Addiction affects millions of people around the world, yet the stigma of addiction remains. We hope this Collection inspires conversations about addiction, whether you are a professor looking to round out a syllabus or someone hoping to better understand your own experiences. Read on to discover Study Guides for both novels and memoirs tackling a variety of topics, such as alcoholism, methamphetamine and heroin addiction, myths surrounding addiction, and the effects of addiction on families.
Publication year 1978
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Indigenous, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community
Tags Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature
Publication year 1978
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychological Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1962
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Class
Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Journalism, Sociology, History: U.S., Information Age, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Social Science, Arts / Culture, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Travel Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Rules Of The Road is a contemporary young adult novel by established author Joan Bauer, first published in 1998. It is the first book in the Rules of the Road series. The second book, Best Foot Forward, was published in 2005. Joan Bauer’s own complicated childhood with an alcohol-addicted father inspired Rules of the Road, which was met with critical acclaim. It won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Golden Kite Award... Read Rules of the Road Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Sadie is a young adult mystery novel published in 2018 by the Canadian author Courtney Summers. The book chronicles teenager Sadie Hunter’s quest to find the man who killed her sister. In alternating chapters, Sadie’s subsequent disappearance becomes the topic of West McCray’s podcast The Girls. Sadie won the 2018 Edgar Award and was chosen for many Best of 2018 book lists.Plot SummarySadie follows the journey of 19-year-old protagonist Sadie Hunter as she searches for... Read Sadie Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Safe Haven is a novel by New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks. Written in 2010, Safe Haven was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2013. Like most of Sparks’s novels, the setting of this story is North Carolina. The author often uses his home state as a backdrop to his romances, incorporating the beauty and history of the state as a central motif. In this novel, Sparks contrasts the beauty and... Read Safe Haven Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Leadership/Organization/Management, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Religion / Spirituality, Romance
Publication year 2001
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Immigration
Tags Psychological Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Immigration / Refugee, Food, Asian Literature
Madeleine Thien is a Canadian writer whose work explores the trans-cultural world of Asian art, politics, and family life within Canada’s diasporic Asian Communities. She was born in 1974 to a Malaysian Chinese father and a Hong Kong Chinese mother. Thien studied contemporary dance but switched to creative writing as an undergraduate in college. She earned her MFA in writing from the University of British Columbia.Thien’s collection of short stories, Simple Recipes (2001, Little Brown... Read Simple Recipes Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Addiction / Substance Abuse
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Education, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Mental Illness
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a young adult novel by Sherman Alexie, published in 2007 with art by Ellen Forney. Alexie, a Spokane/Cour d’Alene Indian (a term he prefers to “Native American”), began the book as a memoir inspired by experiences he had growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington, and attending the predominantly white Reardan High School in Reardan, Washington. The book received much praise and many... Read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1978
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Biography
The Basketball Diaries: The Classic About Growing Up Hip On New York’s Mean Streets is an autobiography written by Jim Carroll and published in 1978. The book comprises a series of short diary entries which serve as anecdotes and insights into his daily life as a teenager on the streets of New York City in the 1960s. Jim Carroll became a celebrated writer and poet, overcoming his addiction to heroin in the mid-1970s and publishing... Read The Basketball Diaries Summary
Publication year 1843
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, History: World
“The Black Cat” is a Gothic horror tale by Edgar Allan Poe, who relies on supernatural elements to portray the dark side of human nature. The tale was first published in The Saturday Evening Post in August 1843 and examines The Sources of Sin, The Consequences of Alcohol Addiction, and Science Versus the Supernatural through the lens of an unreliable narrator.This study guide refers to the version of “The Black Cat” published in The Complete... Read The Black Cat Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags History: U.S., Journalism, Arts / Culture, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2014
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Psychology, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse
The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison is a collection of nonfiction essays that are connected thematically by pain and caring. Jamison uses a combination of personal experiences and journalistic approaches to ponder essential questions about both physical and emotional wounds, tenderness, and how people connect through pain. First published in April 2014, this collection premiered at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received considerable acclaim from reviewers across the world... Read The Empathy Exams Summary