I have been through hell and back, more than once, and came out the other side. I'm a little sad, more than a little dazed, and can only throw back my head and yell YES! I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Generally speaking, the story grabs you right away, refusing to let go until the last sentence (and what a good one it is). The prose flows freely, yet it can be choppy and disjointed, much like the mind it's pouring out from. Trevor is... I don't even know how to describe him. He's a total mess, and yet you're on his side the entire time, hoping today's the day he's going to pull his head out of his ass and run away from the mess in which he has immersed himself. This is a man completely at the will of his addictions, too enthralled to even question the walls of his life crumbling around him. His story begins at the bottom, and then just goes downhill from there.

Oh, but what a wonderful thing a second chance can be... and sometimes, a third.

Personally speaking, this story ripped me wide open and bled me nearly dry, then picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me a little hug before sending me on my way with just a little more hope than I had before. Trevor spoke directly to my past, and it was truly one of the hardest reads in a very long time. Necessary, I think, but so very hard.

Read this book! Let the prose take you where you might be afraid to go, and don't let yourself get caught up on details like quotation marks or the need for a story to march forward relentlessly. Trevor reveals himself to us with both his past and present, weaving together to show us the entire picture at once. Don't be afraid of the subject matter, because Trevor can teach us all something, regardless of if we relate to him or not.

So well done! I'd give it ten stars if I knew how to hack! ;) ( )

Not my kind of book. This is a story about a young man with addition problems who has it all, loses it all, then has a 2nd chance, has it all again and loses it again...the road to the bottom the 2nd time is the journey we travel with Trevor. It is written in first person and is well written for the type of book it is. We follow his choices going from bad to worse and get glimpses of what brought him to this state; abuse and loss. It portrays the numbness that a person in pain is searching for, but, as I said, that is not my type of book. I generally don't connect with male writters as I want to feel along with the character. I rarely find that men convey emotions as well as women.(I DO read and enjoy certain male authors, but it is usually a very diffent enxperience like a Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Kurt Vonnegut...) I didn't "feel" Trevor.I have been close to people with addiction and have had loss and abuse, but this book didn't touch me at all. Maybe it was how he fell in with rich guy and had thousands of dollars, a yacht, $800 bottles of wine, drugs, women and a beauriful wife just thrown at him to use. Yeah, sorry...do not relate to that at all. Not to say that the book is bad, it is just not what I want to spend my time reading. ( )

I don't often read books by authors I don't know. I purchased South of Bixby Bridge for my kindle, thinking I would read it when I ran out of other books. I scanned through a few pages, and was so intrigued within 1 paragraph that I had to go and read it right away. 1 day.. I read the whole thing and plan to read it again. I can't wait to read another title by Ryan. I love the complexity of the characters. I loved how they interact with each other and I highly recommend this book!!

I have since read this book 3 times! It's just better and better each time ( )

Sometimes we make all the wrong choices. And repeat them. Some will fall and come back stronger only to fall further. Lifes lessons can be harsh, but until one discover who they are and what triggers their actions, how can one heal?

Trevor Roberts had a reputable career, until he drank it away. He had a wonderful girlfriend, until he drank it away. He had a home and other luxuries until he pissed them away. The only thing he was left with was the Porsche, which held many memories, that his mother gave him before she passed away. What drove him to make such poor choices and would he dig himself out of his personal hell?

Trevor eventually lands an unbelievable job opportunity and jumps on it. Unfortunately, his struggle with addiction only deepens and brings him into a world of money, sex, and unimaginable chaos. Paul, his current employer, leads Trevor down a retched path and eventually Trevor ends up back where he started. The Porsche becomes home again, but even that is taken away.

After all of his pitfalls, will Trevor search his soul? Face his own personal demons? Or will he continue to lean toward false securities and temporary 'feel good' moments?

Read SOBB to find out. ( )

Let me preface this by saying that the past few months the majority of what I've been reading is political pundits books and memoirs as works of fictions rarely have the ability to pull me in.
This book was reccomended to me and I bought it to check it out & I'm glad I did. From the minute I started reading it I became wrapped up in the struggles of the characters. Their flaws and quirks and control of power or assumed control of power had me waiting to see what would happen next.
It kept me hooked with everything from scandal, sex, drugs, lavish lifestyles, deceit, blackmail, alternate lives, and everytime I felt I had a character figured out I was thrown something new to shock me back into wanting to root for everyone.
Yes, it's a story of addiction, yes it deals with the webs we spin and get tangled in, yes it shows the seedy dark side of drugs, sex and excess - but I gathered more of a story of redemption above all.
Turning over a new leaf. A beautifull told and depicted story of sometimes having to hit rock bottom more than once before you can pull yourself out of the hole you are in.
I reccomend this to everyone... There are moments of suspense, temptation, tears. Just amazing piece of work. Restored my faith in fiction...