Down The Tubes

by Kate Rigby, Ann Rigby (Illustrator)

An alternate cover edition can be found here, here and here.

It’s the late 1980s and mother of four, Cheryl West, lands herself a job at a drugs project in London. But memories of her old life are never far away, especially when her surly daughter, Elaine, makes her unwelcome visits.

Meanwhile, Cheryl's estranged son, Michael – aka Dodo - is ironically having his life destroyed by drug addiction in his attempt to avoid painful memories of abuse. He goes from one chaotic situation to another, ending up on the streets and reaching rock bottom, until he is referred to a drug rehabilitation centre in rural Hampshire.

The lives of mother and son nearly coincide, as Cheryl uncovers some dark family secrets. They’re each on a journey, but can there be reconciliation as well as rehabilitation?

Genres: Contemporary

159 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2011

About the author

I've been writing for nearly forty years. Good gracious, that long? I realized my unhip credentials were mounting so decided to write about it. Little Guide to Unhip was first published in 2010 and is now updated and republished.

However I'm not totally unhip. My punk novel, Fall Of The Flamingo Circus was published by Allison & Busby (1990) and by Villard (American hardback 1990). It's now been re-kindled.

I received a Southern Arts bursary for my novel Where A Shadow Played (now Did You Whisper Back?)

Skrev Press published my novels Seaview Terrace (2003) Sucka! (2004) and Break Point (2006) and other shorter work has appeared in Skrev’s avant garde magazine Texts’ Bones including a version of my satirical novella Lost The Plot.

Thalidomide Kid was first published by Bewrite Books (2007)

The following books are available in paperback at the following place (or by following the Amazon links below):

Far Cry From The Turquoise Room:
https://www.createspace.com/3634041

Savage to Savvy:
https://www.createspace.com/4210694

Little Guide To Unhip:
https://www.createspace.com/4847276

Down The Tubes:
http://www.amazon.com/Down-Tubes-Kate...

She Looks Pale & Other Stories:
https://www.amazon.com/She-Looks-Pale...


E-books available:

Fruit Woman:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013...

The Dead Club:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V0Y73DC

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Fall Of The Flamingo Circus:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088E29H2

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...

Suckers n Scallies (Formerly 'Sucka'):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WTARYY

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Down The Tubes:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UC51NK

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Seaview Terrace:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SV2DBG

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Break Point:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TNGRBU

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Thalidomide Kid:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008N3I904

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Far Cry From The Turquoise Room:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZF80N0

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Little Guide to Unhip:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C121N2E

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86...

Savage To Savvy
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ASBQAE

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

She Looks Pale:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00821360A

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Did You Whisper Back?:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077E2M26

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Lost The Plot:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

Tales By Kindlelight:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005J0HNSI

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...


Short stories of mine have been published and shortlisted including Hard Workers and Headboards in various collections and anthologies:

On Your Half Century:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SJIR2OW

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Sharing Sarah:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PNVD5I0
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Cutting Edge:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1AQGLQ

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Coats:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1A47SU

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Family Tradition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RARWYS2

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Hard Workers:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009JW4OZM

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I'm also a reader - quit

Reviews

[S. Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is riveting, yet I found it difficult to read. Don’t get me wrong, it is beautifully written. It was the gut wrenching insights into dysfunction that floored me. Written in such a way that in spite of the dirt and pain it was impossible for this reader to stop reading.

The characters are so very real, their lives laid bare with a merciless touch, you feel for them deeply, or most of them.

I felt sympathy and empathy for Michael aka Dodo: Michael who searches for an unconditional love his entire life and finds that in only exists in the eyes of his own child, and then for only as long as that child remains a child. Michael who wanted and needed love and acceptance from his mother Cheryl, only to be turned away because he disappointed her in some way.

Michael who was loved and sexually abused by his father…Michael who ran and kept right on running, drugs addled his mind, and neglect punished his soul.

Cheryl who wanted more from life than the children that she bore. Cheryl whose selfishness drove her to a point where she denied being a mother at all.

