This started out so good but then veered off course. I highly recommend reading the first 2/3 of the book.
My review: This started out being so entertaining (meth-crazed meth cook melts face and fingers!) and interesting (Lori Arnold, sister of comedian Tom Arnold, was a meth drug lord) and then it was like... not anything anymore. I'm like, look, okay I wanted to read a book about meth. METH. and then like about 2/3 of the way though it turns out to be about salt of the earth, midwestern, small town Americans and their (admittedly, tangentially meth-related) drama. I'm like, no I don't care! OMG why am I reading about this guy's relationship with his girlfriend? Goddamn it, they aren't doing meth! I want METH! Come on. I just need a little bump until Breaking Bad comes back on.
Also, the chapter titled "Inland Empire" was confusing. Well, not the content. The title itself was confusing. I supposed it meant the meth empire was an "inland" empire, being that it was all in the midwest and shit. BUT. As a Southern Californian the inland empire is a specific region of California, ie Riverside ect. So when you title a chapter "Inland Empire", and start it off talking about Long Beach and Orange County, I expect you to eventually start talking about... you know, the freakin' inland empire. But instead Reding continued to talk about Long Beach. BEACH. I mean, that's as far from inland as you can possibly get.
My review:
This started out being so entertaining (meth-crazed meth cook melts face and fingers!) and interesting (Lori Arnold, sister of comedian Tom Arnold, was a meth drug lord) and then it was like... not anything anymore. I'm like, look, okay I wanted to read a book about meth. METH. and then like about 2/3 of the way though it turns out to be about salt of the earth, midwestern, small town Americans and their (admittedly, tangentially meth-related) drama. I'm like, no I don't care! OMG why am I reading about this guy's relationship with his girlfriend? Goddamn it, they aren't doing meth! I want METH! Come on. I just need a little bump until Breaking Bad comes back on.
Also, the chapter titled "Inland Empire" was confusing. Well, not the content. The title itself was confusing. I supposed it meant the meth empire was an "inland" empire, being that it was all in the midwest and shit. BUT. As a Southern Californian the inland empire is a specific region of California, ie Riverside ect. So when you title a chapter "Inland Empire", and start it off talking about Long Beach and Orange County, I expect you to eventually start talking about... you know, the freakin' inland empire. But instead Reding continued to talk about Long Beach. BEACH. I mean, that's as far from inland as you can possibly get.