Johnson is straightforward when telling the story of his past and how he came to know Jesus.

It was crazy to read about how young he and his friends were when they began to be violent, and how quickly it escalated. Johnson becomes the leader of his gang at only 13.

Most of the book takes place in 1960's New York. Johnson was addicted to heroin, and explains in detail what it felt like to be high and go through withdrawal. He acted as a pimp for a couple of women in order to support his habit.

It was sad seeing how the people in his life used him to serve their own purposes, and how he did the same with others. It seemed there were very few who actually cared about him.

It was very encouraging to read about how God reached him, though. I can always use more reminders that God can and will do what He wants. He doesn't need us to "save" people for Him - He does that all by Himself! ( )

Immediately I felt the rush in my stomach. I knew I had killed myself. I tried to get up but could not move. Youngblood Johnson was dying.

For someone who doesn't read a ton of memoirs, it's almost strange how engrossed I get whenever I read this one from the 1970s, The End of Youngblood Johnson by Aaron Johnson (as told to Jamie Buckingham.) I've read the book three times now.

I mean, if it were a movie, it might be one I'd personally pass on watching. Heroin addiction is absolutely no joke, and Johnson's earlier life as a junkie wasn't any joke either. Add in some broken families, poverty, violence, pimps and prostitutes, crooked preachers, crooked cops, jail time--and you've got anything but a pleasant, feel-good story on your hands.

Yet, this is a real story. A story of faith that someone actually lived. And, no, the memoir isn't exactly a pretty one, but life isn't always pretty.

I don't read books that seem messy for the sake of mess, books that go into salacious or gory details apparently just to shock my senses. But there are a lot of people who won't know or imagine just how far redemption can reach if redeemed folks gloss over or remain silent about the dark places they've been redeemed from.

So, no, this isn't a book for the faint of heart. It's a tragic but ultimately touching and memorable account of one man's passage from darkness into light. ( )