Book review – Bottled Memories (Spoiler Free)

“He picked up the bottle

And threw it down on the floor.

He said, “I’ve lost all I can

And I can’t lose anymore.

This has all got to stop

Before I end up dead.”

Then he sat down again…

And ordered “one more” instead.”

• Title: Bottled Memories: A Journey through Addiction and Early Recovery
• Author: David Ritter
• Genre: Poetry
• Pages: 40 pages
• Publication date: July 24, 2020

Bottled Memories begins with an alcoholic, already deep into addiction. It has many poetry styles throughout and some good repetition.

The book started out stronger than some other poetry books I’ve read. Each poem brought out the character a bit more. One could see the twisted cycle that looped the character in. It even built the character up for his last straw.

However, there’s a certain point where the character turns one-eighty without much explanation. The poems, from then on, repeat themselves instead of explaining the change. To me, recovery—especially from addiction—is a long process. It isn’t healed overnight. Instead, it’s a rollercoaster of ups and downs. 

But the second half of this book doesn’t get into detail about that. It’s more ups and safety. There isn’t any confused moral compass or thoughts about whether he made the right choice or not. It’s 100% in the opposite direction.

I wish I got to see the character grow over time. I think the second half would feel more believable then.

Overall, I did like the poems. They’re a good point of view from a recovering alcoholic. It’s a quick read for anyone who wants to dive into the life of an alcoholic for a little while.

Score: 7/10
Average rating on Goodreads: 4.25/5