I didn't think that I had ever read anything in this genre until Ags’ description reminded me that around 27 years ago (surely not that long ago?!?) I read
'Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo', in the original German. It tells the true story of Christiane F, a young teenager in Berlin in the 1970’s who became a serious heroin addict, working as a prostitute, while she was still school-age. The story was originally serialised in ‘Die Stern’, and caused quite stir internationally at the time. It was a compelling read, not least because Christiane was (and still is
!) almost exactly the same age as me, and so it was easy to identify with her. By the time I had read it I had also become very familiar with Berlin itself, so the whole thing resonated so strongly at the time. [Google, Wiki and YouTube can provide you with more info on Christiane F/ the book/ the film if you want to know more].
While the book – and the film (featuring David Bowie’s music, and an appearance by Ziggy too, as I recall) - are a bit dated now, both are a stark and grim portrayal of the sheer misery and destitution that awaits any young person unlucky enough to find her- or him-self in this predicament. I felt that it was very realistic, and it patently did not glamorise illegal drug use – self-evidently a good thing. Unlike Trainspotting which – although I enjoyed the film – did tend towards making drug abuse more attractive than was warranted, in my view.