Good book.

Excellent book. Kind of book that many people can relate to. Hard book to put down and makes you want more. Will read more from this author.

Very pleased.

I've left previous reviews. The only addiction I now have is to this series. Looking forward to the final volume.

Great and sad book-deeply relatable-experienced alcohol killing my father too soon and destroying my Mother episode by episode-she keep us sane,he gave us passion for life -We all did the best we could and some of us became alcoholic and recovering alcoholics and I became a workaholic and life goes on-ugly vicious disease-God got us through it -I personally hate alcohol

OK, what can I say... "Exactly Like My Father" hits straight into addiction and family trauma from the very first page. Olivia Parker is the kind of character you want to shake and hug at the same time. The way her promise at six years old comes back to haunt her felt painfully real. I’m not sure why, but the McKinsey job loss part hit me harder than I expected. Maybe just because of my brother went through the same actually...Anyway, one thing that worked well is how the story shows addiction as something inherited and learned, not chosen, and it’s explained in a way that 1/ I could follow easily and 2/ still felt emotional.The author’s writing style is clear and direct. Only (small) critic: some scenes felt long and repetitive, especially during the drinking spiral, but I get why it was done.

This is a great story that a lot of people can relate to. Alcoholics come from all walks of life, whether you're a construction worker, teacher, or corporate executive. The book really helps you understand what life is like for people struggling with alcohol. I think what makes this book so powerful is how honest and raw it is. It doesn't sugarcoat anything, but it also shows that recovery is possible. You get a real sense of the daily battles these people face and how alcoholism affects not just them but everyone around them. Definitely worth reading if you want to understand addiction better.

I read the book in hours. It is a vivid picture of addiction, painfully vivid. I think there was some repetition in the descriptions of each time she went back to the bottle but they were not too distracting.

Never Like My Father paints a vivid picture of the pain and shame children of an alcoholic feel every day. Mr. Kane does a magnificent job of foreshadowing how that pain and shame mutates into the specter that hangs over every child of an alcoholic ? that they could turn out to be exactly like their father.This story will resonate with anyone who has dealt with addiction in their family. It is well written and compelling. I highly recommend Exactly Like My Father.

I read this book in a few hours. I couldn’t put it down. Living with alcoholism is a hard life. But, it doesn’t have to steal every family member.

If you grew up with a family member having a addiction, you can relate to this book. Sometimes you just have to save yourself. Excellent book.

An emotional and rather heavy book. It’s definitely not something you’d call light evening reading. I think for people who grew up in similar environments with parents struggling with addiction, it may trigger difficult associations. Still, the story leaves a sense of hope, showing that even a young girl was able to cope with such a hardship.

The honesty around growing up with addiction felt raw and real, and I found myself pausing more than once to sit with my own memories. I especially connected with the promise at the heart of the story, it gave everything meaning and hope. Some parts were emotionally heavy and hard to get through, but overall it’s a powerful, brave read that stays with you long after you finish.

Exactly Like My Father is a deeply moving and heartfelt book that beautifully explores the bond between a parent and child. The story captures the quiet moments, emotions, and lessons that shape who we become, making it incredibly relatable and meaningful.

I think the book nails the mechanics of childhood in an alcoholic home: hypervigilance, parentification, and the illusion that perfection can stabilize chaos. The opening bathroom scene is not there for shock. It sets the operating system Olivia runs for the next decade, controls everything, feels nothing, and protects everyone. The writing stays clean and fast. No melodrama, no preachy recovery slogans, and that choice makes the heavy moments land harder. The strongest thread is the sacred promise as a long-term psychological contract. It works until it does not, because a child cannot outperform a disease. If you grew up around addiction, this will hit like a documentary. If you did not, it still teaches the pattern: kids become the household regulator, and the cost shows up later as anxiety, distance, and self erasure. It is surely a painful read, but it earns it. You finish with empathy for the child, anger at the adults, and a clear sense that survival and love can coexist with walking away.

Moving novel that thoughtfully explores the lasting impact of parental alcoholism and family trauma. The writing is raw yet restrained, and the characters feel authentic and emotionally real. You can feel the pain, confusion, and struggle, but also the resilience and hope that gradually emerge. A compelling read for anyone affected by complex family dynamics, and a story that stays with you long after the final page.

