High Achiever, Tiffany Jenkins

Thanks to Tiffany Jenkins’ memoir, High Achiever, I better understand the unrelenting claw of chemical addiction. I enjoyed her easy to read memoir, despite cringing repeatedly as Tiffany revealed how she hurt people over and over with lies, deceit, and criminal activity. Her behavior wasn’t motivated by an inherent meanness or character defect. She was a high achiever, but one who had an uncontrollable need for her next fix.

I appreciated that Tiffany didn’t whine or seek sympathy. She took responsibility for her actions and consequences. When writing about getting high, she showed the experience clearly. I wondered whether this choice might trigger recovering addicts.

But this is a minor issue in a relatable story in which Tiffany captured her addiction experience from the first page. This reader felt like Tiffany’s cellmate, incarcerated with her. I found myself cheering her on at times and wishing she would keep quiet at other times in the story. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone in recovery from addiction or anyone who loves someone struggling with addiction now or in the past.