Clean

by Amy Reed

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing.

Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves—and one another—if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Fiction, Addiction

Paperback

First published July 17, 2011

About the author

Amy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually graduated from film school, promptly decided she wanted nothing to do with filmmaking, returned to her original and impractical love of writing, and earned her MFA from New College of California. Her short work has been published in journals such as Kitchen Sink, Contrary, and Fiction. Amy currently lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats, and has accepted that Northern California has replaced the Pacific Northwest as her home. She is no longer restless. Find out more at amyreedfiction.com.

BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with introductions, shall we? After all, there are five stories to keep track of in this one, so one must keep sharp. Behold:

Kelly: she's the "every girl" here. She's the one we're a hop, skip, and a blown line away from becoming. If you think it's not possible to fall down the slippery slope of drug addiction, her story of unfortunate circumstances, naive curiosity, mean men and low self-esteem might get you thinking twice.

Jason: the classic, sarcastic teenage, male asshole. The "I-don't-give-a-f%@$" guy who who is anything but. He is a true product of his environment, but IMO (and to hell with being humble), a shot between the eyes is too good for his father.

Eva: oh, my darling girl, I love your soul. You can't bear to face your own pain so badly that you have to make yourself a character in your own truth. You are my modern-day Anne of Green Gables with your lyrical words, the 'what-if' Anne who would have buried the very best parts of herself had she not found the grace-filled love of Matthew and Marilla.

Christopher: I love your soul, too, kid. Christopher wouldn't hurt a breath on this earth, but he doesn't know jack about protecting and loving himself. Dare I say your mother's aversion to reality and her own addiction aided yours? Seriously, dude, it gets better. Trust in it.

Olivia: Straight up, honey. Your mother traded her soul a long time ago. Don't let her black hole existence suck yours down, too. Olivia is the classic perfectionist who is wasting her life away in pursuit of it.

Here's the thing I really liked about Clean: none of the characters were overtly stereotypical. Yes, in the beginning, it felt like maybe there would be some, but it's as if their common ground as addicts leveled the traditional differences. There wasn't an obvious girly-girl or jock to me - these kids just were. And just 'being' instead of making them be 'this or that' helped make them be very believable. The five different stories are well-woven together, without suffocating each other for space. Kelly and Christopher take the lead most of the time and offer up the main narratives and introspection, but you get plenty of first-hand accounts from all through rehab-assigned essays and group therapy sessions. I actually think the the latter two were my favorite parts of the book as you learned more about all of them through these.

Here's the thing I didn't care for as much: with there being five characters, I got emotional at times, but I never fully became emotionally attached to any one character. Well, maybe Olivia and Jason a little bit, but that's only because I want to bury their respective mother and father. Alive. Let the bastards suffocate in their own evil, I say, but hey, that's just me.

I digress. Forgive me. Involuntary reaction towards negligent and abusive parents. You understand, I'm sure.

Anyway, my point is that I would have liked the book to get a bit deeper. I can't quite explain it, but since I was worried about everyone, I had difficulty allowing the book to really sink its hooks into me. Some of the stores are truly harrowing, and you really do mourn for them given some of the homes they came from, but since the revelations came in quick paragraphs and then moved onto the next character, I never felt fully immersed in any one character's personal story. You get involved in Clean, but you don't get owned.

In the end, Clean is a good book about the different stories behind and reasons that can lead to addiction. It's so easy to find your path slipping down that slope, and this is a tale of not only clawing your way back to sobriety, but also of facing who the real you as someone worthy of love and life.

"But it's one missed step / One slip before you know it / And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed"
-Sarah McLachlan, "Fallen"

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original post at One More page

When I decided to read Clean by Amy Reed, I was fresh from finishing Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson, so the entire setting felt a little bit familiar. Clean however is far from the mixed genre that Ultraviolet was -- this is contemporary YA through and through, something that deals with something I haven't really quite read about much but means a lot right now: addiction and rehab.

Clean is about five teenagers Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason and Eva, who formed a little group in the rehabilitation center they all landed in after they made very bad choices in their lives. Olivia is the girl who strives to be perfect in every way and ended up being OCD and anorexic. Kelly is the beautiful, popular girl who has an addition to cocaine and alcohol, and in some ways, sex. Christopher is the church kid who somehow got into meth. Jason is an alcoholic who is guilty about something he did to his family. Eva is addicted to painkillers, thinking it would numb the pain of her mother's death. Away from cutting tools, drugs, alcohol and bad influences, the five form an unusual friendship that would help them through their time inside rehab. The book is told in Kelly and Christopher's POVs, interspersed with dialogues and essays they had and submitted to their therapist.

While I was reading this, I was also watching an episode of If You Really Knew Me (the same show I referenced in my review of Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers). I found that show relevant to this book too, probably because Clean involved teens coming to terms with who they are, only in a bigger scale. The teens in this book are truly messed up because of so many things that anyone can experience. The books shows that no one is exempt to the temptation of addiction, or at least, looking for an escape from life. Sometimes even the most unexpected people will provide the means for addiction -- like parents, for instance. I can't help but feel bad for the characters in this book, especially Jason. His tough exterior is really just brought about by the equal and possibly more terrifying toughness of his military dad. Even if it was only told in Kelly and Christopher's POVs, the other characters never lost any of their voices. The in-between therapy sessions and essays gave us a pretty good view on what the other characters were thinking, and I think Kelly and Christopher were effective in sharing the spotlight.

This book doesn't really have a big climax. It's not necessarily boring -- there was a part that got me really worried for one of the characters, but the ending made up for it. The story flows from one event to the next, making readers root for our little group and wishing them strength to overcome their trials, all leading to a hopeful ending. Clean is contemporary at its core, and while it isn't an easy to novel to read, it's definitely an important one.

Oh, and I really like the cover on this one. I wonder how it would look like in the wild. :)

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I start reading a book about addiction, anorexia, or any other mental illness, I usually expect to end up crying three pages in. Not only do I expect it, I want it. I rarely read this type of book because I have to be in the right state of mind to read them.
Therefore, it is with great disappointment that I ended up having no strong feelings about Clean.

