Book Review: Roxy

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Roxy

Author: Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Roxy is a unique take on a story about the ever relevant opioid crisis. Isaac and Ivy are both in need of drug related help for different reasons: Isaac for pain management, and Ivy for ADHD. In the world of Roxy, they become the unfortunate subjects of a bet between Roxy (Oxycontin for Isaac) and Addison (Adderall for Ivy) to see who can cause the downfall of their person first (by bringing them to "The Party").

Wow, Roxy is a heavy and powerful book. The topics covered in this book could easily become very after-school special, but the authors created a very original story that still gets the message across. Having Roxy and Addison as actual beings, digging deep their characters, and showing their paths of destruction in the lives of Isaac and Ivy made this book hard to put down. My one worry going into this book is that the plot would glamorize or mishandle the topic of drug addiction, but that is not the case; it is clear that a lot of thought and care went into this book. Roxy is a fascinating and heavy story that will stick with the reader afterwards; I would recommend it but also note to the reader to be prepared for the difficult subject matter. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing; this is my honest and voluntary review.

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