Nice Boy

by George Veltri

Nice Boy is as fast-paced and intoxicating as the drugs that dominate the lives of its characters. Excitement and unexpected complications enter Gregory's life as he begins to move away from his stable working-class neighborhood in Queens and into the hazardous underbelly of New York street life. Through a series of savage and humorous vignettes, Veltri creates the unforgettable pageant of Gregory's large Italian-American family, his friends, addicts, hustlers, sadistic cops, and the denizens of rehab. This is not the story of a young drug addict trying to kick heroin, but is an incantatory tale about ordinary people in the urban world, some who suffer and die and some who survive.

Genres: Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Ann Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a good friend from my old neighborhood in New York. True story of his struggle to be clean and his success.

[Glo Sollecito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Boy tells a story about a life of addiction, no holds barred. This makes it difficult to read but somehow Veltri is also successful at injecting humor. This novel is written in “Beat” language which works well. It’s a worthwhile read that kept me engaged all the way through.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written--great use of language in the style of beat fiction. This took me inside the experience of addiction and moving beyond, and the NYC scene of the 1960s and 1970s. Hard stuff to read about, but a well-crafted slice of this character's life.