I felt no empathy for Cheryl apart from the acknowledgement that we all at some point question where we are in life, her character is easy to despise, and I found that the feeling that remained with me throughout this work.

The author doesn’t spare your emotions on the journey into dysfunction within a family, drugs whether it be alcohol, or smack ; inhaled or injected. Drugs, that offer a temporary respite from the pain of living until they stop being a respite and become an urgent, potent, driving, and often deadly need.

The insights are devastatingly written, and as such all too real. You have nowhere to hide from this story, except within the story itself. The author forces your hand, such is her talent that no matter the discomfort you are compelled … indeed driven to read on, like any drug this work captures you and leads you unresisting to an ending that could not have been handled any other way.

Keep your eyes open for other works by Kate Rigby. Remember the name…this brand of talent will not go unnoticed.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book which is hard to read in places . A tough subject which is handled well by the author . Great storyline with believable characters this is a thought provoking read . Thanks to tbc reviewers for my chance to read

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1980 a Mother called Cheryl gets a job at a project in London.
Cheryl has Four children who she manage to get rid of because of she has a life and career in drugs.
She has a son called Michael who has been abused by his father and he takes drugs .
I was given an ARC

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book which was sometimes an uncomfortable read regarding what are usually described as taboo subjects. I liked the way that each character had a different version of events and their own problems.

I found myself wanting the unspoken words said and the confrontations to happen so I was a bit disappointed with the ending. I suppose I don't like loose ends.

However, this doesn't distract from what a good read this book is. I would highly recommend.

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family implosion

Kate Rigby has found the language and the pacing of a book that sets her study of the effect of drugs on the fragile sate of family and the result is a gritty and quite credibly realistic story.

There are many books that deal with the ever-growing problem of substance abuse and after reading a few of them they all begin to blend. Not so with Rigby's look at a mother committed to reinventing her seemingly useless life by serving in the dank rooms of drug rehab projects that apparently crowd the streets of certain areas of London. Into this milieu her children who have been all but abandoned by the mother's own life journey re-enter her current place of attempting to make sense of it all. Most sensitive is the prolonged similar pattern her son Michael is walking in his drug-addled gauzy attempt to push his history of abuse from a psych that longs for stability.

The manner in which Rigby manages to piece together the characters in her play with the street talk and tangential needs to simply belong where no concept of `home' has truly existed describes the manner in which drugs manage to implode families not only with this dysfunctional example but also with legions of families around the `civilized' globe.

Grady Harp

[Westveil Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was granted complimentary access to Down the Tubes as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Rachel’s Random Resources. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Tour blog post (5:30am EST, 24 April 2021) https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...

Dow the Tubes is a beautifully raw and hard-hitting story of some very messed up people trying to live their broken lives together, and it will chew you up and spit you out the other end an emotional wreck! Cheryl feels trapped by motherhood and wants to find fulfilment in something, anything else. Michael has not found any love or peace in life until he looks into his own daughter’s eyes. What will happen when Michael and Cheryl, estranged mother and son, cross paths again?

Trigger warnings for sexual abuse, child abuse, child abandonment, drug use.

The characters in this book and their struggles feel so vividly real, no doubt in part because this is a very realistic and sadly too-common series of events that actually plays out in the real world, but also because the author has an amazing level of skill in crafting layered, deeply empathetic characters. You don’t have to love and connect with both to empathize with them and see how they got here.

I think because a lot of details about these characters and their pasts hit too close to home for me I can’t truly judge whether or not this is an easy read and properly figure out how emotionally charged this book might feel for an average reader, and because of that I’m honestly conflicted on whether this deserves the 4 I’m leaning toward or a 5. Consider this a very high 4!

If you like contemporary fiction that makes you feel all the feels, read this book.

[ClaireMS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer....this is very long!!!

I was fortunate to be given a copy of this book via The Book Club on Facebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.


