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Reviews tagging 'Drug use'
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
39 reviews
canngrob's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Classism
Minor: Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Racism
alaiyo0685's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Violence and Drug use
emmehooks's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Alcohol, Drug use, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
amyvl93's review against another edition
4.5
Desmond treats all the individuals he features with such empathy, it really felt like you were alongside them. There are moments of great tragedy sitting alongside everyday tragedies. He shines a light on systems that exploit those they should protect - from the incredibly profitable business of filling your properties with those on state support because you don't run the risk of losing rent, whilst not considering whether the properties really meet their needs, to the truly insane practice of raising grievances against landlords when residents call the police (including in cases of domestic abuse) that can lead families being evicted because landlords don't want to be considered nuisance properties. When this happened to one family, who finally appeared to be on the 'up', I very nearly cried out of frustration for them.
Alongside the problems of housing, Evicted also looks at the factors that can tip people what many may refer to as 'chaotic lives'. Drug addiction is a pattern for many of those profiled here - a nurse who loved their job who gained an opioid habit following an injury loses his job after he stole and finds himself in a trailer park. But alongside this is abusive relationships, childhood trauma, limited employment that enables the flexibility that many women raising children need and proximity to crime. The families that are able to find stability are those that are able to finally get themselves into spaces where they can build connections, find stable employment and access support - all of which is underpinned by high quality housing. Desmond very clearly articulates how being stuck in a horrible home impacts the way people feel about themselves; and how a home to be proud of improves people's ways of seeing themselves - which is even more true of the children and teenagers profiled here.
Written in 2016, so much of Desmond's writing and findings feel prescient to today. I'm looking forward (?) to reading his latest book Poverty next.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Grief, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, and Drug use
knitswhilereading's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Mental illness, Child death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury
rystonlentil43's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Racism, and Drug use
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Fire/Fire injury
esjackson's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, Grief, Animal death, Cursing, Incest, Murder, and Suicide
bessadams's review against another edition
4.25
Moderate: Racism, Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Drug abuse, Violence, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
c100's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Racism, and Drug use
rspades's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Physical abuse