James Frey might just have broken his life down to a million little pieces, but I'm trying to pick up all its shards to lay down this review, piece by piece. After all, rebuilding one's life anew is worth all the trouble.

PIECE 1: The Plot

At age 23, James Frey was on the brink of death. Guess it wasn't late yet to be in rehab and be detoxified from drugs. Inside he was prohibited to use it, counseled that he'll stay sober for long, met friends who might be as badly broken but later proved to be vital in his recovery, and fought the cause of his 'Fury' that enslaved for long.

During the detoxification process, morning every morning James would always vomit blood with chunks of his innards. Drowning yourself in alcohol for ten years and crack for three probably did it. At night, he dreams badly of taking drugs. More, more, more as if the wanting will never be quenched. He adamantly rejects the Twelve Steps as the only recourse to sobriety. But eventually with loads of help from his friends Lilly, Leonard, his rehab mates and his family, he tried to hold on. Later too, both him and his parents discovered the reason of his addiction. With it he understood more his 'Fury', his own self.

In one way or another, we can say that this is James's success story in his battle never to turn again to vices.

PIECE 2: The Style

Dirty scribbles to welcome you instead of a heartwarming note might just be a good warning. No, you will not be taken that seriously. If you are a book critic, taking one good look before you pour out all your brain to it is a good option. Because this book will make you crazy! It doesn't follow the conventional style of writing: no right punctuation, no quotation marks to indicate conversation, uses too much of repetitive words and dirty scribbles tell you, you have now moved to the next phase.

However somehow, did we almost forget that this book was written by an addict who just happened to live to tell his tale? Maybe he wrote, not stopping, not caring whether he punctuated right just so he can give the most accurate account of what was happening to him at the time being. He was chasing his stream of thought.

Maybe too, in that way, he is able to freely let us in his mind- as candidly as he can. Not editing anything out of fear that in the process, he is also editing the truth.

This style is for me, justifiable. In fact, it became much more effective. It's like James is your friend recounting personally his story at his own pace, the way words would naturally come out his mouth.

PIECE 3: The Morals

The moral of this story is pretty obvious: it is not worth your life to be destroyed by vices and if ever you've been already snared, a rebound is still possible. Agree. However, to have the latter as a result, it will take a lot of dirt work. To succeed, the first requisite is full acceptance. Before you can truly solve your problem, you must accept that along the line, you did something wrong and you take full responsibility of its repercussions, whatever that is. Just the case when James finally went to rehab and admitted to himself that he had been such a waste, broken into a million little pieces.

Finding the strength to hope for the better and gather all what was remaining to move on once again is also one lesson to learn after acceptance. You can't stagnate; you have to proceed with life. James might have done it the hard way, but he was never alone in the process. His support group made it conducive for him to 'live'. He had with him Leonard, who might be a goon but encouraged him greatly to hold on even when he was already escaping. He had Lilly, who shared with him dreams of a life better than before. He has his family who tried to understand him in his darkest and still loved him despite everything. All of them served as his fuel for his body that stopped long ago.

That said, we must find our own fuel in every battle too. Alongside, understanding our ‘Fury’ is essential in overpowering it.




There's just this part of the story that I don't agree with, others might have differing opinions. For someone who is a strong believer, I am not comfortable chucking away the angle of, not religion, but faith to achieve soberness. For me, it is still the ultimate guide to one's resurrection, although I also admit that there are lots of ways to cope up.

There are just some battles that we cannot fight with our own strength. There are some puzzles our human minds cannot fathom. In such, he always sends his divine providence whether realize it’s His or not.

PIECE 4: The Controversy

While trying to research about the book while reading, I came across articles saying that his recount was full of lies, thus was "A Million Little Lies." They were under the impression that it was a memoir/nonfiction and they felt cheated.

I wasn't bothered actually, although I just cannot place how he managed to remember all the tests given to him given his condition. For the sake of argument, let's say that there was really an intention to mislead. Fine then, punish them for that.

But what really matters to me is the value of the book, the lessons it was trying to impart. The hope it was trying to give. If it was able to lift one spirit, then it's also worth the applause.


All in all, I give the book three stars it deserves; for being brave enough to go out of norm and be unique and for its moral lessons.

For all the James out there, I pray that soon, they will also be able to pick up their life’s broken little pieces.
Moral lesson is my favorite part writing reviews back in graders. Well it’s good to know that until now, there are still a lot of reads and movies that are peppered with it. I thought they got lost. I just didn’t notice it has gone through different forms. 

Po, the flabby fat hero, in the movie Kung Fu Panda sequel teaches us loads of morals probably from his flabby fat belly.

Maybe not ‘morals’ is the right term but ‘wisdom.’ I’d help Panda spread his words.


*** “There are no accidents” ***

So simple a thought yet it reaches deep. TRUE. Just like what Rick Warren in ‘A Purpose-Driven Life’ was saying.


*** “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it” ***

AGREE. It’s not about what we plan. It’s about His plan. Again, there are no accidents.

No matter how we try to avoid it, at the end of the day, we will still end there. Only, we made the road longer.


*** “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the "present.” ***

So true Oogway, we are too concerned about what was and what will be. We try to control what will be given what was. But the truth is we can never. But what we do now, can affect the future.


*** “There is no secret ingredient” ***

Po’s dad continued by saying: “To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.”

Hard a thought to digest. Practically because now the trend is, “how to become like…”, “how to be like…” in the next blah blah blah days.

You just have to be YOU.


*** “The sign of a true hero is humility” ***

Easy to say, hard to do. BRAGGING RIGHTS. Yeah, right. It irks all the more when you are not even a ‘hero’ but you ooze with pride.

Teach us humility….


*** “You must believe…” ***

YES, in yourself and in the strength of others. This one, I should learn…




When Po came back recently, he got stubbier, and he got us more in Kung Fu Panda 2.


*** “The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now” ***

THE PRESENT. So the soothsayer added, “Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be... So, who are you, Panda?”

NOW will define your FUTURE.

I choose to be…. even when….


*** “We cannot give up hope.” ***

It all ends when we give up hope. So profound, yet so true.


*** “Inner peace” ***

Po and even Bridget Jones, see, master this one. You can do things beyond what you can do, said Master Shifu, when you have Inner peace.

In the same way, Oogway compared our minds to water. When we are agitated, it becomes fuzzy. Only when we have calm our nerves do we see the bottom.




Some lessons are trivial. Some are profound. But all rings true. And maybe from our own bellies, we can keep them.