In her own mind Cheryl West tried really hard to be a good wife and mother, but it just didn’t work out. For Cheryl there was always something missing and when her children (Elaine, Michael, Stephen and little Juliet) grew beyond the baby years, they lost their appeal and maybe her husband and then her boyfriend never had much appeal. But now she wants to be a different woman, a woman with a career and that takes her back to London leaving a family behind in Bournemouth. She becomes a worker in a drugs unit and there she experiences a side to life that is new to her as she speaks with clients and visits their homes. The reality of the decisions that they have made and the impact they have had upon others forces her to evaluate some of the decisions that she has made. This is coupled with the unwelcome visits paid to her by eldest daughter Elaine who only serves as a reminder of the life that she would like to forget.

The second family member who is key in this storyline is son Michael, who has had no contact with his mother, Cheryl, or other family members since walking out when just 16 years old. Whilst Michael is mentioned regularly in Cheryl’s story, mainly for the lack of contact and wondering what has become of him, the individual family members are mentioned rarely in Michael’s story. Ironically Michael’s life has also revolved around drugs as he has become an addict in his attempts to rid himself of memories of family life.

The mother and son “miss” each other by minutes in what could have been a chance meeting during a support worker visit from Cheryl to a client whilst in London. Their paths seem destined to cross again when Cheryl takes a new post in a rural drug rehabilitation unit in Hampshire where Michael has previously been a patient. Whilst Michael is trying to come to terms with the past in order to move on with a new chapter in his life, Cheryl finds some case notes that uncover secrets from that past life that she cannot accept.

I cannot sit here and yell from the roof tops that this book is an easy, enjoyable read because it is not. But this is not a criticism. Dysfunctional families and drug addiction should not be easy topics to write about or read about. The feelings of discomfort and at times disgust that the reader feels are testament to the powerful writing of Kate Rigby. She writes a novel that uses language and scene setting that is not only gritty and realistic, but also shows the soft under belly of the human psyche and the fragility of life.

It is difficult to like Cheryl at times. She appears self centred and completely at odds with being a mother of four, yet she has her own addiction and that is to babies. The descriptions of her feelings towards tiny babies are quite unnerving, but even more upsetting are how she views her own infants as they start to grow. How much of the family’s past issues have been a direct consequence of Cheryl’s actions? Even her response to certain actions by her husband (no spoilers!) has probably had a huge impact on certain family members. Her chosen career as a drugs rehabilitation support worker seems completely at odds with her character and some of the thoughts that she has and her actions demonstrate her to be ill suited to the job. Yet she skilfully manipulates her colleagues in both London and Hampshire to believe that she is doing a wonderful job and that she believes in what she is doing. Her selfish ways remain even when she does realise that Michael has been a client, with her first thoughts for herself and how his “stories” might affect her.

Meanwhile Michael shows himself to have backbone and courage, even when in the depths of addiction and despair. I find it interesting that it is the addict who I felt the empathy toward even as his life spiralled. There are glimpses of Michael’s loving side early on as he firstly develops a relationship with Nicky, and then with his dog Woodstock. He has no idea that whilst he physically removed himself from her, his life is still winding around his mother’s like a plant shoot binding around the main plant stem. The way in which Ms Rigby writes leads the reader to feel that much of this confused young man’s angst is as a direct result of his mother’s actions in the past. In his mind she favoured his younger brother and nothing that he did was good enough. The reality is probably more that Cheryl was only ever truly able to relate to new-borns and that she struggled with his close relationship with his father.

However, this father /son relationship is another area so well described from the tension of making contact after years apart, the difficulties of acknowledging just what the relationship was in the past and a way forward for both men now. Ms Rigby carefully and cleverly incorporates the different back stories from the individual family members into a tapestry that makes a whole. The reader learns to care about the characters and becomes invested in their stories.

The language and description of life for the various different drug addicts within the story add both colour and steel to the tapestry. The harsh truths of the impact that drugs have on both individuals and the family are not sugar coated in this novel. The author shows that drugs can be found in the midst of any family from any walk of life and that the devastation of lies, deceit and thieving is far reaching. I include in this the street families that many of the addicts in this find themselves a part of.

