Everything Is Horrible And Wonderful : A Tragicomic Memoir Of Genius, Heroin, Love, And Loss by Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the author’s absorbing account about coping with the death of her brother, Harris Wittels, from a heroin overdose. The book spans the few years between the time that the family learns of Harris’ substance addiction, to the year after his death, and details their attempt to make sense of everything. Stephanie openly discusses how concurrent to Harris’ addiction, she gives birth to a baby with a permanent hearing disability, and writes about the emotional stress of these parallel events.

Stephanie is unflinchingly honest in this memoir, and with her background in education and performance, her audiobook narration is a real standout. I listened on Hoopla, and highly recommend the audio format of the book, as the story, in her voice, is powerful; it’s tender and evocative and her love for her brother and her family is potent.

This is one of those books where you’ll laugh and you'll cry – the humor can be dry and quirky and laugh-out-loud funny (Harris was a professional comedy writer) and the tragic moments incredibly dark – but part of the strength of the story is this concurrent thread of humor and sadness. This book is for those who like modern memoirs, and anyone interested in reading a detailed personal account about addiction and grief, told through the lens of a candid, close-knit family.