Publishers Weekly
10/11/2021
Through a high-concept thriller that looks into the opioid crisis, the previous father-son collaborators (Dry) follow two siblings at the center of a deadly wager between two drugs characterized as gods. Confident and alluring Adderall (Addi) and pompous but utilitarian Roxicodone (Roxy) each make a bet that they can get their victim to overdose before the other: blue-haired artist Ivy Ramey, 18, who is nearly failing senior year due to her untreated ADHD, and her charismatic, high-achieving younger brother, Isaac Ramey, a 17-year-old soccer player who dreams of being a propulsion engineer until an off-field injury changes everything. Though the reader knows that one sibling will end up in a body bag tagged “I. Ramey,” the question of who will succumb pulls readers along. Throughout, perspectives shift between Addi, Roxy, and the siblings, giving insight into the motivations of two teens trying to do the best they can with what they have. The Shustermans’ depiction of each sibling’s spiral into dependence and misuse of prescribed medications sheds a critical light on the ongoing drug epidemic, subverting stereotypes about substance abuse while exploring each drug’s potential to help and to hinder. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)
Booklist
"This allegorical take on the opioid epidemic provides an utterly unique point of view on the lives of those struggling with drug dependencies. Surprisingly, this approach does not water down the stark realities besetting Ivy and Isaac as they sink into addiction. Rather, it captures the drugs’ allure, from granting small benefits and initial highs, before taking the reader through the horrible spiral that addiction can entail. Gritty and unflinching, this book portrays the opioid crisis in a way older YA readers can feel and understand."
12/10/21 - Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"The father-son writing team of Neal and Jarrod Shusterman (Dry) successfully takes on the opioid epidemic in their riveting, tense sophomore novel."
The Horn Boook Magazine
If the premise remains nebulous and ambiguous at times, it imbues the plot with elements of mystery and intrigue, coupled with interesting characters and the timely issues of the opioid crisis and other addictions.
12/10/21 - Shelf Awareness
The father-son writing team of Neal and Jarrod Shusterman (Dry) successfully takes on the opioid epidemic in their riveting, tense sophomore novel.
AudioFile Magazine
"Roxicodone and Adderall — the seductive Roxy and the comforting Addi — take on voices and personalities of their own when they make a bet to see which drug can get a troubled teen to the party with Dusty, Charlie, and Al (alcohol) first. Narrators Michael Crouch and Megan Tusing lead an ensemble cast in jumping from the points of view of the drugs to recounting the lives of a brother and sister in high school. Isaac heavily relies on painkillers after he’s injured playing soccer, and Ivy looks for a little pick-me-up to help her study. Anthropomorphism may not be every listener’s cup of tea, but here the driving pace and convincing details get the serious message across."
School Library Journal
★ 12/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—Oxycontin and Adderall, personified as Roxy and Addison, take center stage in this chilling novel about the opioid epidemic. The scene is set not unlike a dramatic stage production, opening on a teenage drug overdose told cleverly from the perspective of the Naloxone being injected into the victim's veins. The ID reads Ramey, I. Rewind two months, and two Ramey, I's are introduced: athletic, college-bound Isaac, and his sister, willful and unpredictable Ivy. Both lead very different lives but are as close as any siblings, until their relationship is threatened by two powerful entities. A sports injury introduces Isaac to the devious Roxy, while Ivy, whose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder inhibits her focus, reluctantly brings Addison into her life. As the Rameys start to spiral from their dependence on the substances, Roxy and Addison secretly compete to be the first to bring their plus-one to "the Party." The race is on. Seamlessly alternating between Roxy's and Addison's first-person points of view and Isaac's and Ivy's third-person points of view, this novel is a fresh take on an important and prevalent topic, albeit a disquieting one. The two young leads are strongly and realistically developed, and readers will hang on to and sympathize with their individual struggles. Meanwhile, the sly and cunning voices of Roxy and Addison are intriguing and at times believable. Just as Roxy pleads with Isaac, this novel begs to be devoured in one sitting, from the shocking beginning to the pulse-pounding end. The characters are cued white. VERDICT Highly recommended. Neal and Jarrod Shusterman have outdone themselves from their last thriller, Dry.—Amanda Harding, Elmwood Elementary School, Wauconda, IL
MARCH 2022 - AudioFile
Roxicodone and Adderall—the seductive Roxy and the comforting Addi—take on voices and personalities of their own when they make a bet to see which drug can get a troubled teen to the party with Dusty, Charlie, and Al (alcohol) first. Narrators Michael Crouch and Megan Tusing lead an ensemble cast in jumping from the points of view of the drugs to recounting the lives of a brother and sister in high school. Isaac heavily relies on painkillers after he’s injured playing soccer, and Ivy looks for a little pick-me-up to help her study. Anthropomorphism may not be every listener’s cup of tea, but here the driving pace and convincing details get the serious message across. B.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-09-01
Personified as gods, drugs Roxicodone and Adderall are at the center of this novel inspired by the opioid epidemic.
Human siblings Isaac and Ivy Ramey orbit different worlds. Isaac wants to study engineering. Ivy, who has ADD, feels like she’s tried everything and still has trouble focusing. When an ankle injury jeopardizes Isaac’s chance at a soccer scholarship, he turns to Roxy to alleviate the pain, while Ivy looks to Addi to find the focus to get her life on track. Their resulting struggles with addiction drive the once-close siblings apart as they find ways to feed their dependence—Isaac’s on Roxy’s comfort, Ivy’s on the clarity of purpose Addi brings to her life. The siblings head down a path to destruction when seductive Roxy and pragmatic Addi make a bet to see who can get their “plus-one” to the Party (an unearthly rave serving as a metaphor for altered states) and all the way to the VIP lounge—“the end of the line.” The novel feels like a stage drama from the tense first chapter to the tragic end. Interludes, in which other drugs tell their stories, punctuate the main narrative. The narration switches easily from Roxy’s and Addi’s first-person perspectives to Isaac’s and Ivy’s third-person limited viewpoints. Words hidden in chapter titles hint at themes or plot points. Isaac and Ivy are assumed White.
Powerful and chilling. (Fiction. 14-18)