I usually don't mind if a book about a serious subject is told in a way that will keep you from crying. The problem I had with Clean is that the reason I didn't cry was it felt hollow, all the way.
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Amy Reed intended for her book to be the kind that makes you want to curl up in bed and do abolutely nothing but cry.

Clean is told in several POVs. Not all characters get the same amount of "time" and unfortunately, fucking Christopher is one of the two who speak the most.

I very, very, very strongly dislike this guy. Dude, you're 17. You DON'T need your mommy to pick your clothes for you anymore. You don't need her to tell you to go to church every Sunday. YOU DON'T NEED TO INSULT YOUR OWN FUCKING MOTHER BECAUSE SHE'S FAT. You don't need to throw a permanent pity-party. You don't need to think you're better than everybody else. And, my god, how boring you are.

Hum.

Regarding Christopher, there was this weird thing that bothered me: at the beginning of the book, he appears like a paranoid person.

Everyone's looking at me weird. They probably just had a secret meeting where they voted on how lame they think I am, and the verdict was "very lame." Add that to the fact that they can most likely read my mind, and basically I'm doomed.

And then nothing. Christopher just reveals his annoying self. CONSISTENCY, where are you ?

The other characters weren't as unnerving as Christopher, thank god.

One thing the author managed to represent perfectly is how you feel when you're in a psychiatric hospital. (And tou don't need to be crazy to gain access. I should know, I spent three months in one. Not my happiest hours, I'm afraid.)

There were many quotes that I myself thought or said when I was in the hospital:

What if I'm too screwed up to fix ?

It is a permanent chapter in my story, something I cannot undo, a page I cannot rip out.

Do you remember ? Do you remember the world before the dark ?

In that regard, I feel like the author did an excellent job. This is why I'll recommend Clean to people who want to know what someone feels when they're in a hospital for a mental condition (any, it doesn't have to be addictions) without the story being too emotional.

[Areeba · Rating 4 out of 5]

So…drugs. Let me preface this review by honestly admitting that I have absolutely never had any contact with any kind of drugs. And I swear, I’m not trying to sound like a goody-goody or whatever. It’s just that I belong to a fairly strict Muslim family, and my religion Islam STRICTLY FORBIDS (yes, in all caps) the use of alcohol/any substance that weakens your hold on your mind. Which is why I was actually very interested in reading Clean, because this would be like my very exclusive foray into the world of teenage drug addicts. Before this, I’ve read a few books on drugs/seen movies based of drugs as well, and I’ve been curious ever since.

Let me start off by saying that I did NOT expect the book to be as harrowing as it was. I mean, drugs + rehab + teens = not something at all fluffy and fun, no it does not. And I knew that. But I still wasn’t expecting it to be that emotional for me. I don’t want to bore you with the details of all the five teens whom this book centers around, and the things they have each been dealing with. Instead I’ll stick to how seamlessly the author manages to tell the story of these five teens and their honest-to-God struggles.

I thought that this book would be told in five perspectives, because the book begins with this prologue-ish chapter that includes little paragraphs about the thoughts each one is consumed with once they’ve been admitted into rehab. But the rest of the story, for the most part, is told in the perspectives of only two teens, Christopher and Kelly. There are various chapters that are told in questionnaire/personal essay formats, and in this way we get to learn about all five teens and why they are here and how they feel about it.

Ms. Reed, honestly, is quite amazing. Like, absolutely bloody WOW. The way she writes is absolutely mesmerizing, reminiscent of Hannah Moskowitz and Courtney Summers, i.e. raw, honest, and so real. Never once did I have any problems in remembering whether it was Christopher narrating or Kelly, because they both had such developed voices and personalities. With all the crazy shizz that’s been happening to these teens, you expect this novel to be gritty, and hell yes it is. Reading about the effed-up lives the teens have led, the heartbreaking circumstances that culminated in their stints in rehab, it more than once made me read aloud the passages to my sister whenever she’d walked through our room, and then we’d both just sit there for a moment in silence, in awe of how screwed up life can be sometimes.

And that’s just how well written this amazing book is. The characters, the way they deal with their lives falling apart, it rang so, so true. And miraculously, Reed somehow manages to still have them realize that life is shitty sometimes, and nothing seems to matter, and the only thing that might help them is just that one drink—despite all this, they still learn that there is hope. That fear and hope can coexist, that it’s possible to make something good out of all the crap you’ve been through.

I realize I might not even make that much sense, but seriously, I should blame it on this book. That reminds me! The book also has this beautiful message wrapped in it, about how important is to take responsibility of your actions. And that it may have all been your fault that you’re here and you’ve failed everyone, but you can still move on.

My only complaint is how this one rehab patient had a habit of writing down her essays in this strange third-person style, asking introspective questions like ‘do you remember how it used to be before the dark came and settled in?’ etc. I thought it was so pretentiousness that I was tempted to just skip all her parts. I mean, I understand she’s in pain and she’s not ready to talk about it openly, but it still annoyed me plenty.

So, on an ending note, I’m going to say only this: READ. THIS. BOOK! I hope you love it as much as I did.

[juls · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok kinda wild y’all i’m actually fucking bawling.

[надежда · Rating 3 out of 5]

“This thing that’s always been inside and hidden deep is getting bigger and stronger and threatening to show itself, and I want to stop it but I also don’t, and I don’t know if I’m ready, but I think maybe I want what’s inside turned outside, maybe I want everything out in the open, all my secrets laid out for everyone to see. I wonder what that would look like. I wonder what kind of mess it would make. I wonder if you can ever really be ready for the part of you that you’ve been hiding your whole life to finally come out.”

i guess stuff about teen addiction always get me, which isn't surprising considering my personal experience with alcohol abuse and addiction. so, it's not the easiest to stay completely objective and judge the book, because you know, at least it made me feel something. as one of the characters said, clean is like the breakfast club-but this time in rehab. it's about these five kids, who end up here for different reasons and have to work through their issues in a group.

