Title: The First Step: Hi’ Steppin’: The Isometrics of Isolation and Power of Depression
Author: Al Lucas
Publisher: Lime Press LLC
ISBN: 978-1954304529
Pages: 218
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Pacific Book Review
One of the most dangerous and crippling issues facing our world now and, in the past, has to be addiction. Addiction has taken a hold on so many people around the world, whether it be an addiction to food, gambling, or of course hard-core drugs. Addiction can take complete control of your life, and so much of who we are as people goes into the addiction process. As Susannah Grant once said, “Checking your ego, abandoning it, letting it go, is a huge part of recovery from addiction.”
In author Al Lucas’s The First Step: Hi’ Steppin’: The Isometrics of Isolation and Power of Depression, the author explores the mental and emotional chords that tie into the life of an addict. Self-described anti-hero Paul Undres is suffering from a major crack addiction. A vet of the Vietnam War, he refuses to interact on a personal level with anyone, and instead reads from his journal to anyone who is willing to listen. Bouncing from one rehabilitation center to another, the protagonist must traverse the inner-workings of his own mind and his fears in order to tackle the root of his addiction.
The author has an incredible way with words, highlighting descriptive storytelling and both humorous and haunting tones that capture both the author’s unique voice and the chilling nature of addiction. The imagery used in the author’s writing really helps highlight the nature of this narrative, from the first pages as the antihero stumbles into a clinic on the day of the 9/11 attacks, to the vivid conversations he has as he goes through each step of the program, Paul’s journey really elevates the mental and emotional aspect of addiction. What the author does a great job of however, is capturing tone, as the antihero really embodies some of the negative aspects of addiction and war on a person’s personality, including hints of racism, homophobia, and so much more that was really prevalent in that era. It only fuels the harmful way drugs and addiction overall can draw out humanity’s baser qualities, and goes about showing how addicts often look for others to blame for their actions.
This Is the perfect read for those who enjoy drama, especially drama narratives that focus on addiction and the painful process of attempted recovery. As someone who has had family members deal with addiction before, it was really hitting home to me as the protagonist’s journey reflected a lot of the chilling aspects of drugs on the human mind.
A memorable, engaging, and haunting deep dive into addiction, author Al Lucas’s The First Step: Hi’ Steppin’: The Isometrics of Isolation and Power of Depression is a must-read novel and a truly unique first chapter in an ongoing drama and character-driven series. A perfect blend of character development and tone, the narrative really packs a punch that readers won’t be able to walk away from.
