Dreamseller

An Addiction Memoir

Skateboarder and Jackass star Brandon Novak comes clean about his crazy rise to fame, tailspin into addiction, and other death-defying stunts on the road to recovery …

At seven, Brandon was a skateboard prodigy. By the time he was fourteen, he was living the dream. Discovered by skate legends Bucky Lasek and Tony Hawk. Touring the US with the elite Powell-Peralta team. Signing autographs and appearing in films and magazines. Brandon had it all. Then he got hooked on heroin.

Soon the up-and-coming star was living a down-and-out life in a garage, begging for change, and hustling to score his next fix. He stole from his family and friends. He pushed the fantasy that everything was okay, that he was going to rehab, getting help, and getting better. But it was all a lie.

This is the story of an addict—a dreamseller who stopped believing the lies he was selling and started believing in himself. With the help of his celebrity buddy Bam Margera of Jackass fame, Brandon joined the cast of MTV’s Viva La Bam and made an honest reach for sobriety. The road was hard, and he had some falls. But like any great skateboarder, Brandon Novak was always determined to get up again.

©2008 Brandon Novak and Joseph Frantz. Update © 2017 by Brandon Novak and Joseph Frantz (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

true story

Chris, I'm an alcoholic. I love hearing stories like this. they don't glorify drug/alcohol use, but they don't glorify sobriety either. it's just a story of a man's struggle.

Painfully honest and raw!

This was the most relatable biography I’ve read that hit home with my own experience with active addiction. Such an amazing read/listen that shows real life for a suffering addict. I’ve listened to probably 15 addiction and recovery biographies recently and this stands out because absolutely nothing is sugarcoated. So real.

YES

This is sooo well done. Amazing story telling and Brandon is so inspiring, I have just listened to both books on here and it is just so insightful and raw about the ups AND downs of recovery, no sugar coating

The realization

If you have someone that is affected by drugs, alcohol anything read this book? You will always see some of them in this book.

Horrifyingly real tale of the truths of Heroin

I don’t leave reviews much, never really know what to say.
But this made me sit back and contemplate and feel for things I hadn’t thought of before. Gave me a lot to think about.

Proud of you Novak- I would say that it was beautiful, but this was far from beautiful. Horrific. Sad, gut wrenching. More like.

Regardless, I do believe this has been one of the greatest books I’ve ever read/listened to.
I’m just glad you made it through all of it all