Amelia F. W. Caruso

Amy Caruso left the world the incredible gift of her journals that she kept since middle school. She wrote powerfully about whether to begin using substances, her initiation, and the progression of her substance use disorder in the context of school, family, friends, boys, body image, and self-esteem. Amy's mom edited the journals into It's Not Gunna Be an Addiction so readers can reflect on Amy's own words about her choices and six-year struggle with her disease. No book provides such an intimate perspective from a a young person who did not make it through recovery. We can only imagine how Amy's life may have turned out differently had she been able to read a book like this one. Amy's mom wrestled with the question of whether she violated her daughter's privacy by publishing the journals. But she finds her answer in the "Bucket List" that Amy wrote a few weeks before her death, which included: Change someone's life for the better Make a completely unique contribution to the world Make a difference Touch someone's heart So sharing the journals is not only Amy's gift to readers; it is also a gift to Amy.