Dreamland

May 15, 2019
In this young adult adaptation of his adult title Dreamland (2015), seasoned journalist Quinones narrates a fast-paced exposé of the opiate epidemic. The story begins and ends in Portsmouth, Ohio, a leader in both societal decline due to addiction and, years later, hope for recovering addicts. Quinones lays out the causes of the epidemic as if bringing together puzzle pieces. Purdue Pharma's ad campaign targeting physicians downplayed the addictive nature of painkillers; physicians overprescribed them, most--but not all--with sincere intentions of helping their patients. A seemingly endless stream of Mexican drug dealers sought out the addict population as customers for their imported black tar heroin, which provided the same euphoria but with less cost and inconvenience. Presented as victims are the addicts--predominantly white families, at first poor and rural, later from privileged backgrounds. The efforts of law enforcement and public health officials to tackle the problem are detailed. Personal profiles crafted from interviews keep things interesting, and the technical descriptions of the various drug forms and the history of opiates are informative. Although the author describes the radical about-face by lawmakers who took a "tough on crime" approach to drugs when victims were predominantly black, readers may finish the book with the impression that Mexicans have wreaked havoc on innocent white lives. A scrupulously researched, well-crafted tale that sheds light on a timely topic. (epilogue, photographs, reading guide, source notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2019
Grades 8-12 This young adult adaptation of 2015's widely acclaimed study of the opioid crisis begins in 1929 with Portsmouth, Ohio, where the community hub was once a swimming pool called Dreamland. From there, we are taken on a carefully researched journey through America and beyond, as anecdotal stories show how the epidemic has overrun small towns and suburbs throughout the country. Quinones lays out a historical narrative, tracing the use of opiates in medicine, detailing how a pharmaceutical company found a legal way to produce more addicts, and explaining why government research has been percolating so long. He examines the struggle of law enforcement to quell this disaster, as well as the various solutions still being considered, from reforming drug laws to finding ways to help recovering addicts. This riveting tale will introduce readers to the tiny Mexican state of Nayarit, the heart of the crisis, where a small town of nonviolent drug dealers has shaped the face of this critical period in American history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)