MANY teenagers experiment with drugs, but in James Fountain's case this was not of his own volition, and what followed was a living nightmare.

In February 1996, when he was just 16, James was at a party when he believes his drink was spiked with a hallucinogenic like LSD.

Normally pretty shy, he suddenly became chatty, as if by instinct referring to the dangers of spiking drinks. By the time he got home to Hartlepool, his mind was in turmoil. He picked up a clock and thought he'd stopped time and filled pages of A4 paper with disjointed ramblings.

When over the next few days his mental state didn't improve, James found himself in hospital, where for the next three months he struggled to come to terms with his surreal and sometimes frightening thoughts and visions. It took lithium - and a long struggle - for him to regain control of his mind.

In this gripping book, James relates the story of his drug-induced nightmare, giving graphic accounts of his flights of fancy. We see the effects on his loving family, to whom he became a virtual stranger, and live through his trials and tribulations as he slowly finds his true self. While undoubtedly sad, James's story is also one of hope and, ultimately, of redemption.

Told simply and with a light touch, it gives a unique insight into mental illness, showing just how easily it can take hold. We share James's sometimes shocking experiences of various psychiatric wards and learn how lonely life can be for someone who has been labelled mad.

The book's heart-warming epilogue is that James did get better - and not only that, but he went on to achieve success as an academic. His experience hasn't made him into an anti-drugs campaigner, nor has he allowed it to dominate his life, but it has taught him something valuable. As James himself puts it: "Maybe it was a turning point, and certainly there was a loss of innocence there. But it opened up my life socially and it gave me a purpose with my work.

It made me more worldly-wise, but not in a bad way. In some ways, it was a good thing."