♠kelly: she is one of the narrators and possibly the most neutral voice among them. she was addicted to cocaine and alcohol. she comes from a regular family, nothing particularly bad, maybe her sisters got more attention and maybe her friends don't really care about her.

♠christopher: the other narrator, he was a sheltered, home-schooled kid, who has a zealously devoted christian mother, but he snorted crystal meth with the kid down the street while his mother didn't know about anything.

♠jason: at first, he is the typical douche with anger management issues. he was addicted to alcohol, and he grew up in the embodiment of toxic masculinity, abused by his father. he was pretty much my favorite despite all the shit he did, he showed that you can overcome this, become a better person, and it's not too late.

♠eva: she is the weird, artsy, kind of emo girl, who got addicted to painkillers and smoked too much weed after her mother passed and her father neglected her. she was someone who desperately wanted to be seen, and she was the most underdeveloped character out of the five imo. and that plotline with the new guy was just weird and so was her whole shift in personality.

♠olivia: she is the newest addition to the group, doesn't really admit that she has a problem. her mother was a perfectionist, so she completely succumbed to that, shows ocd behavior and anorexia, and needs to be in control all the time.

➽kind of all the characters grown on me. they all had something i could relate to and most of their reasons were understandable. they made plenty of mistakes, but it's not too late for any of them to change and they felt quite real.
➽however, as i mentioned, not everything was completely fleshed out. the book is short and to develop five teens who have messy lives, addictions and other underlying problems isn't the easiest. i didn't expect for them to have all their problems fixed. in reality, i was satisfied with most of their endings, as in kelly, christopher or jason, and even eva, but her character felt just a bit too weak compared to the others.
➽but, the plotline with olivia was too vague. she had many other problems besides addiction, anorexia being one of the main ones, and it was just brushed off for the sake of having extra shock added near the end. that was completely uncalled for and made no actual sense...
➽besides that, the book touches upon grief, parental abuse, sexual abuse, without really diving deep. it tried to do too many things, but failed.
➽i don't know how group therapists supposed to act, but shirley read like she was playing good cop/bad cop at times, and i just couldn't quite place her.
➽the relationships between the characters could've been developed better, because olivia and kelly(and basically the whole group) just went from "you weird snob" to "we are friends" without any transition.
➽despite all the complaints though, a lot of parts hit close home and this was such an unapologetic, non-judgmental book.
➽also liked the parts about not every addict having a fucked up life, and the difference between typically white, middle-class addicts and not so privileged ones.

overall tho, this was a solid contemporary about addiction and i'm glad i decided to give it a chance.

[Katrina G · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel horrible about this. I'm for sure not on the bandwagon with this book, as it seems like most people absolutely loved it. But I didn't like it at all. Starting out, there were way too many characters, and it took a long time for them to stop blending together. Also, I just didn't care for the way this was written. Each point of view was rather short, and often times were cut off half way through to read another character's point of view, and then going back to the original character's point of view to finish out their thoughts. It was really disjointed for me, and it really hindered me from getting interested in this book. This had the makings to be great, but it just didn't work for me.

[Anoeska Nossol · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 van de 5 sterren

In 'Clean' worden 5 jongeren gevolgd. Alle vijf zijn ze verslaafd. Je krijgt een blik achter de schermen van een afkick kliniek.

Veel meer valt er ook niet uit te leggen over dit boek, en dat vind ik ontzettend jammer. Zelf had ik niet het gevoel dat er echt een plot aanwezig was in dit verhaal en dat vond ik best jammer. Het leek net alsof iemand aanwezig was in een afkick kliniek, en alles noteerde wat iedereen zei. Dat maakt dat het boek op sommige momenten ook een beetje saai is.
Daarnaast is de manier van schrijven een beetje rommelig. Er wordt gebruik gemaakt van 3 vormen: dialoog, korte alineas (elk personage beantwoord eendezelfde vraag) en korte hoofdstukje tekst waarin iets 'gebeurt'. Zaken zoals samen eten, naar bed gaan etc. Dit maakt dat het boek snel en vlot leest, maar vooral dat er weinig empathie opgewekt wordt. Ik had niet zo zeer een emotionele connectie met het verhaal of de personages.
Hoewel elk personage toch neergezet wordt als een uniek karakter, voelde ze een beetje vlak aan. Iets wat in een boek zoals dit beter niet gebeurd. Ik vond het wel interessant om hen beter te leren kennen en vooral om hen te begrijpen. Hun reden waarom, en vooral hoe ze met hun situatie omgingen, wordt wel mooi naar voren gezet. De verslaafden waren ook correct weergegeven. Veel kritiek op het boek gaat over personages die onrealistisch en vervelend zijn, maar in realiteit is het gewoon zo: verslaafden zijn niet de leukste mensen.
Dat het enkel om drugs- en alcohol verslaafden ging, vond ik zelf heel jammer. Dat is cliché, zo veelvoorkomend. Zo kennen we allemaal wel iemand. Ik had graag nog andere soorten verslavingen zien voorbij komen. Wat meer variatie had het boek ook interessanter gemaakt.

Het weergeeft zeker realistisch weer hoe verslaafden denken. Daarom ook dat ik wat meer naar de 3 sterren leun. Alleen is het vooral de manier waarop het gebracht werd, dat mij als persoon wat weerhield. Voor de lezer is dit niet zo interessant en voelt het op sommige momenten zelfs heel afstandelijk aan. Het bereikt z'n doel niet op die manier.
Dit is 'mijn wereld' voor vele jaren geweest en ik begrijp de reactie's en dergelijke van de personages... maar alles om hen heen is gewoon zo vlak dat ze niet mooi naar voren kunnen komen. Voor een fictief verhaal mag het wel wat meer zijn.
Langs de andere kant: als je iemand bent die niet verslaafd is, en ook niet echt iemand kent die verslaafd is; dan kan dit boek wel interessant zijn. Aangezien het toch heel mooi weerspiegeld hoe ze denken, hoe dun alle grenzen zijn. Het was soms beangstigend hoe herkenbaar bepaalde zaken waren. Dus ik raad het boek zeker wel aan om te lezen, maar je moet écht te vinden zijn voor de schrijfstijl. Zelf ben ik niet zo'n fan van dat dialoog structuurtje.

