Patchwork Junkie: A True Story About Drugs, Prison & Surviving Redemption

by Kyle Dean Houston

In the mid-1990s, Kyle Houston developed a disturbingly poetic love affair with both needles and the alchemy of creating drugs. Far removed from his small-town values, the drug underground of Kansas City was a world that turned him into first a user and then a notorious meth cook.He prayed for an overdose but instead, he got arrested. Confined to a one-man cell for 23 hours a day, he faced the reality of a 30-year sentence. When his sentence was reduced to nine years, he decided to serve his time and finally go home. Or so he thought.With all the heartache and beauty of a tortured soul, Patchwork Junkie is a compelling, up-close portrait of the interior life of a young man yearning to put faith in something real. This memoir follows Kyle’s path from a powerful addiction to the violent prison world. It explores the fear of hope and the desperate pain of a mother watching her beloved child fall apart. Straddling a unique line between tragedy and humor, Kyle strikes at the core of what unites us all. Insightful and transforming, this harrowing true story is for anyone who has lost a loved one to addiction or incarceration, anyone who has lived through abuse or searched for meaning and simply aches to know they are not alone.

Genres: Addiction

419 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2020

About the author

Kyle Dean Houston, author of Patchwork Junkie, is a speaker, author, and coach who is committed to bringing hope into the world. After walking out of prison at thirty-five with no college degree, no network, and having never sent an email, he built a highly successful career as a sales executive in San Francisco. In less than a decade, he went from earning $10 an hour to Vice President for a $2B publicly traded company. He also put multiple companies onto the list of Inc. Magazine’s fastest 500 list. Kyle’s life story is shocking, riveting, and inspiring. He currently lives in Tampa, FL with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Karla Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unflinching honesty, self-deprecating humor and bone-deep kindness

This non-fiction memoir reads like a novel. I couldn't put it down! We rarely know what people have been through. I'm so happy that this pain in the ass little brother has come out the other side!

[Lisette Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw, Real & Life Changing! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE. Star football player from a upper middle-class family goes from weekend partier to daily meth cook and addict.
Patchwork Junkie takes the reader deep into the mind and the world of drug addiction. Raw and real, the narrator nevers looks away, and neither can you. It's different from other autobiographies as Kyle is upapologetic about the reality of addiction and his voice is loud and clear.
Kyle joined our Bookclub to answer questions and discussed his book. Learned a little more about him that wasn’t shared in his book. He is very open to dialog about his book .

[Shelley Disberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. Knowing the author and his family, had me feel so many emotions...tears at times, laughing at times and even angry at times. It is a raw, emotional book told straight from his heart about his life during a horrific drug addiction, and how he dealt with life as he knew it at that time. It is a book everyone should read whether you know someone with an addiction or just want to understand more about how an addict and his family survived it all. A must read!

[Amy Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Read!

I could not put this book down! Full disclosure: Kyle and I are from the same hometown, we went to school together, we were friends and neighbors. I am amazed at his bravery to tell such an honest, brutal, ugly story...but even more amazed at how he’s turned his life around! I’m proud to know you Kyle!

[Adella Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turner

I couldn't put this book down. I was so excited for the early digital release and this book did not disappoint. My words can't do this book justice, it's a must read!!!!

[Dan Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve ever read about substance use disorder, recovery, and redemption. It did my soul good to read Kyle’s story! I highly recommend it to anyone that has faced addiction or has a loved one that has faced it or is currently battling it.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will have you crying, laughing and rooting for Kyle like he's your best friend fighting this addiction. Honest, raw , emotional and a must read.