⚠️Content warning: drug use, death, addiction
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OH. MY. GOD. Y’all. This book. I literally am speechless. Neal and Jarrod did it again. This book is amazing and important and terrifying. Isaac and Ivy are siblings and both have their issues: Ivy is the “screwup” to her parents. She is failing in school, has a loser boyfriend, and doesn’t care about much because she can’t focus on much.
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Isaac is your typical “good kid,” he goes well in school, has good friends, never stays out too let, even helps his parents out in their business.
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Until one night when Isaac goes to bring Ivy home from a party and gets in a fight that leaves him with a sprained ankle. This is when Isaac meets “Roxy,” aka OxyContin. She woos Isaac and he falls for her. Hard.
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Ivy starts taking Adderall or “Addison” to help her focus in school and try to turn her senior year around so that she can graduate, but ends up in a relationship with Addison.
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What made this book really unique was how the Shustermans (ShusterMEN?) personify the drugs as people and the way they interact with their “plus Ones”. The drugs spend their time at a “party” and interact with each other and all have uplines that they have to answer to. Addison and Roxy start a wager about who can bring Isaac or Ivy to the party first.
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I won’t lie to y’all, this book is as addictive as the drugs it describes. And is essentially a cautionary tale for teens or all people and drug use. Definitely have conversations with your students before reading it because of how it makes the drug use seem, and how things end up for the siblings.
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Overall this book was AMAZING and worth every dark circle under my eyes because I started up until 3am to finish it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this Arc!

This was a tough read for me. I understand the opioid crisis and drug addiction in general very well. I have seen friends taken by this and now older family members who just ran out of choices.

This begins with the death of an Ramey, I... alluding to either of the brother sister duo Isaac and Ivy Ramey. Both seem to be down on their luck and it just spiraled downward from there. With the main drugs being Oxy and Adderall.

There are so many triggers in this book I don't even know where to start. Drug addiction, depression... everything that comes along with that and also effects the family as a whole.

This is a masterful piece of work on this subject and I just want to say how appreciative I am for authors like these that shine a light on such a dark place.

I feel like Jarrod wrote this and used his dads name for notoriety. Bc this doesn’t read like Neal at all. I could barely get 15% in. Simply terrible.

I love Neal Shusterman's books so I wasn't surprised at all that I loved this one too. As with most of his books, Roxy takes a look at some serious topics, in this case, drug use, addiction, and our medical practices, while at the same time creating a novel that is engrossing and engaging. I see so many good topics to discuss with teens here. This is a definite recommendation for me.

“They see themselves as gods, but in the end, they are just like me. Nothing but chemicals.”
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The book starts out with a drug-related death, but whose? Is it older sister Ivy, who is struggling with untreated ADHD or soccer star Isaac, who is dealing with a sports-related injury? Both deal with addiction to two different drugs in particular: Addison (Adderall) and Roxy (OxyContin). Drawn in by the drugs, both kids spiral down a dangerous path throughout the book to a devastating end.
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Shusterman and his son Jarrod take a very interesting take on the opioid crisis in Roxy. This YA book personifies both drugs (as well as others such as morphine, cocaine, heroin, acid, etc.) and gives them their own chapters to lay out their nefarious plans. I’ve read a lot of books about the opioid crisis in the past two years, but this one was definitely told in the most unique way. The audiobook was incredible to listen to because it had a full cast. Check the CW below before reading!
CW: death, drug use/abuse, underage drinking, alcohol, vomit, overdose, drug withdrawal

Like all books that deal with the opioid crisis or drug use in general, this was a hard read.

I had to DNF this because of how difficult it was for me to read, so was not going to review it. However, reading so very many reviews here who are just confused or just missing
the point makes me feel I must chime in for exactly the reasons that I had to bow out.

It's very much a cautionary tale. Read up on the Sackler family and then read it, or jump into that right after. But, if you have lived the cautionary tale or are close to someone who has, this will be an exceptionally difficult read that I would probably warn you away from.