Abandonment, selfishness, dysfunctionality, abuse, addiction, love, relationships…..all huge topics that this book throws at the reader. I applaud the author for not tying up the storylines as it would have been very easy to do so – although she did leave me very frustrated as I want to know what happens! But this is about real life and we all know that not everyone lives happily ever after. In my humble opinion a fantastic study of human life.

[Sarah the reading addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically written, gritty and gripping book.

The situations the characters in this book face are so real. They are tough to read about but so well written.

Poor Dodo, you really feel for him in this book. He had such a rough ride when he was a child and because of this he wants to drown out the horrible memories. He goes down a road that he can't turn back from, the road of addiction.

All the way through you're routing for Cheryl and Dodo to reconcile and be what they are, Mother and Son.

Having studied for a Degree in Youth and Community Development I know only too well how effects of drugs can break a family apart. The ones who suffer the most in these situation, unless they get help are the children, they don't get a choice in this.

[Amy Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating Story

Rigby pens a grandly dramatic story with Down the Tubes. Rigby focuses her storytelling on drug addiction. She writes with a detail that brings the destruction of drugs and abuse to the story. She not only gives us characters that are addicted to drugs but also how it affects the lives of everyone around them. The strength and weaknesses of the characters filled with flaws and just trying to live life and survive, leapt off the pages. This story of Rigby was hard-hitting, gritty and raw, and it was a fascinating read.

[Sylv.net Sylvia Kerslake PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down the Tubes is the first book I have read by this author and if I am honest this is not my usual kind of read.

I found this to be a very powerful and eye-opening story, well written, and definitely one that should be read.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contemporary story is a challenging read, dropping a normal fortyish mother in among drug addicts as she takes a job in a London counselling service. While I found it well written, someone more keen on the subject matter might well give it a better rating.

Interspersed with Cheryl's musings on her own children and work on statistics, we meet a pair of young addicts who take anything and everything and want to keep on doing that; it's easier than having to make a living, and they like being off their heads. Cheryl's expanding files as she gets to know some of the service's clients are contrasted with the health hazard and safety hazard that is the flat where Nicky and Dodo make a base.

Before long I was asking myself why it is that unemployment giros are paid to people who patently have no intention of ever working and who spend as much as they can on drugs of all sorts to deal to friends to pay for their own habits. Some are burglars and prescription forgers too. We're told we should be non-judgemental. The centre staff however have enough experience of manipulative addicts, and their distressed families, to be judgemental - to be realistic.

"Alice went through all her grandfather's inheritance in a matter of weeks. We didn't even know she had a problem back then, Charles and I. Of course, in our will we've arranged for Alice's share to be put in trust. It's been terrible, it really has. Alice sold lots of my jewellery including my mother's wedding ring, you know. She's only twenty-two."

Contrast this with the eagerness of the dealer to meet up with people who've got clean, moving in on them and pretending friendship until they're worse hooked than before. Life on the streets seems like an option for Dodo, begging and buying. Eventually, after hitting rock bottom, he gets a chance at rehab and his real name of Michael emerges. We know that Cheryl has a missing son called Michael, who left home as a teen. The rehab centre opens a door to another world for the addicts, though for some of them it doesn't last.

I noticed that smoking is still permitted in offices in this tale, though it's been illegal to smoke in the workplace in Ireland for several years now, and the counsellors' smoking isn't giving the addicts a good example. The jargon used - passive-aggressive, dysfunctional families, undermining - isn't so crystal clear when Cheryl sees that it could apply to her own past efforts at raising a family. And really, who is a perfect parent? This story, called Down The Tubes to resonate with London and motherhood, told in the vernacular and rich with contrast, asks difficult questions about the way society has been travelling and how a minority of people are getting excluded from all positive life opportunities, just because someone - we aren't shown who - can make a profit from gradual poison. Kate Rigby is an English author who has studied psychology and her book would form a good background for anyone interested in writing a crime series.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Trigger Warning - contains details of drug use and sexual abuse**

This is a engaging and gripping story based around the damages of addiction throughout a family unit. This was well written and easy to follow. I was a little confused at first where this story was going, but after the first few chapters, everything become clearer and I really enjoyed this.

