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Clean: the (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict
Inspired by true events, Clean is the fictional story of Cameron, an independent, accomplished, and strong-willed young adult caught in the grips of alcoholism and drug addiction. The story is told through a stream-of-consciousness collage of spoken word/narrative poetry and letters, allowing the reader to inhabit Cameron’s mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical space as he searches for answers to arguably unanswerable questions, such as…
- Where does his responsibility for his actions begin and end?
- Is God or some form of Higher Power involved?
- How does he account for his relative “luck” when so many people he knows ended up in tragically worse situations?
- What’s he supposed to do now?
Join Cameron as he stumbles toward acceptance and navigates the winding road to recovery. Another way of life is possible. There is hope. There is always hope. Will he find it before it’s too late?
- Where does his responsibility for his actions begin and end?
- Is God or some form of Higher Power involved?
- How does he account for his relative “luck” when so many people he knows ended up in tragically worse situations?
- What’s he supposed to do now?
Join Cameron as he stumbles toward acceptance and navigates the winding road to recovery. Another way of life is possible. There is hope. There is always hope. Will he find it before it’s too late?
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2021
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rebellino
2 books1 followerMichael Rebellino is a writer, professional engineer, and voice in the world of substance abuse and mental health.
His unique writing style, which has been described by fans as “striking literary art”, is a stream-of-consciousness collage of poetry, letters, journal entries, and traditional prose that transports the reader into the world of the narrator and grippingly yet gracefully carries them through the story. Readers find his writing relatable and thought provoking regardless of their backgrounds.
Michael lives in Cincinnati with his wife.
His unique writing style, which has been described by fans as “striking literary art”, is a stream-of-consciousness collage of poetry, letters, journal entries, and traditional prose that transports the reader into the world of the narrator and grippingly yet gracefully carries them through the story. Readers find his writing relatable and thought provoking regardless of their backgrounds.
Michael lives in Cincinnati with his wife.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 7, 2022
I would highly recommend Clean The (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict by Michael Rebellino to anyone who wants a literary book examining what it means to be a flawed human trying to take control of their life. From the Forward (in four words): ‘people are just people’, I knew that Clean was exactly my sort of book. Rather than creating a conventional narrative, Michael Rebellino explores what it actually feels like to experience the disease of addiction. Things aren’t neat and tidy, stories overlap and are repeated in different forms. Familiar passages from the Bible, nursery rhymes, and the 12 steps are referenced and entwined into the thoughts of Cameron, a twenty something fighting to stay sober.
The novel is composed of short poems, interspersed with letters, and conversations. Despite the darkness of the themes it is surprisingly easy to read and get immersed in Cameron’s life. The everyday struggles are very well presented; whether to tell a new girlfriend about recent relapses, making the decision to change a phone number after coming out of rehab, finding the strength to call out for help from a sponsor rather than buy alcohol. Cameron is firmly the centre of the story, but the strain on family members and how essential their support is, is also clearly depicted. This is a raw and powerful story but it is also a story of hope, reaching out to everyone who suffers from addiction in the many forms it can take with the positive message that you are worthy.
The novel is composed of short poems, interspersed with letters, and conversations. Despite the darkness of the themes it is surprisingly easy to read and get immersed in Cameron’s life. The everyday struggles are very well presented; whether to tell a new girlfriend about recent relapses, making the decision to change a phone number after coming out of rehab, finding the strength to call out for help from a sponsor rather than buy alcohol. Cameron is firmly the centre of the story, but the strain on family members and how essential their support is, is also clearly depicted. This is a raw and powerful story but it is also a story of hope, reaching out to everyone who suffers from addiction in the many forms it can take with the positive message that you are worthy.
December 6, 2021
I wish I had the option to give it more stars! This book will stick with me for a long time.
August 25, 2022
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Clean: the (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict
Author: Michael Rebellino
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
12 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“A fascinating insight into drug abuse and recovery written in poetical form/letters. I liked this style; it was gritty.” Male reader, aged 43
“You´ll need to work hard to keep up with this author´s thought and feelings, but it´s worth it. A gripping read exploring the darkness of recovery. I would recommend this book to any addict; then they´d know they are not alone.” Male reader, aged 52
“Refreshingly original writing style putting across his darkest – and joyous - moments. Internal dialogue is not for everybody, but it works for me, and it´s the perfect way of putting across this author´s story.” Female reader, aged 57
“Congrats to the author for writing this story. It might help others, and that can´t be a bad thing. A compelling read.” Male reader, aged 29
To Sum It Up:
‘An insightful look at drug abuse and the long road to recovery. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Clean: the (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict
Author: Michael Rebellino
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
12 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“A fascinating insight into drug abuse and recovery written in poetical form/letters. I liked this style; it was gritty.” Male reader, aged 43
“You´ll need to work hard to keep up with this author´s thought and feelings, but it´s worth it. A gripping read exploring the darkness of recovery. I would recommend this book to any addict; then they´d know they are not alone.” Male reader, aged 52
“Refreshingly original writing style putting across his darkest – and joyous - moments. Internal dialogue is not for everybody, but it works for me, and it´s the perfect way of putting across this author´s story.” Female reader, aged 57
“Congrats to the author for writing this story. It might help others, and that can´t be a bad thing. A compelling read.” Male reader, aged 29
To Sum It Up:
‘An insightful look at drug abuse and the long road to recovery. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
December 10, 2021
A very well and uniquely (poems, letters, reflections etc)l written book! It’s about addiction but I think anyone would enjoy and learn something from this book! The internal dialogue was eye opening and I felt like I was reading a real person’s diary. It all felt so real. This is the kind of book that a person could refer back to time and time again. There’s a recurring set of poems that I’ve made everyone in my house read because they are so good.
January 14, 2022
This was a really interesting and uniquely composed book (letters, poems, etc.). Getting a glimpse of the inside of an addict’s mind and reality was eye-opening and also heartbreaking. Thankful for how his story turned out and the Lord rescued Mike (or “Cam” in the book”). The author is a friend of mine from high school.
January 8, 2023
Get behind the eyes of an addict as he deals with the throes of recovery in realtime. Reads like a fever dream in meter. I couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews