Review of My Pink Prison

[Stephanie Runyon]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Pink Prison" by Nicole Kraus.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Have you ever wondered what people were thinking when they committed suicide? What goes through the mind of an addict? Could addiction lead to suicide? Nicole Kraus is one of the few people who has survived jumping off the West End Bridge in New Brighton. She fell 100 feet into the chilling Allegheny River. The impact of hitting the water fractured her lower back; the cold water caused her to suffer from hypothermia. My Pink Prison contains Nicole’s personal answers regarding addiction and suicide.

My Pink Prison follows Nicole’s story as she struggles with addiction to crack cocaine and heroin. As a child, she recalls her reaction to her parents’ divorce. In order to start fresh, her mother allowed Nicole to remodel her bedroom. Every part of the room changed to pink. The carpet, the walls, and even the decor were done in a vibrant pink. Once the work was done, Nicole became reclusive and rarely left the room. She fell into a deep depression and began her descent to stop the pain she felt.

The format that Nicole uses for her memoir reminded me of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. A speaker goes in front of the group and speaks about their path to recovery. There is no fear of judgment because everyone in attendance shares similar experiences. Nicole gives details of some of the risky behavior she engaged in. For example, she brought home a stranger to sell some of her belongings. She ended up having sex with the man for twenty dollars so she could buy heroin.

It would enhance My Pink Prison to include a clear timeline of events. The memories bounce back and forth through time without clearly indicating when the events took place. One specific example involves her affair and her time in middle school. She tells about her affair with her married coworker and then transitions into her middle school experience with a fundraiser. It was difficult to know when she underwent treatment before she began to take her recovery seriously.

I rate My Pink Prison four out of five stars. I deducted a star because of the unclear timeline. Nicole’s memoir displays her thoughts clearly. She defines addiction and treatment. Some of the most striking parts of her stories relate to the men she stayed with because they would provide her with drugs. Every moment portrays what Nicole was thinking and what she had used to validate her actions. The end of the book has resources for suicide prevention.

Therapists who specialize in addiction and mental health counseling could find My Pink Prison a beneficial tool. Teens and young adults will learn the reality of what addiction leads to. I agree with Nicole’s declaration, “An addict is an addict, whether they’re snorting cocaine or popping pills—and the whole point of rehab is to address the feelings that drive an addict to pick up in the first place.”

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My Pink Prison
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[Umesh Bhatt]

Addiction is something that destroys the life of the addict. Though experts advise measures to get rid of addictions but it is not an easy thing to do so. The book seems to be a useful read and a sort of guide for the persons engaged in rehabilitation work.
Thanks for an honest review.