Father and son writing team, Neal Schusterman and Jarrod Schusterman, have delivered a total gut punch in their new collaboration, ROXY. If you decide to pick this one up, be prepared to spend some hours reading because it's a difficult one to put down.
Ivy and Issac are siblings living fairly traditional teenage lives. Ivy is the oldest by a year and tends to be the problem child of the family. Her parents have sought help for her careless behavior including medication - Adderall. In the past she has refused to take it, but with the threat of not graduating on time, she decides to fill her prescription and actually begin using it.
Ivy doesn't admit to her parents that she is following doctor's orders, but things are looking up for her at school and beyond. Unfortunately, financial problems have her parents distracted so they aren't noticing the things they probably should.
Issac, always worried about Ivy's risky behavior, has been keeping an eye on her, and while at a party, he throws a few punches to defend her and ends up with a badly sprained ankle. Normally not that big a deal but, Issac is worried about his soccer performance since it promises to be a gateway to college especially now with his parents' money trouble. He finally seeks medical advice that leads to a prescription for a pain killer.
Playing in the background for these two teens is a party life hosted by countless party gods who disguise themselves in friendly forms designed to lure in unsuspecting humans. There's Addison (Adderall), Roxicodone (Roxy), Al (alcohol), Phineas (Morphine), and many, many more. Addison and Roxy enter into a contest to see which sibling they can eventually "conquer."
ROXY is a powerful and sometimes disturbing look into the dangerous world of drugs and addiction. Our teens are extremely vulnerable as these despicable "characters" lurk everywhere with easy promises of fun and freedom from troubles and pain. ROXY is a must read I will be sharing with many.
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