The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is written by Mötley Crüe’s bass guitarist, Nikki Sixx, with the help of Ian Gittins, a music critic. It does make perfect sense to me that Nikki Sixx writes books. After all, he is the lead songwriter for the band.

This autobiography is like a written version of VH-1’s “Behind the Music”, except that the time period is limited to exactly one year (December 25, 1986 – December 25, 1987). I like the illustrations, photos and comments by the band’s members, his friends, business associates, and other artists like Slash. Many of them describe him as being angry, lonely, confused but talented. The book has some gruesome details of his pain and agony, but overall, it is very easy to follow.

The most fascinating fact I learned from this book is that Mötley Crüe and its fame did not make Sixx a junkie, but his early life had already made him who he was. I had no idea that he had a shitty childhood. His hate for his father (who had abandoned the family) and longing for his mother often show up in the book. It is also interesting to learn that just like he idolized Steven Tyler and Alice Cooper, young Slash looked up to him.

Mötley Crüe fans will definitely find The Heroin Diaries fascinating and intriguing, and they are going to connect this book and Sixx’s lyrics. I just cannot believe that someone can change so much in just one year, but who knows; I have never been in his situation. Since Nikki Sixx dedicates this book to alcoholics and drug addicts, I would recommend The Heroin Diaries not only to Mötley Crüe fans but also to alcoholics and drug addicts who like to read.

For those who want to learn more about the book, Nikki Sixx or/and Mötley Crüe, you may want to check out the following:

CD - The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack

Book - The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band

-Pat Trabi has been a writer for Shakefire.com since 2002.

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