An sich was het bijzonder om dit boek te lezen. Het is vaak een onderwerp dat ik in boeken vermijd. Naar mijn gevoel is dit wel een van de meest realistische weergaves van verslaafde en hun leefwereld.

[abbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just okay? I liked how the characters were unlikeable at times but still I think Christopher annoyed me so much that I just didn't engage with the story.

[Carina Tai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five teenagers. Five different addictions. One rehab center.

For Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva, teenage life is a harsh wake up call. These teens aren't worrying about prom, or passing English honors. They've been forced into a Seattle rehab center with little choice but to face each other day after day and learn to come to terms with the mistakes they've made, even if it was never their fault to begin with. Despite how supportive, rich, abusive, uncaring, or naive each of their parents might be, in the end, they're all facing the same obstacles together. But it's not too late for them to change.

There is something about Amy Reed's writing style that leaves me feeling cold and unsettled. The message she conveys in her story is loud, brilliant, and perceptively shattering. Her complete regard for censorship, or lack thereof, is simply brave and eye-opening. We need more young adult writers like her.

Everything about Clean was raw and completely sincere. Reed depicts these teenagers at the lowest point in their lives: all feeling vulnerable and uncertain of what is to come. Through a series of personal essays and introspective questionnaire questions, the reader is invited to lift the curtain and take a small peak into each teenager's life. Each has a unique and heartbreaking story. I felt as if I was standing at at window and peering into the fictional rehab center where all five teens were having seemingly day to day conversations. But it's evident that everyone is trying to cope with the hardships of life while trying to appear strong.

I especially found the title of the story, Clean, to be thought-provoking in itself. After I finished the very last sentence, I spent moments pondering the single word that described all five teenagers. Clean. It might symbolize their clean bodies, free from alcohol and other abusive substances. However, I feel that Clean most accurately depicts how each and every one of them felt on the inside after discovering blooming friendships and most importantly, self-respect for themselves. It shocked me how each of the characters transformed into someone more confident and beautiful just by being around people who cared. Nobody is ever truly alone.

Clean was a beautiful read that I simply could not put down. Never have I read a book so honest. Sure, some readers might think that it's another sob story about drug abusive teens. But I invite you to explore the encoded meaning beyond every quip and insecure quote. This book was not meant to make you cry, or feel pity. I think each of the characters, Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva were depicted to represent what we dislike about ourselves. Feeling physically unattractive, feeling worthless, feeling insecure, feeling disappointment, and feeling unwanted. In the end, not everybody in life is going to treat you with the respect you deserve. But maybe if you're lucky, you can find those people who can help you become the best you can be.

Brava Ms. Reed. Clean is a story that should be read by teenagers and adults alike all over the world, not only to promote the negative effects of drug abuse, but to show the rawest type of beauty and power in unlikely friendships.

[Shanyn]

Clean is a book I read for two reasons: one, it's contemporary, and two, I really like the cover. I meant to read Amy Reed's first book, Beautiful (I like that cover, too), but I never got my hands on it.

Clean is all about five kids in rehab for various drugs and other addictions. When a book is going to be based in a rehabilitation center, it makes it really hard for me to read five different perspectives, because that nearly guarantees I won't have a deep connection with any of them and rather just the surface story of five different individuals - which is exactly what happened with this book. I am very disappointed with the character development and much rather would have stayed with one character throughout to hear all of their thoughts.

The format is interesting enough; group therapy sessions are formatted much like a play, so you can see what everyone is saying. You also get to read essays from each of the kids, which helps to learn more about them. Each of them even had very distinct stories and their voices were pretty well written... but by the end, I didn't care much for any of them or feel particularly invested in any journey.

A place like rehab is very heavily internally focused - dealing with what got you there, your surroundings, your thoughts, how you need to change... which means Clean is not a book full of action, which is okay. But when I don't care for one character over another and we're just skimming the surface a lot of the time, it makes for slow reading.

I know that there are people out there that loved Clean - I'm just not one of them.

[L_manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean is the story of 5 teens in rehab. Each of them had different lives and upbringings, and each of them had a different drug of choice. They all shared addiction and the need to get help, so now they are all in the same rehab center. This book follows all 5 of them through various stages of recovery. Even though they come from very different backgrounds and lifestyles, they seem to bond over their shared problems.

As you can imagine, a book about teens in rehab is rather hard to read. I had a particularly hard time figuring out why some of them turned to drugs. The language was often harsh, but it was realistic to the setting. I felt the most sympathy for Olivia, whose problems truly seemed to be caused in large part by the actions of others. I was glad to see that they were all forced to take responsibility for their actions. Their group councilor was awesome. We could all used someone like her around to help us see things clearer.

Just like in real life, the end wasn't cut and dry. I worried that some of the characters may never get past their issues. However, there were a lot of really good things said in this book. I think this book can really facilitate some important discussions about how we react to things, what healthy ways to cope are, and how to recognize when people have a problem. There is also great hope that people can change and get better. That's something we could all stand to understand a little better.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is right up the alley of any teen reader who enjoys Ellen Hopkins, especially Impulse. The story is about 5 teens in rehab, each unique and each with their own story and addictions. The narrative is broken up in between group therapy sessions where you get a bit from each person and their counselor Shirley. Then the rest of the time you mostly get the perspective of Kelly and Christopher. Kelly was addicted to cocaine and alcohol and Christopher was a meth addict. The other three teens are Jason (alcohol), Eva (pain killers and pot) and Olivia (diet pills and she has an eating disorder). I won't go into the details of each of their stories, but I will say that I really enjoyed how the story was told. At first of course everyone is really pissed off, with almost no hope left and very pessimistic about being able to "rehab" themselves. But as the story progresses, you see how the teens cling to one another and use this as a building block of strength in order to face their demons and themselves. I enjoyed Amy Reed's other novel, Beautiful, so I was definitely not disappointed by Clean. There are some pretty mature topics included (drug use, sex, profanity, etc...), but I think it was necessary in order to tell the story. I look forward to more from this author.