I have mental health problems that derailed my life multiple times. Luckily I "only" self medicated with alcohol. Many of my schoolmates (grad 1997) did not, and there is a large % of my graduating class now dead from the trip from roxy to herion. My daughter also has mental health issues and fell into many of these drugs trying to self medicate (Yes, she had psychiatrists and therapists, etc all through this, but preferred self medication because teenagers know everything. There's a lot more here SO PLEASE DO NOT PARENT SHAME and just be a normal compassionate human.) Also, both of my children and I have ADHD.

So, I very much understood the device of the drugs there and talking to Ivy and Isaac. I understood the pull between use and abuse, and how that line isnt always clear when youre there.

As far as the "god" aspect, maybe it would help many to think of it from the perspective that gods are where we put our faith. That makes them gods. So, use requires the belief that they at least may help, or you wouldn't even take them. Then they work. We have faith in medicines and drugs of all kinds in all sorts of ways and on multiple levels. This could be forgetting for a bit or relaxing to have fun with friends (the party aspect of these drugs) or much bigger things. This gets into that and picks it apart, while maintaining front and center that the drug never is in it to help, even though we use them that way. The drug that's meant to mess with your head doesnt have a moral compass.

Thank you to Neal Shusterman, Simon & Schuster & Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Roxy is a cautionary tale of drug addiction through the eyes of drugs personified and their marks, Ivy and Isaac. Roxy and Addie are Oxycontin and Adderall, drugs designed to help, but also can be addicting as we've seen from the opioid crisis. The drugs make a bet on which one can get their mark hooked first and take them to the VIP room of the party.

This book is very heavy. I had to take several breaks as the story moves through the downward spiral of drug addiction. Be forewarned of triggers for drug use, addiction, suicide, and overdose. I think this is a cautionary tale for parents as much as it is for teens. You see the signs of abuse as the siblings spiral on their respective drugs. While it is not an easy read, I found it engrossing and I found myself thinking about it a lot. I think it's a very necessary read that was very well done.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster,
Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Roxy is a phenomenal YA novel exploring addiction by way of the Gods (think greek, roman, etc.). It's truly brilliant writing on top of a genius concept. Oxycontin is Roxy and Adderall is Addison. They make a bet about bringing a plus one into the party and bringing them into the VIP room. The metaphor is powerful. Readers will want to get their hands on Roxy asap! Highly recommended!

Let's be honest: addiction narratives are inherently predictable. So anytime an author finds a unique approach it's worth a look. And Shusterman has found a unique approach in personifying the drugs. In fact, I would argue that this is not Isaac and Ivy's story. Roxy and Addy really take center stage. Thus we are empathizing with the drugs rather than the people. Ivy and Isaac are fairly underdeveloped. We also meet a wide variety of other drugs, identified primarily by nicknames, so unless you're familiar with drug culture some of them are hard to recognize. It's a unique story to be sure but I don't know what readers will take from it.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I applaud the Shustermans for addressing a topic that is largely ignored by society as a whole - the opioid crisis, especially within poor and rural America. This book provides an interesting analysis of this issue via two human main characters and their prescription medications serving as the two other main characters. This was a hard hitting novel as I'm sure many of us have witnessed this issue firsthand.

Many trigger warnings for this one: addition, depression, drug use, etc. so please be careful.

This book was at times extremely hard to read and incredibly dark, but I haven't met a Shusterman novel I regret reading yet. If you are up for a gut-punching read, I would highly suggest this one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Roxy by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman.
This book! This book is a book that will stay with me long after the last page. It is a book that every high school teen should read. It is harsh, dark, and eye-opening. Written from the perspective of a brother and sister told from the point of view of the drugs that control them. The concept of using personification to show the control that drugs have on a person is brilliant. Neal Shusterman's use of metaphor creates an unforgettable story!

Another win from Neal and Jarrod Shusterman! I love the viewpoints from the drugs and how they interact with each other...and with an ending that I did not expect, but was well thought out!

I've loved other Neil Shusterman titles, but just couldn't get into this one. I can't really put my finger on it, it was just off kilter to me. The drug use and atmosphere didn't hold my attention. DNF.

I have enjoyed basically every book that Neal Shusterman has written. This one was definitely a miss, which is unfortunate. The storyline was really confusing and difficult to follow. I also didn’t really care for any of the characters. It felt like a great concept that was poorly executed. I will continue to pick up future books by Neal Shusterman because I think his narrative on issues is really insightful.