My heart broke for Michael and his back story made me ugly cry in parts. I will be on the look out of the next book in this series as I’m eager to find out what happened to Cheryl and her family. Down the Tubes was left on such a cliffhanger, it definitely left me wanting more!

Thank you Rachel’s Random Resources for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Colleen A. Parkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Rigby’s real-life experience as a drug abuse counselor lends credibility to “Down the Tubes,” her intimate and intense novel about addiction and its many forms. Although Rigby sets the main spotlight here on drug addiction, she also shines a light on other, more insidious forms of addiction that one would never consider.

Rigby tells this story via the viewpoints of two main characters: Cheryl, a self-absorbed divorced mother of four; and Michael (aka Dodo), the second of Cheryl’s four children. I will not go into the storyline here, except to say Cheryl’s family is dysfunctional, and the four children (now adults) have their own lives separate from each other. As a matter of fact, Cheryl’s only two sons make it a point to stay far away from her. Michael has disappeared into a life on the streets, and her youngest son has escaped into his career and seldom makes contact with the family. The only one of her children to maintain contact with her is her eldest, bitter Elaine, who Cheryl considers more of a nuisance than anything else. Is there any affection between family members here? Absolutely not. This is one of the results of parental abandonment, and Rigby demonstrates it brilliantly by its subtlety.

If you are looking for a Hallmark Channel touchy-feely-happy-ending story treatment here, look elsewhere. If you want the real picture, READ THIS BOOK. Author Kate Rigby gives readers the true portrayal of the addict, addiction, fractured families, and the mixed results of frustrated yet ever-hopeful therapists at recovery programs who know they are swimming against the tide of opportunistic drug pushers and the fragile mentally ill.

The narrative flows in a stream of consciousness kind of ease that is very easy to read. Also, Ms. Rigby records the narrative through the eyes and hearts of her characters, which means she feels their sense of humor when witnessing or considering the absurd. Her writing style draws the reader intimately within her characters’ souls, thus creating a bond with them that keeps us turning the pages in hopes they will see a beam of sunlight break through the clouds.

Down the Tubes is an exceptional novel that should be offered as supplementary reading in all college Psychology courses.

FIVE sparking stars!!!

[Chantelle Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets 5 stars from me because it was quite simply everything I look for in a book, and can never seem to find! A brilliant storyline, real characters, real dialogue, gritty, hard-hitting, heartbreaking and touching. I am so pleased the author has written lots of other books! Down The Tubes is a story about two people; Cheryl, who has all but turned her back on her four children in order to have a 'life' and is pursuing a career in drug rehabilitation, and her estranged son Michael, who ran away from home aged sixteen. The book brilliantly weaves their two life stories together, in the third person and present tense. Cheryl is such an interesting character, in many ways extremely unlikable, but I could not help be intrigued by her. Married young, she has child after child, seemingly addicted to the 'pink haze' that surrounds an innocent young baby. However once they start to walk and talk she sees their innocence fade and starts to lose interest. Michael, on the other hand, having been abused by his father, is such a lost soul that you are immediately drawn to him, instantly rooting for him and hoping he can eventually kick his drug habit. As the narration takes us back and forth between their two lives, the two characters almost cross paths but seem destined to never be reunited. This is such a well written book, and I am so pleased I have found an author who does not shy away from gritty storylines that make you flinch. I was left wanting more.

