Generation Rx: A Story of Dope, Death, and America's Opiate Crisis

by Erin Marie Daly

 
A journalist recounts the loss of her brother to pills and heroin in a “gripping memoir, enhanced by statistics and other stories of addiction” (Kirkus Reviews).
 
What had happened to my baby brother? How did a tiny little pill shatter our family? When did we first begin losing Pat?
 
These are the questions that plagued Erin Marie Daly after her youngest brother, an OxyContin addict, was found dead of a heroin overdose at the age of twenty. In just a few short years, the powerful prescription painkiller had transformed him from a fun-loving ball of energy to a heroin addict hell-bent on getting his next fix.
 
Erin set out on a painful journey, turning a journalistic eye on her brother’s addiction; in the process, she was startled to discover how many other young people hooked on today’s increasingly potent opioids were finding themselves in the frightening grip of heroin.
 
With a new introduction and updated notes, Generation Rx blends deeply personal memoir and sharp reporting to explore what the opiate epidemic is doing to our youth, offering “a harrowing account of the busted lives, splintered relationships, and broken spirits of those who abuse drugs and the people who love these addicts” (Booklist).

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2014

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been following me for a while, you know I've been reading a lot about the current heroin epidemic, and the history of addiction (at the time I was reading this book, the Buffalo News published a story stating that, in the first ten days of March, ten people in Erie county had died of heroin overdoses, so obviously it's a problem on the local scale as well as nationally). This book is unlike any of the others, in that it takes the reader through Erin Marie Daly's own experience, as the sister of a young man who became addicted to heroin and then lost his life to that fight. While she interviewed many people in the course of writing this book--from her brother's addicted friends and those trying to escape, to the police officers tasked with trying to stop the flood of narcotics--her primary focus is always at the personal level. And that's what makes this book so heartbreaking, as she struggles to come to terms with her family's loss.

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I skimmed a great deal of the book, I am giving this two stars because it provided one of the things I am trying to learn about in this issue of 60,000 Americans dying of drug overdoses in the U.S. each year.
What I am really looking for is a book providing scientific coverage of the addiction issue. This book had none of it. What it did have is statements from addicts as to why they became addicted. The answer from all of them is "I don't know." What that translates to is "I am really, really stupid."
"My high school friends got me to try these pills."
This book is a stream of consciousness story by the author of how she lost her brother she loved enormously to drugs and death, and the same thing from the families of about a dozen other young addicts who died from the drugs.
The author says the reason is it is a genetic disease, but she has no backup for this belief at all.
Her real reason is she doesn't want to judge that it is actually her brother's and the other addicts stupidity and weakness. The true reason is the junk is available in the U.S. and their friends get them to try it, you'll love it.
So I have to keep looking for a scientific treatment of this issue. What are the facts and figures ?

[Sirena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was informative in that it gave much needed eye opening information about the drug use of the 18-25 year olds and how it's increasing by leaps and bounds. Junkies are no longer homeless, toothless, ratty people living under the bridge. They are every day people with jobs, students with futures (if they can overcome their addictions) and soccer moms.

For me personally, I would've liked to have had more information on the epidemic and less on the personal side. Yes, it was sad that the author's brother died of an overdose. Yes, I understand his death left her and her family with many unanswered questions. Yes, I understand the stages of grief but it got to be too much for me and I ended up skimming over the personal parts.

My brother is also a recovering addict but my parents still enable him by paying his rent in one of those non-sober sober houses. They don't educate themselves on how the addict's mind works and are leaving a mess for me and my sister that we don't want to deal with after they go. I would gladly switch brothers with the author. May sound heartless but that's how I feel.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very distinctive and raw memoir of drug addiction. But through the eyes of the family.
She hits deep and this is very different than a lot of other addiction books out in the world.
Speaks the truth and it hits close to home. You don't realize it until you're done that almost everyone has been affected by drug abuse. Be it a family member, a friend or someone you may know from the past. It sneaks up on you and you feel emotionally devastated.
This book will open your eyes to what is really going on and the growing epidemic that is only going to continue to get worse.
Open your eyes and help one another. Maybe someone just needs a push in the right direction.

[Annielew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a remarkable combination of compelling, eye-opening and urgent information about what is happening to young people all over the country, as well as a gut-wrenching personal journey through the author's own grief. It is deeply personal and also journalistically relevant. The author's writing is able to make what could be dry statistics become a page-turner. I read way into the night, was both angered and moved to tears, and want to buy a copy for every law-maker in Washington, in hopes that they could be moved to take on big pharma. What a beautiful, painful book.

[Amber Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generation RX written by Erin Marie Daly was a beautifully written story of true events. The book pulls you in with interest and anticipation. I was crying after page three and did not stop until what felt like the last page. The book follows the addiction of the authors brother Pat and the lead up to his overdose of heroin.
Throughout the book she uses a technique where she writes from multi view perspective. One chapter will be about her brother and his addiction, then switch to another character affected by addiction. I felt like this was a good choice on her part so she could cover more than just her own personal story. To write her book Erin also covered young heroin addicts that have lost their lives to heroin. This is what made the book so special because it was not just a personal story for Daly. She used her journalistic background to cover more of the story. She was also able to communicate with loved ones of these addicts who were in the same position as her. With this form of writing we, the audience are able to learn as she does.
In many ways I connected with Erin Daly through her writing. I on multiple occasions found myself agreeing with what she was saying. This is why I was such a big fan of the book and found that it hits so close to home. The truth is that heroin affects just about everyone in some shape or form. When hearing about the heroin epidemic the suffering families are not the first thought that comes to mind. This book helped bring this to light for me. Saying this, I would recommend this to anyone dealing with an addict. Weather it is a son, daughter, mom, or dad this book will change your perspective on addiction. This is not a book that I plan on putting in the back of my mind and forgetting about. It was to important and moving.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a devastating read for me, not just because the general subject matter of opioid addiction is devastating, but also because this book is personal for me: I was childhood friends with the author’s brother and it’s his story of drug addiction and eventual overdose death that she she weaves through the book. Mixed in with reporting on the opioid crisis are personal anecdotes of Pat- a sweet, silly, charming, caring kid and teenager whose life was turned upside down from addiction. It was heartbreaking to read his story as told by his sister, but it’s even more heartbreaking to think that 16 years after his death millions of young Americans are still suffering from opioid addiction. I hope this book inspires people to take action, both in their own lives with friends and family members who may be suffering, and also in places where policy decisions are being made that might help ease this crisis.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book jumps around a lot, but I ultimately enjoyed how the author wove her story with those of other families. If you're looking for a book about the science behind addiction, this is not it, but there are plenty of others out there that deal with this topic from that lens.

[Tiffani Doherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book let me walk a little bit in the shoes of families so horribly impacted by pill and heroin addicts. It reminded me that the "junkies" have stories beyond their drug use and, for the most part, families that love them. It is a good read.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but repetitious in some parts

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look into the history & consequences of drugs and addiction in America. Written from a unique, personal perspective.

[Charlotte Blessing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well written and reads like a drama. It's a depressing book; lots of tragic stories about real people, real families. I had to read the book piece meal as it deals with tragic reality.