worst moments, we can find joy.