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review copy provided by and review previously published on the sadly defunct www.bookstackreviews.com*

Summary
Cheryl’s tried being wife, mother, lover, somehow it never really worked out. Funny, the bits she tries to leave behind keep coming back, but the bits she wishes she could keep all slipped away. The decisions she made affected everyone around her, and she’s had to live with the outcome – but the discoveries she makes while working with substance abusers change her picture of the past beyond imagination.
Michael stopped trying, because nothing he did was ever good enough. Well, he kept trying, but never dared to succeed.
Review
The picture of the world of substance misuse is not sensationalised or romanticised, and is thoroughly believable, and the characters were familiar. The decisions she made, some questionable, are explained in such a way that you understand them, even if you don’t quite approve. It was a deeply thought-provoking story.

Why you’ll like it
The characters are well-drawn, they might not be likeable, but their stories are compelling.
Why you won’t like it
The subject matter is difficult - understanding abuse and how it happens is never palatable.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite well written, even though I didn't know what the plot would be or where it would take me, it kept me engaged. There were no spots that made me set it down because it was flat.

The plot follows two members of the same family. The setting is London, but I'm not sure of the time period. It could be late '50's or in later decades. The topic is meant for adults; there are several references to sex, drugs, and the possibilities of oppression.

Cheryl, the mother, in her late 40's, aspiring to a career. The jobs she takes are in the research of drug addicts and then the rehabilitation of them. Michael, her son, has cut himself off from his family either because of things in the past, or because he is a heavy drug user. The interesting thing is that their paths always nearly cross, and they do not see each other in the book.

Cheryl learns some things about this missing son who was always his father's favorite. Michael learns how to survive and live, eventually thriving. But his journey takes him through some majorly dark places and dealing with his past in therapy is part of why his mother can learn things about him.

[Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

This his a heart and gut wrenching story of a family falling apart over the years and the secrets each member holds close to their chests.
In Kate's usual style, it is extremely well written and the characters are so real the you can't help but get drawn in.
Cleverly, just as you think you know what's next, Kate pulls the rug from under you and throws in another surprise.
This feels like a real family and you are a fly on their respective walls. It's sad, touching and insightful.
As I've found with Kate's books before, this has left me with a lot to think about. It's a triumph.

[Miriam Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of an all too believable dysfunctional family. Kate Rigby's characters are portrayed with painful realism - the vulnerable drug addict Michael, a survivor of child abuse, is particularly well-drawn and I found his story totally engrossing.
Kate Rigby is a consummate story-teller and, like all her books, this is deeply-felt and compelling. It is also disturbing, even harrowing in places but this only adds to it's narrative power.

[Angela MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story might not be for everyone as the story might be a little hard for some people to take. It is however, written with compassion and empathy for both sides of the world of drug addictions and the pain caused that affects a family's dynamic. With insight and almost poetic skill it is difficult not to be drawn into the lives of the characters.

[Steph Gravell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a rollercoaster! This is almost a tale of cat and mouse between a mother who is addicted to babies, but who also wants to be a career woman. Bring in her drug addicted son, who she seems obsessed with yet not enough. And her chosen path does not appear to be one that suits her! An incredible read.

[Agirlandabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is split into three sections I have to admit the first section at times was a little confusing to follow, we jump around in time and a lot of the narrative is delivered under the influence of drugs causing it to feel somewhat disjointed. However, as we move through to the later sections the story feels more solid in its flow and allowed me to engage fully and start to enjoy it.

I found Cheryl extremely unlikeable and difficult to understand. She is judgemental, cold and self righteous. Her main drivers seemed to be purely selfish in nature. Her life as a mother was not what she pictured, her children not what she envisioned and so she tried to shun that part of her life on a number of occasions, leaving her four children in different levels of need. As a mother myself I really struggled to relate to her and at times I grew angry. That is not to say once a woman becomes a mother that is her only role in life very far from it but there where times when her children were silently screaming for help and not only did she react indifferently it almost felt resentful.

Michael on the other hand although frustrating to watch him descend time and time again back into the clutches of his addiction there was an empathy I held towards him. His desperate need to understand and come to terms with the abuse at the hands of both his parents and his craving for love and protection which drove him towards drug use. I was willing him to succeed, to find some resolution and happiness for himself.

