FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT by Chris & Toren Volkmann
Category: Non-Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 8/1/06
Publisher: NAL
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Rating: 5 Stars
I think it would be safe to say that, for the majority of teens at least, drinking (and by this I mean consuming alcoholic
beverages) is something that will come up sooner rather than later. Seen by many as a "right of passage," teens and alcohol
are things that seem to go hand in hand. Although I know this isn't true for every teen--I myself never had a drop of alcohol
until I was twenty-one, due to a strict upbringing--what I remember from my high school years, and what I see today among
teens, shows that teen drinking is on the rise.
What many teens don't realize, and quite possibly don't even understand, is that due to their actual adolescence and the
changes that brings, their bodies are actually at risk to suffer greater negative effects from alcohol. Sure, it can give you a
buzz, and in some social circles there are even those who will say it makes you look cool. The problem is, that just like with
the nicotine in cigarettes and the unhealthy substances in marijuana and other illegal drugs, that the changing bodies of teens
can be harmed to a greater extent than those of full-grown adults.
FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT is the story of Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris. Toren was like any teen, one
who experimented with alcohol in ways that didn't, at first, prove to be a problem. Unfortunately, this experimentation later
led to full-blown blackouts and an eventual stay in a rehab center for alcohol addiction.
This is a book that is part autobiography, part scientific text, part guidebook. You'll find the warning signs of teen drinking,
references to places that can help you both as a drinker and a family member affected by someone who is a drinker, and
questions that can help you talk about alcohol dependency. This is the perfect book not just for parents, but also for teens
who struggle with an alcohol problem--or even those who don't yet, but realize they could be on that path. This is a
touching, heartwarming story that ended, thankfully, with recovery. Unfortunately, many more teens might not be as lucky
as Toren Volkmann was, and those are the ones who really need to pick up a copy of FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT.
Category: Non-Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 8/1/06
Publisher: NAL
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Rating: 5 Stars
I think it would be safe to say that, for the majority of teens at least, drinking (and by this I mean consuming alcoholic
beverages) is something that will come up sooner rather than later. Seen by many as a "right of passage," teens and alcohol
are things that seem to go hand in hand. Although I know this isn't true for every teen--I myself never had a drop of alcohol
until I was twenty-one, due to a strict upbringing--what I remember from my high school years, and what I see today among
teens, shows that teen drinking is on the rise.
What many teens don't realize, and quite possibly don't even understand, is that due to their actual adolescence and the
changes that brings, their bodies are actually at risk to suffer greater negative effects from alcohol. Sure, it can give you a
buzz, and in some social circles there are even those who will say it makes you look cool. The problem is, that just like with
the nicotine in cigarettes and the unhealthy substances in marijuana and other illegal drugs, that the changing bodies of teens
can be harmed to a greater extent than those of full-grown adults.
FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT is the story of Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris. Toren was like any teen, one
who experimented with alcohol in ways that didn't, at first, prove to be a problem. Unfortunately, this experimentation later
led to full-blown blackouts and an eventual stay in a rehab center for alcohol addiction.
This is a book that is part autobiography, part scientific text, part guidebook. You'll find the warning signs of teen drinking,
references to places that can help you both as a drinker and a family member affected by someone who is a drinker, and
questions that can help you talk about alcohol dependency. This is the perfect book not just for parents, but also for teens
who struggle with an alcohol problem--or even those who don't yet, but realize they could be on that path. This is a
touching, heartwarming story that ended, thankfully, with recovery. Unfortunately, many more teens might not be as lucky
as Toren Volkmann was, and those are the ones who really need to pick up a copy of FROM BINGE TO BLACKOUT.
From Binge To Blackout: A Mother and
Son Struggle with Teen Drinking
by Chris & Toren Volkmann
Son Struggle with Teen Drinking
by Chris & Toren Volkmann