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I really enjoyed this book. It does a great job of exposing the reader to a very real epidemic that is greatly impacting America in a profound manner, but that many who read the book may not experience every day, if ever. Both informative and easy to read.
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.5 if I could The story is important but repetitive to the point of I skimmed last third of book-who edited this?? A bunch of “articles” cobbled together for a book — too bad because I will not read any more of this guys work
This would make a great assigned reading for high school classes. It has an equal blend of statistical information and personal stories which makes it read pretty quickly. I'm so glad they made a young adult adaptation of this book.
dark
informative
fast-paced
Personal narrative choices combine with stellar reporting.
3-1/2 stars. While the book repeats itself often, the story is important and worth being repeated. What a nightmare. Sister morphine has murder in her eyes.
MASTERFUL. This is the best piece of nonfiction I have read. I wish I could personally thank Sam Quinones for writing this book.
It is thorough, harrowing, informative, heartbreaking, meticulous and gut-wrenching. This book is so important and it's a glorious bonus that it is so well-written. Quinones crafts this story carefully, somehow paying credence to every party involved. You feel unexpected compassion for the addicts and the dealers, understanding towards the over-prescribing doctors, agony for the families, and hope for the advocates and changemakers.
It's a #longread, but it's essential. Best book I've read this year. My heart is going to feel broken for a long time after reading the anecdotes woven in.
It is thorough, harrowing, informative, heartbreaking, meticulous and gut-wrenching. This book is so important and it's a glorious bonus that it is so well-written. Quinones crafts this story carefully, somehow paying credence to every party involved. You feel unexpected compassion for the addicts and the dealers, understanding towards the over-prescribing doctors, agony for the families, and hope for the advocates and changemakers.
It's a #longread, but it's essential. Best book I've read this year. My heart is going to feel broken for a long time after reading the anecdotes woven in.
I did really like this book and found it fascinating and horrifying to learn of how black tar heroin became so easily acquired due to big pharma's push of the non-addictive oxycontin. My one beef with it is that it got a little repetitive for me at times and thus sometimes it seemed to move a little bit slower (I found myself thinking 'haven't I heard about this already?" a few times). All that being said - still a really great and sad read.
This was a very personal read for me as I have had my own demons in the past (none as to the extent in the book). But this book was well written, and compelling enough that I read it fairly quickly. It opened my eyes further to the drug epidemic in this country (and I though they were open wide already), and it also helped me understand where black tar heroin had come from and the story of the pill scourge of middle america. It is not a fun read my any means, but it enlightening, and at the end offers hope.