The Quick Cut: Two siblings get caught up in the appeal of prescribed medications and get addicted in the process. A Real Review: It's common for medical professionals to prescribe medication to a patient. Sometimes the need is persistent, with everyday doses being required. In other cases, the need for meds is short term and temporary. However, there is a growing problem of misuse with prescribed medications. In this story centered around Ivy and Isaac, that abuse potential is seen with Oxy and Adderall. Isaac and Ivy are siblings with their own lives. Isaac is a soccer player with a soon to be dark secret while Ivy is the problem child who had a problematic boyfriend and struggles around her ADHD. When Isaac has a fall, he starts using Roxy (also known as oxycontin) and discovers the addictive nature of pain killers. Ivy decides to give Addison (aka Adderall) a try after struggling with her ADHD in an unmedicated fashion. These two start out innocent enough but don't know the whole story: that these two medications are gods and in a race to the bottom. Will Ivy and Isaac figure out the road they're on will lead them to harm? Or will they happily go down it instead? I love Neal Schusterman, but I have mixed feelings after finishing this story. Everyone can agree that over medicating is a true problem society wise and that addictions come in many methods. Using this fictional story to shine a light on this issue is definitely a timely topic and one I would expect him to write on. If you're a fan of his topical style, you will enjoy this latest one. However, I found myself frustrated at a minimum with how the authors chose to portray ADHD and Adderall. In the right hands, Adderall is a beneficial medication. So many depend on it to be able to focus their lives and be productive. I don't think featuring it as one of the gods in this book was a good idea. It also felt more than a little stereotypical in it's portrayal of ADHD. If he wanted to feature it, the least he could have done is showcase the more common issue of people abusing Adderall who don't need it. Isaac's story with Roxy I found more enjoyable than Ivy's. Isaac starts out as a good kid with a future to look forward to and slowly falls down the rabbit hole is pain medication addiction. Seeing his life spiral out and the half truths that Roxy uses to convince him that life is okay we're clever and authentic feeling. I've never had medication abuse problem, but his spiral out made it feel real. Making the medications gods who try to whisper in your ear and get you hooked is a smart twist. This book is filled with smart little secrets, such as the ones hidden in the chapter titles. If you pick up the clues, each one has a hidden message that tells you more about what's coming. It engaged me at another level as the reader and made me smile. A book about addiction with mostly bright moments, but a few disappointing ones. My rating: 4.25 out of 5