[carolina ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what i could say about this book.
I have really mixed feelings abbout it.I guess i expected more.More from the friendship between these charactersAnd the ending left me
unsatisfied.

I did loved the characters, they were realistic and quite real to me.Any teenager could have this problems, suffer from this disease.It just depends on the person who to face them.Some could try drugs or alchol to forget them, Others just hide them inside.

But their problems were left unresolved.I didn't expect to all of them be just solved because that's not how the Universe works.

But Olivia doesn't tell her parents about the rape. Jason doesn't faces his parents. And Christopher never confesses to his mother.

Olivia, may or may not, eats again.
Eva is a remarkable character.She did faced her problems , her father,although when she leaves, she's still scared.


So i am not the kind of person for open-endings.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was different than I expected. I expected it to have more substance. It didn't have as much plot as I was hoping it would. There isn't a whole lot of things that happen throughout the story in my opinion, yet something about it kept me longing for more. I could see character development and healing throughout. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, of course I'm not quite sure what exactly I expected from it. I would recommend it though because it was a fairly quick read. It was definitely quite scary and there was some vulgar language in it...but if that kind of stuff doesn't offend you, it's certainly worth while. It will make you not want to get involved with drugs, that's for sure. ;)

[Hayden Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Reed is definitely one of my favorite teen fiction authors; her effortless blend of well-rounded, full characters and addicting situations never fails to engulf me. clean was the fourth book of hers I've read, and quite possibly my favorite. (it's so hard to pick one as my favorite!)

[alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

olivia and christopher have my heart

[Danya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was for my blog event Psychtember, so it's formatted a little differently than usual, to reflect the mental health theme. I've structured things as though the book is the patient and I'm giving them an assessment. Each axis is an aspect of the book that I'll give my thoughts on (characters, plot, etc.), and the validity score refers to how psychologically accurate I think the book is, with the final diagnosis being my shooting star rating. The rating still reflects my overall view of the book, using my standard rating system.

Patient: Clean by Amy Reed

Axis 1. Characters

Since Clean stars five main characters, it takes a little bit to figure out who's who in the cast of characters and get a handle on what each character is like. Kelly and Christopher are the two teens telling the story, but we get excerpts from the other three perspectives throughout. Of course, more page time is devoted to Kelly and Christopher, so we get to know those two the best.

Kelly, Christopher, and Olivia all come across as complex, multi-dimensional individuals, with rather unexpected stories of how they became addicted and ended up in rehab. I felt the closest to Kelly; her observations about the others were at times entertaining, at others heartfelt, and it was easy to connect with her way of viewing the world. I couldn't relate as well to Christopher, and found his voice somewhat inauthentic for a teenage guy. Both Kelly and Christopher wax introspective and thoughtful at times, with some of their insights seeming a bit too advanced for their age; occasionally it feels like an adult voice slips in here. With Kelly I could buy it most of the time — once we get past a bit of a shallow exterior, she actually seems like a smart girl who has just developed some very bad methods of coping with her emotions and problems. However, I found the mature nature of some of Christopher's reflections a bit too unbelievable.

Olivia fascinated me the most; there's more going on with her than just an addiction to diet pills, and I would have loved seeing the issues she's facing in greater depth. I don't feel like I really understood her mindset, but I certainly wanted to know more about her. Jason was a more stereotypical character for this setting — a "tough guy," with a "tough guy" father who clearly wields the power in their home — but even though his story is simpler compared to some of the others, it's still rewarding to see him learning and changing. It was Eva, actually, that I felt I couldn't really pin down or understand. She writes her "personal essay" excerpts in third person and her style is dramatically vague; apart from the neglect her father shows her, we aren't really told a lot more of her story.

Axis 2. Premise/plot

I liked the premise of a rehab facility bringing together different individuals and forcing them to interact. However, the method of showing the group therapy sessions using a screenplay format removed some of the potential chemistry between characters for me as a reader. Somehow, without all the body language, the group dynamic wasn't quite there, and the quick back-and-forth between characters with no intermittent description made it more difficult to visualize the scene and keep track of who was speaking.

Now, this book is all about the characters, so don't go into it expecting a riveting, action-filled storyline. If books about individuals coming to personal realizations are your thing, though, then Clean's for you. Addiction's always been one of the areas in mental health that particularly interested me, so I enjoyed discovering how these five teens had gotten to the low point they're at. However, one of the strengths of Clean is that it isn't just about the addictions. There are a lot of themes touched on — family pressures, sex, friendship, bullying — and many shared emotions: fear, regret, guilt, need.

Axis 3. Writing Style

Having five main characters — whose viewpoints we see in one way or another — is ambitious, but Amy Reed pulls it off quite well here. The format is an unconventional one; typical first-person narratives are combined with excerpts from "personal essays," a "drug and alcohol questionnaire" and conversations written in screenplay style. As mentioned above, though, we don't get to know all of the characters on the same level.

In terms of pacing, like most character-driven books it's quite slow-moving, and I felt that it dragged a little in the middle. Many of the scenes or excerpts are very similar, making it feel repetitive at times. I also found that the dialogue really varied for me, between being quite authentic (lots of swearing in here, which many teens are prone to) and sounding somewhat cliched and/or unrealistic as the teens underwent their personal revelations.