Mother and son spend the book dancing around each other but never quite getting the timing right. There is a building anticipation about them finally meeting but given my respective feelings for both I was drawn towards no reconciliation as I didn’t believe it would give Michael the answers he needed. You will have to read it to find out if said reconciliation occurs.

This was a really interesting and complex story about dysfunctional families, drug use and addiction that I really enjoyed reading.

[Honestmamreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story that revolves around family tensions, difficulties and drugs. Down The Tubes is not a story of love and happiness. It delves deep, it takes you on a journey of despair, angst and hitting rock bottom.

Kate Rigby has written a story that will open your eyes to some of the hardships that does occur in the big wide world. People don't necessarily have a life of roses, these characters have lived a life that we wouldn't dream of.

Cheryl has four children, would I say she's a loving maternal woman? I'd be hard pressed to agree with this. However, she is striving to achieve something in life and embarks on a new career. Here she faces the reality of what is out there on the streets, how addiction ravages people's lives.

Michael, who is Cheryl's son. He walked out on her when he was 16. Why? When the secrets and truth comes to light it is a tough read, but written in such a delicate manner.

Will Cheryl and Michael's paths cross? There was numerous "near misses" and it made me crave for them to reunite. To see how they would interact with each other after all these years.

Down The Tubes is a hard hitting read, it deals with the harsh realities that some people live through.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this on my Kindle for a while, now, but only just got round to reading it.
Gut-wrenching is the word I'd use to describe it.
Drug addiction is an awful thing to experience - not the highs - that's what gets you addicted - but the lows, the cold turkey, the trying to get back on the road to normality, to 'clean'.
This story explores addiction in a raw, sometimes difficult to read, way. Realistic. Almost too realistic.
We follow the story of a mother and her son. They're estranged, but their life routes are parallel in so many ways.
She finds the art of being a mother to a baby addictive, but can't deal with a baby who doesn't act like he's supposed to.
He finds solace in his father's adoration, which takes a sinister turn, that ends up with him running away.
Abuse, substance misuse, deaths, births favouritism... so much discussed.
It was a hard, but very good read.

[Sue Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh this was not an easy read for me. I left it after the first two chapters and went back to the book after a day or so. I am so glad that I did and that I finished the book. This is a no thrills and hard hitting story of the consequences of drug addiction. As a mother, I could not help but put myself in the position of the main character. The desperate sadness and hopelessness is depicted so well that it is painful to read at times. This made the story so poignant. To suffer yourself as a parent is one thing, but to know that your children are not safe and that they are away from you and suffering is terrible. A well written and engaging story.

[Sim Alec Sansford · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all have our vices...

This story was compelling from start to finish.
The characters are deep, and dark, and flawed.

I loved how the ending brought everything full circle, much like the addicts attending Crysallis.
Some make it out, others just thinking they're fine until they repeat the same old cycle.

This is a character driven piece and I loved reading things from the perspective of both son and mother, each on their own unique journey, each with their own struggles and demons.

The ending was bittersweet but somewhere in there was a sign of hope.

I was mesmerised by every page and will definitely be reading more from this author!!!!

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncaged Review: A powerful story focusing on a mother called Cheryl who finds herself working in the same field of addictions that held so many problem’s for her own children. As we process through Cheryl problems and her failed attempts at being a mother to her children, we learn that sometimes the children have big problems of their own and you can’t always blame the parents or life. The book opened my eyes to the many forms of addictions be it motherhood or drug related - a must read. Reviewed by Jennifer

[Greta Halliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written but harrowing book which might not be to everyone’s taste but nevertheless should be read. A great storyline and plausible characters make a heartbreaking, touching and thought provoking story.

[Sylv Kerslake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down the Tubes is the first book I have read by this author and if I am honest this is not my usual kind of read.

I found this to be a very powerful and eye-opening story, well written, and definitely one that should be read.

[ChillwithabookAWARD With · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down the Tubes by Kate Rigby has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Premier Award.
www.chillwithabook.com

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of Down the Tubes is on my blog.

https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...