A devastatingly tender book that stays with you long after the last page. I read it in one aching breath. Olivia’s voice is honest, brave, and heartbreakingly real. This story captures childhood resilience, quiet courage, and the complicated love of surviving an alcoholic parent with rare grace.

A very quick and easy read, though definitely a sad one. The writing is smooth and simple, and the story feels honest rather than dramatic. Quiet, emotional, and thoughtful.

This book was hard to read in the way that matters. Not because the writing is difficult, but because it hits close to places a lot of people try not to look at for too long. I appreciated that the story doesn’t rush past the mess or try to soften it. Rock bottom feels like rock bottom here, and that honesty made it powerful.

Alcoholism is a terrible monster. Very few authors capture this stark fact better than Howard Kane. I look forward to the next volume in this series.

a raw, heartbreaking continuation of The Daughter of a Drunk series. After a lifetime spent vowing never to repeat her father’s mistakes, Olivia Parker’s world collapses when her brother dies by suicide and she blames herself. Once a successful McKinsey consultant, she spirals into addiction, shame, and homelessness, becoming the very person she swore she’d never be.

Sometimes alcoholic parents create very resilient and strong children. Not a plus for alcoholism because kids are not supposed to bear the consequences. This book hinges on some very powerful societal stances on family trauma and resistance for inheritance affirmed by children and that is refreshing.

As a 41-year-old dad, this book hit me right in the heart with its raw and honest depiction of childhood trauma and the lasting impact of family addiction. Howard Kane masterfully tells Olivia's story, a young girl trying to keep a "sacred promise" not to become her broken father, and I found myself rooting for her on every page. Any parent will appreciate the depth of her struggle to protect her younger brother and navigate two broken homes while seeking perfection just to make the chaos stop. This is a truly moving and important read that offers powerful insight into the strength required to break painful generational cycles.

This book is an unflinching look at the childhood of a girl who grows up in the shadow of her father's addiction. Olivia's voice is honest, raw, and full of the quiet bravery that so many children of alcoholics will recognize. The writing pulls you into each moment, from fear to hope to the impossible choices she must make. It captures the complicated love between a child and a parent who cannot stop hurting them. A deeply moving and unforgettable read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. From the start, it drew me in from the POV of a small girl loved her daddy, but at times there was the other side to her daddy - the drunkard. It's such an emotional and honest look at what it is like to grow up in the shadow of addiction. If you've have ever been in a similar situation, this will DEFINITELY hit hard. Even without the experience myself, i found that it made me emotional and sympathetic to others in this situation. LOVED IT.

I really like the idea behind this book. It’s raw and honest And so beautifully written and Olivia’s voice pulls you in right away. Some parts are really heavy and they feel real. It’s a gripping story about survival, family, and growing up in chaos. Definitely one that will stay with me.

This memoir is powerful in its simplicity. The author shares a painful childhood with a clarity that feels both courageous and steady, and the storytelling flows in a way that’s easy to follow despite the heavy themes. The emotional moments are great, and the narrative keeps a good balance between hardship, reflection, and hope. It’s a moving, well-structured read that stays with you long after you close the book.

This book affected me far more than I expected. The author’s unfiltered honesty about growing up with trauma and navigating a family shaped by addiction makes the story feel both intimate and universally true. The writing hits hard, the emotions ring real, and the path toward healing stays with you long after you’re done. It’s a truly remarkable read.

This book completely broke and healed me at the same time. The author captures childhood trauma with such honesty that it feels almost too real at times. Olivia’s story is both painful and inspiring, showing the impossible balance between love and survival when growing up around addiction.The writing is elegant yet deeply emotional, and every chapter pulled me in completely. I appreciated that it doesn’t glorify suffering but shows the quiet strength of a child trying to keep her promise to be different. It reminded me that resilience doesn’t mean being unhurt, but choosing to heal anyway.If you have ever lived through family chaos or loved someone struggling with addiction, this book will speak to your soul. A masterpiece of empathy and courage that I couldn’t put down.