Axis 4. Psychological Accuracy

I appreciated the variety of types of addictions covered in Clean. Hard drugs, "soft" drugs, alcohol, diet pills...it runs the gamut (although no gambling addictions, unfortunately). The different ways in which each teen got hooked on a particular substance demonstrate how anyone can become an addict, serving to dispel the misconception that it's due to a lack of willpower or some other personality "flaw." The emotional aspects of addiction are portrayed quite well, but I was surprised not to see more of the physical signs. There isn't much mention of withdrawal symptoms, which I'd expect to appear in at least one or two of the main characters. I thought they would be experiencing more cravings, although I suppose it depends on how long they've been sober (and they are admittedly receiving some medications while they're in rehab.) Kelly does show signs of genuine craving, for "a line, a shot, pills, anything to leave this world for somewhere upside down." Still, the emphasis appears to be more on causes and effects of addiction than the actual in-the-moment experience of it.

My more significant area of contention is with how Olivia's mental health problems outside of her addiction are handled. At one point she's referred to by Kelly as "the anorexic girl with OCD," yet most of her behaviour does not indicate obsessive-compulsive disorder. She likes to arrange her shoes in a row and alphabetize her books, she's very concerned about getting all of her homework done, she's a big fan of organization and lists, and most importantly, she is constantly striving to be perfect. To me, these scream obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), *not* OCD. Yet I don't believe OCPD is actually even mentioned by name at any point. These are two different disorders and it always frustrates me when I see them getting confused, so I am going to lay them out here (most of the information is from my Abnormal Psychology textbook, but I also used this website)

OCD:
- Involves obsessive thoughts followed by compulsive behaviour to neutralize them
- The obsessions cause anxiety, making the OCD ego-dystonic
- The treatment is typically medication and/or CBT (exposure and response prevention)

OCPD:
- Involves a pattern of fixation on order, perfection & control
- Symptoms can include extreme perfectionism, reluctance to delegate, overconscientiousness, miserliness, rigidity and stubbornness
- There are no specific obsessions or compulsions
- The individual does not find the OCPD distressing, making it ego-syntonic
- There has not been a lot of research done into treatment

It's worth noting that there has been discussion of including both of these disorders on an "obsessive-compulsive spectrum" but at the moment, in the current DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), they are categorized entirely separately. (In fact, in the proposal for the updated DSM-V, OCPD is still being included with the other personality disorders.)

Now, anorexia can be comorbid with either of these disorders (according to The Writer's Guide to Psychology), and my university abnormal psychology textbook cites a 20% overlap of OCPD patients who also have an OCD diagnosis. So theoretically, Olivia could have both, in addition to her eating disorder and addiction. However, not only do I find this to be rather a lot of disorders in one character (the interactions between them would be extremely intricate), but I also don't think Olivia demonstrates much evidence for OCD. There's one mention that she seems to have trouble with germs (at the bowling alley), which I feel was thrown in there in an attempt to demonstrate OCD. Perhaps the shoe- or book-arranging could be signs of OCD, if she actually had obsessions about numbers or symmetry. But the glimpses we get of Olivia's perspective don't suggest these kinds of unwanted thoughts and compulsions.

And yet, we're told by Christopher that she's taking medication for OCD which seems to have helped decrease her "crazy organizing." It's possible that both Kelly and Christopher are misinformed or have gotten confused, but really, Olivia's true problems should eventually be cleared up. While a bit more happens with Olivia's eating disorder by the end (in fact, I learned something new about anorexia!), the OCD/OCPD confusion is not dealt with.

Group therapy has been shown to be effective in helping to treating substance abuse, so that's in line with the facts. But I found the counselor Shirley to be rather changeable in mood and attitude. She'd be compassionate one moment, then she'd switch to "tough love," or try to relate to the teens, and even sometimes came off as sarcastic and condescending. The scenes we usually see Shirley in are written in the screenplay style, so we don't get any hints of her body language or
tone, making her more difficult to understand. Perhaps her therapeutical orientation is eclectic, using a mix of therapy styles; I'm not familiar enough with rehab therapy to assess how accurate her approach was. However, to me she embodied several different versions of what people think of when they picture an addictions counselor (e.g. from movies or TV) — more a mash-up of various therapist stereotypes/representations than wholly her own person.

Validity Score: How psychologically accurate was Clean?



Axis 5. Miscellaneous

I enjoyed the humour that came through some of the character's
perspectives, usually in the form of acerbic remarks and observations
about other individuals in the program. It provided a lightness to
balance the more serious nature of the teens' pasts and present
situation.

And I liked the ending, it actually had me tearing up a tiny bit because it really captured the journey the characters have gone on.

Diagnosis: 3.5 shooting stars. Despite some of the inaccuracies, I did enjoy getting to know the characters and watching them change.

Note: There is some mature language and content in this one, so I wouldn't recommend it for the younger set.

For resources on addiction, go here.

For the full original version of this review, see my blog, A Tapestry of Words.

[Kelly Gunderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out this, other reviews, and more fun bookish things on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

Clean is one of those books that I honestly wasn't sure that I would love as much as I did! I haven't read Beautiful by Amy Reed, but I have heard some really good things about it, so I grabbed this book in a trade because it sounded really interesting. Unfortunately I kind of forgot that I had it and it ended up sitting on my shelf for two years, but I finally got around to it!

I'm one of those people who absolutely love realistic fiction and any kind of book that deals with tough situations. I've read a lot of YA books about rehab for eating disorders, but I can't think of any that I've read about drug addiction and rehab.

When I saw that there were going to be five characters in the book, part of me panicked. I'm not good with keeping track of a lot of characters, especially in a book like this, so I was worried that I wasn't going to enjoy it. However, it's mainly told from only two of the main characters' perspectives: Kelly and Christopher. In between are group therapy sessions and personal essays that help the readers get to know the characters and essentially their back stories and what landed them in rehab.

"We get high so we can feel invincible and perfect, but the feeling never lasts. Gravity always wins, and we fall fast, to a place lower and darker than many people will probably ever know."

Clean tells the story of five teens in a drug rehabilitation center - all with different stories, personalities, and drugs of choice. From alcohol to prescription pain medications, each of the characters in this novel will walk you through what it is like to have an addiction, how they hid it, and what finally led them into rehab to get clean.