This is a story about the things that bring us up… or down

I love Neal Shusterman, and thought dry was absolutely terrifying, so I was really excited for this one….. but it didn’t quite work for me. The premise was inventive & original, and I think the authors pulled it off fairly well- but I found myself wishing the book would stay in one “world” or the other. I’ll still definitely pick up whatever they write next!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ . 🌟

Thank you so much Netgalley & Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eArc!

"I am good at what I do. More than good, I am the best. I need moments like this to remind me not to look back and to always move forward. I am more than life and death. I am the fire that burns through the world. I am the luminary at the leading edge of a glorious pandemic, and all their attempts to contain me have failed. Why should I feel shame at that?"

Anyone who knows me knows one of the things I'm passionate about is climate change. I also love a good book that will help spread awareness about climate change and the negative effects of climate change. When I read Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman a few years ago, I was completely sucked into the book. In fact, the book made such an impression on me that I haven't stopped thinking about it in the 2+ years since I read it. As soon as I heard Neal and Jarrod were teaming up to write a new book, I immediately added it to my list and requested a copy. I was thrilled when I was approved for an e-arc.

Roxy is also a provocative story highlighting a very real danger in our current times: the opioid crisis in teenagers. The book starts out with the reader knowing that there is a dead teenager in an abandoned house in a neighborhood that is about to be torn down. We quickly learn that the teenager could be either Isaac or Ivy but we'll have to read their journey to find out who dies at the end. Isaac is a successful soccer star but after an injury, he falls prey to Oxycontin. Ivy has ADHD and once again begins taking Adderall. As an added layer to this book, all of the drugs have their own personalities and motives for bringing humans to "the party" - where their ultimate goal is to get their human companion to overdose. Roxy (Oxycontin) and Addison (Adderall) are the two main players we spend time with, but we are certainly exposed to more drugs at the party: Molly, Lucy, Heri, and Crys to name a few. I quickly found out I know next to nothing about various drugs as many of the names were unfamiliar to me.

As the story wove on, I found myself alternating who I thought would end up being the dead teenager at the end of the book. Honestly, it could have been either one of them at various parts of the story. I have seen some criticism of this book claiming that Adderall is not as dangerous of a drug as Oxycontin. While I would certainly argue that and I know Adderall can be a life-changing drug for so many people, I also think it's important to recognize how easy it is to abuse any type of drug. Even drugs meant for good things (and I'd even argue Oxycontin is, at its core, meant to be helpful) can be overused and lead to some incredibly dangerous outcomes. Teenagers need to know there are consequences for their actions and I felt like this book did a nice job of sharing those consequences with readers.

This book is incredibly heavy and has so many trigger warnings, especially for drug addiction, so be ready when you dig into this one. While I didn't love this book as much as I loved Dry, I do really enjoy the stories that Neal and Jarrod write together. I will definitely read the next one they write together, whatever that topic may be.

TW: drug addiction, depression, death, violence

**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I spent most of this book thinking that personifying drugs was a mistake because it humanized them and made drugs desirable. At the very end of the book, it is revealed that the drugs really are all bad even if they don't mean to be, but I worry that teens who don't finish the book will still walk away with a positive view of drugs. Also, the world-building takes the entire book to flesh out, so I spent most of the book wondering about the mechanics of what was being described. I've loved Neal's other books and appreciate him taking on a difficult subject but don't think this is for everyone.

I loved this book so much. It a bit trippy at first because of how the story is told, but it pays off. By giving the drugs a life you could see how people become addicted, why they were tempted. Watching the spiral of the siblings hurt because you could see their intentions and how easily things got away.

I am super torn on this one. On one hand it is so well written and imagined and on the other it is extremely hard to read given that I have had multiple families deal with drug addiction. I didn't love the whole story line of the drugs having emotions but I can see where the authors were going with this one. The drugs "personalities" show us how the drugs work to suck the person in. The whole hierarchy of the drugs was a bit too weird for me though. I think this book could be very important for teenagers to read to show them how drug addiction can work. Overall it was a good, if weird, read.

This is such a weird concept for a book, but im totally here for it. I think its a great way to open up the discussion of drugs to your teenager after reading. Personifying things like this and giving them certain attributes really make them say with you - as adults or teens. I really like the concept here.