Both distressing and useful academic material.
Hard-hitting facts and heartbreaking stories tell the tale of America’s brutal battle with deadly synthetic opioids.
In five chapters plus a short introduction, readers learn about the scope of the addiction crisis that the influx of synthetic opioids has exacerbated. The author traces the use of fentanyl and other drugs from their original medical origins to becoming the leading cause of the rising number of overdoses and deaths. Each chapter answers common questions surrounding these drugs and their impacts. Chapter 1 explains the drugs’ physical effects and the chemical reactions that cause overdoses to occur before diving into the opioid crisis itself and how fentanyl entered the scene. Chapter 2 turns the lens on synthetic opioids and what makes them so uniquely dangerous, while Chapter 3 examines the drugs’ economic and social costs. Chapter 4 describes available treatments and prevention methods such as Narcan, methadone, and therapy. The author finishes by presenting various strategies for handling the crisis, such as providing more funding for treatment, reducing stigma, and cutting off the supplies of opioids from doctors and illicit dealers alike. Nakaya frames addiction as a disease and users as people deserving of treatment, not scorn. Personal accounts illustrate the fact that addiction can strike anyone. Text boxes offer useful additional context. This clear and compassionate approach to a complex and painful subject is a valuable resource.
Both distressing and useful academic material. (picture credits, source notes, organizations and websites, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678205744
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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