Everything I Never Wanted to Be

"Raw and funny." -- Joel Stein, Time Magazine columnist

"Like a maelstrom." -- Gary Klinga, ForeWord Review

"A life-changing experience. It will inspire you never to give up." -- Madeline Sharples, author of Leaving the Hall Light On

Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera is the true story of a family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. Dina's grandparents were alcoholics, her father was an alcoholic, she is an alcoholic and pill addict, and all three of her daughters struggle with alcohol and drug addiction--including her youngest daughter, who started using heroin at age fourteen.

Dina's household also includes her husband and his unemployed identical twin; a mother who has Parkinson's Disease; a grandson who has cerebral palsy; and other people who drift in and out of the household depending on their employment situation or rehab status.

On top of all that, Dina is trying to make it as a stand-up comic and author so she can quit her crummy job as a grocery store clerk. Through it all, Dina does her best to hold her family together, keep her faith, and maintain her sense of humor.

As you might imagine, a story filled with alcoholics and drug addicts includes a number of horrific events. But in the end, Everything I Never Wanted to Be is an uplifting story that contains valuable lessons for parents and teens alike, and a strong message about the need to address the epidemic of teen drug addiction in our nation. It's a book that can change behavior and save lives--and make you laugh along the way.

"Open and honest." -- Charline Ratcliff, Rebecca's Reads

"Malcolm in the Middle meets Cops." -- Jenny Mounfield, The Compulsive Reader

"So absolutely over the top that it makes readers laugh out loud and thank God it is not them." -- Robin Martin, San Francisco Book Review

If you want the inside story when it comes to life on the edge -- and if you want to laugh out loud in spite of yourself -- read this book.

3.87 Stars on 392 Ratings and 80 Reviews on Goodreads as of Aug 14, 2013.