Along the way, they will get to know each other, making friends with each other along the way and creating a sort of support system.

Clean is a book that I honestly think that everyone should read. It has its dark spots, and it has its uplifting spots, but either way, it's a great book with a powerful message, which it drives home.

Clean does not glamorize drug use and make the reader think that it's all fun and exciting. It shows the dark sides of drug addiction - within the pages of this book, you will see the unraveling of the lives of five teenagers, all from different backgrounds. They struggle to get clean, they struggle to get back the lives that drugs had stolen from them. Whether they have supportive parents, absent parents, or parents who are in denial, they realize that they have one constant: each other.

I love how the book is broken up into sections; for example, one chapter is told by Kelly, the next told by Christopher, and then there is a group therapy session, where all the characters get the chance to speak. In some chapters, there are personal essays or drug and alcohol questions that all five of them answer, allowing us to get a glimpse into their lives and what led them into rehab. If you're worried that all their personalities will be alike, since there are five characters, don't be - every character was wonderfully fleshed out and he or she had their own personality, traits, and characteristics that made them unique. I loved that I could tell which character I was reading about without even reading the header that told me.

With such a love for realistic fiction, I had high hopes that I would I would enjoy this book, and I did. I can't wait to go back and read Amy Reed's Beautiful next, because I've heard amazing things. If you're on the lookout for a book about addiction, give Clean a try. It's kind of lighthearted, yet still has drama and an important message that will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

[Jamieh Prior · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was different for sure. It felt reminiscent of The Breakfast Club but in a rehab facility instead of high school detention. It wasn't a terrible read, but it's definitely a bet for someone who's into that kind of thing.

[mina! · Rating 5 out of 5]

quick-ish book (the text is big so it's easy to get through pages) but with its few words it was impactful enough to get me crying by the end. won't get too into the reasons but this book for sure has a special place in my heart

[Manon the Malicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75 Stars*

This was interesting. I did like the setting and the way it was told, but it felt too short, like it was missing something and I had some issues with some of the characters portrayal. All in all though, this was really pretty good. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect and it was a pretty good surprise.

[Melissa Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing and easy read, extremely relatable

[Hailey Wheaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I thought that this book was very good, I liked how there were many different point of views between each of the characters. I also liked how it said who was talking, that way I knew their "story". The one thing that I didn't like about the book was the ending, I thought it was kind of plain and boring. Overall I thought that this book was pretty good.

Plot:
The book Clean started out with "the new girl" coming into the rehab clinic, joining the other 4 characters. The 5 main characters were, Christopher, Olivia, Kelly, Jason, and Eva. Each of these kids were addicts, either to drugs or alcohol, and they needed to get away form what they were doing and get to sobriety again. Everyday they would have group sessions and activities that would keep them from not thinking about drugs or alcohol. Each of the addicts would also get checked daily by the doctor in the building. Some days they are able to leave the building and listen to motivational speakers, but usually they were "locked in" the building. Each of the group sessions were lead by their counselor named Shirley. The kids were never left unattended at any time, not even when they were sleeping. Throughout the book you learn each persons story a little at a time. By the end of the book when it is time for graduation, and they have stayed sober the whole time being at rehab, you will be unsure if each of the characters stayed sober after they left or if they went back to their same old same self.

Recommendations:
This book is great for anyone in the High school reading level because it is not necessarily a hard read, but it is on a kind of sensitive subject. This book would also suite someone who has gone through rehab, because then those people could relate to this. I also believe that this book would help someone who is having a hard time with being addicted to actually anything, not only drugs or alcohol, but anything.

[Harley Burger · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses” refers to an overly optimistic and often blissfully ignorant state of mind. It is not bad to see the bright side of things, but often times people are unaware of how truly dark the world can be. This darkness is explored in Amy Reed’s Clean, a realistic fiction novel centered around five teenage drug addicts and their time in rehab.
Through the shifting perspectives of Olivia, Eva, Christopher, Kelly, and Jason, Clean narrates the contrasting backstories and shared emotions of five teenagers who are all addicted to some form of drug or alcohol. Nearly the entire novel takes place in the rehab center, but the reader is brought to many different settings through each characters’ journal logs. The chapters are set up in a variety of different ways that show a broad spectrum of perspectives yet still manage to keep up the mysteries of the protagonists’ mysterious pasts. The novel varies from switching to first-person narrations by each of five characters, to script-format group of therapy sessions, to the stylized journal entries of Kelly, Christopher, Eva, Jason, and Olivia. Overall, Clean shows the no-nonsense perspective of a very real problem in today’s world with the use of dynamic characters and intense and suspenseful situations.
I give this book four stars. The characters were realistic and believable, and the continuous mystery of their pasts made the book entertaining to read. The unique format in which it was written really makes Clean stand out, along with the author’s unsugarcoated approach to substance abuse and mental illness. More books like Clean need to be written to show people that drugs are no joke, and a teenager deals with many struggles that are unseen and unspoken of in the public. I recommend this novel to those who like realistic fiction about real-world issues, and those who enjoy heart-wrenching stories that are so shocking they change the way you see the world.

[Sydney Abhold]

Name: Sydney Abhold

Book title: Clean

Personal Response: So far this has been one of my favorite books this school year. Once I start reading it it’s hard to stop. Though boring in some parts, it gets better as you go along.

Summary: The book Clean by Amy Reed is about a group of addicts trying to get through rehab. There are 3 main characters, Kelly (the alcohol and heroin addict), Christopher (the meth addict), and Olivia (the diet pills addict). Kelly started out young at the age of 13 drinking, the first time this happened a man forced himself on her, and she’s been trying to deal with that ever since in the form of drugs. The reason Kelly was sent to rehab was that her parents finally noticed something wrong. Christopher started in his early teens doing meth with the neighbor kid after his mom found out his pastor sent him to this high-class rehab. Now, for Olivia, getting addicted wasn’t her fault, it was her mothers. Her mother thought she could use a bit of a boost, so she gave Olivia diet pills and some Adderall to help her do well in school like all of her siblings did.

