Fish in Water is a complete gem of a memoir. KP Harrington is incredibly honest, vulnerable, and lays his soul bare without a trace of bitterness. This is a diary-esque tale of family trauma, growing up with Irish immigrant parents, the joy of basketball, addiction and alcoholism, and what we can do with a recovered life. I was truly blown away by the quality and pacing of this story- telling the story of your own life and not becoming sidetracked by "unnecessary" details (which are important, but can drag a memoir down so quickly) is incredibly difficult. The way he speaks about his experience being in one of the Towers on 9/11 is incredibly raw and I was deeply touched. This book is clearly written with so much love and from someone who has truly seen the world from both sides. I'd particularly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with addiction or is close with someone who is struggling, or to anyone in recovery who wants a reminder that it is always worth the struggle.

I requested and received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, and I look forward to purchasing a hardcopy of my own when it is published.

Sobriety is something I've thought about a lot in my life. Alcoholism is something that has deeply affected my life as many of my family members have struggled with it. One of the main reasons why it has been so prominent in my family is due to our cultural background - something that Harrington references in his retelling of his journey with sobriety.

This memoir takes the reader on a full journey from childhood to adulthood, touching on so many moments where alcohol was a normal and even charming and seemingly innocent aspect of life. In my personal experience, I have certainly felt this way in my youth and I think it's something that can easily trap people with its promise of bliss and ecstasy.

I appreciated the brutal honesty that Harrington shares in his retelling and I found that I learned so much about how deep the effects of alcoholism can go - I had never heard of Wet Brain before, for example. This was a quick, easy, and touching memoir and I think many will find it not only deeply moving, but also very relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Wow, what a journey. Cathartic. I'm glad you found your way through it all. 911 must have been an incredibly stressful time.

3.75☆