Recommendations: This book is for anyone who likes multi-person views for chapters. Or someone who enjoys a quick novel to read. Above all you’ll enjoy Clean.

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
This book was really good. I think I enjoyed this one so much, because it involved what I want to do in my future. I read in any free time I had, because I liked this book so much. It was interesting when I saw the development of the characters and how they changed. The book was written well and easy to understand. At first I thought it would be difficult with five different characters, but it wasn't.

Plot:
This book told the story of five teenagers with drug problems. It gave insight on each individual to why they started drugs and their life based on them. They were all in a facility which specialized in drug and alcohol abuse for teens. As days went on, their progression to getting clean was shown. The teens went to group and shared their past stories on how they started using their choice of influence and how they decided it was time to get clean. Jason was watching his little while he was drunk, and she fell down a flight of stairs which caused her brain damage. Olivia took too many diet pills and passed out while jogging. Kelly was high and drunk, which caused her to drive through her neighbor's front porch. The five teenagers all became really close in their recovery and hoped immensely to stay clean.

Characterization:
This book included five different main characters. The majority of the characters spoke in group, and that was how the reader learned about their stories. Two characters, Kellie and Christopher, also had their own separate chapters. All of the characters suffered from some sort of addiction. Kellie drank and used cocaine. Christopher was a meth addict. Olivia suffered from an addiction to diet pills and didn't eat. Eva took prescription pills. Jason was an alcoholic. They all received treatment at the facility. At the end of the book, four of them were much happier sober. They planned to stay sober. Olivia, however, had to be transferred to a different hospital to help her more.

Setting:
This book took place in an institution in the suburbs of Seattle. The time was in modern times. Based on the language and words used, I was able to tell it was modern. The setting of the institution was the most important, because the book was all about drug addicts conquering their addiction. The entire story revolved around them and how they got sober.

Theme:
The theme in this book was perseverance. The characters were in a point in their life where they hit their rock bottom. They chose to not continue down the dark path. They took the initiative to cooperate in their process at the institution. They spent days through pain, which got them sober.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this to any young adult. The gender does not matter, because their is a great story in it for both girls and guys. Anybody who is interested in addictions will really enjoy this book and reading about the recoveries.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a Drug Rehab book it was oh-so-very tame. Maybe I have been hardened because I think I've read about 90% of the drug memoirs and fiction out there, so this kind of fell flat for me. Also shows like Intervention make seeing the degenerate world of drug addiction appear so commonplace. I happened to read about 300 pages of Ellen Hopkins "Impulse" last week on vacation, and it was hard for me not to compare the two stories. Perhaps since Impulse seemed much darker and...dirtier. Clean just didn't pack the punch that I was hoping for.

I wish we could have read more about the experiences leading up to them being in rehab. I would have loved a little more back-story from each of the characters. I felt like we were just given glimpses into their lives. Of all the characters, I think Christopher's unique story was the one I would be most interested in hearing more about. The other character's stories blended together for me. Right now I'm trying to recall Kelly's story (She's one of the two main narrators), and I can't really remember her, her background or even what her addiction was. Eva's (another character - the dark emo princess) writing in the third person was irritating, although I might have liked her put-on-wanna-be-poetress-ness more when I was 15.

I read it fairly quickly, and the story moved along at a very fast pace. The chapters were all different. One would be a normal point of view a character and then the next chapter would have the movie script feel with only dialogue. That did help to break the book up a bit and keep things interesting for me. There were things I liked about the super short alternating points of views and things I didn't. I felt like there wasn't as much depth explored as there should have been. However the script like dialogue made it easy to keep the characters separated, this worked especially well since there was quite a large cast of main characters.

I might be biased because I really never have enjoyed the rehab portion of books. I liked to hear all the sordid details, the slippery slope, basically all the messed up things they did to arrive in rehab. I mean this is MY personal review, not an objective book report so I guess it's ok to be biased.

I can see how some people will love this book, however I like my "druggie" books too be a little more gritty and shocking. There didn't seem to be much raw emotion. I just couldn't feel it. I wanted to feel the pain, and I just couldn't connect with it.

Judge a Book By It's Cover:
It's original, I have to say that. Although it is kinda blah for me, I'm sure it will stand out on the shelves.

[Jade Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com

I always struggle with how to start reviews for hard hitting, emotional contemporary books, and I have to say that those words totally describe Clean. I've heard this book described as 'The Breakfast Club in Rehab' and I have to say that pretty much nails it.


We get these five teens, all in rehab because of their own addictions, all of them with a history and a not so glamorous background. We see these teens thrown together, becoming friends even though they don't really choose to, they just have to and we see their relationships and friendships grow as the characters themselves grow.


This books greatest success is the fantastic character development. While it's to be expected in a book about rehab that the character development will be good, Amy Reed really does show the readers these characters and their inner-depths. We start out with five teens, all we know is that they're in rehab and slowly, as the story continues, we learn about their past and their problems and this was really what carried this story for me.


The book itself didn't really have a plot, as it's mainly just about the opening up of the characters. This brought a few problems for me - I felt it difficult to work out the time scale of the story. At the end of the book, it's clear that it's been three or four weeks, but the story really seems to just go on for a few days. I think the reason I struggled to grasp the time scale was because of how the story is told. The main story is told through the eyes of two of the characters; Kelly and Christopher, but interrupting these train-of-thoughts narratives are dialogues of group counselling sessions and snippets of assignments that the characters have been given. I felt like these interruptions seriously ruined the flow of the book and while they did help to build on the characters, I also feel like the quality of the book itself was ruined a little by this.


Clean is quite a short book, but in no way is it an easy read due to the difficult issues dealt with. The characters are struggling with some pretty serious issues and the way that Reed writes it is very hard-hitting. Definitely not a book to read if you're looking for something fun, but totally
something you should read if you want something emotional and deep. I would recommend this for older readers of over fourteen.


Overall rating: B+