Dope Sick
(2009, Fiction - Contemporary fiction, Written by Walter Dean Myers)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Cautionary tale about a teen drug addict.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Dope Sick was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that this is a book about drug abuse by street punks, so there are plenty of drug and violence references, though nothing graphic, and the main character is forced to confront what the drugs are doing to his life.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about how kids get started using drugs. How did Jeremy get started? Why does he continue using them when he knows they're destroying him? Why does he feel so hopeless? Is he right, or is there a way out for him?
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Book Summary
Jeremy, called Lil J, a teen addict, participates in a drug sale that goes bad when the buyer, an undercover cop, gets shot. Falsely blamed for the shooting, Jeremy goes into hiding in an abandoned building. There he meets Kelly, a mysterious guy sitting in one of the rooms with a tv and a remote control, which apparently allows him to see anywhere and anywhen. Showing Jeremy scenes from his own life, past, present, and future, he pushes Jeremy to confront honestly the decisions he has made and the paths he is taking.
Is It Any Good?
Do you remember the movie 12 Angry Men? It was just some guys, in one small room, doing nothing but talking for 95 minutes, and yet you couldn't take your eyes off it. It didn't have any of the things we think a story needs -- romance, humor, action, movement -- just talk. But it was utter compelling. DOPE SICK is like that, but with a touch of magic realism. It's a short book (183 pages) almost entirely made up of two guys in a little room in an abandoned house -- talking. But it's hard to put down.
Like 12 Angry Men, it's a bit didactic, and it doesn't matter. It's gritty, and, despite the touch of magic, doesn't shy away from reality, even to its ambiguous ending. With a rhythmic and seamless use of dialect, it examines issues that thousands of teens all over the country wrestle with every day. And, in doing so, it really has two messages. One, for the teens who can relate to Jeremy, says, "There can be a way out." The other speaks to those who don't have to deal with his problems, and who may be tempted to despise and dismiss those like him with little thought. It says, "Here's how he got this way, and it could happen to anyone."
From the Book:
My arm was hurting bad. Real bad. The bone could have been broken. I couldn't tell. I just knew it was hurting and swollen. I felt like just taking the gun out and throwing it away and giving up so I could get the mess over with. I opened my mouth so I wouldn't make so much noise when I breathed. Down the street I saw the patrol car was still at the corner. He had his lights flashing. I didn't know if he'd seen which way I was running or not. I knew I was too tired to keep running much more.
I started to lift my arm to look at my watch and the whole arm just lit up with pain. The bone had to be broken. I figured it was two or three o'clock in the morning. Skeeter had called me just past midnight and told me they got Rico. I knew Rico was going to punk out. In a way I was glad they got him, but I knew he was going to blame everything on me.
Like 12 Angry Men, it's a bit didactic, and it doesn't matter. It's gritty, and, despite the touch of magic, doesn't shy away from reality, even to its ambiguous ending. With a rhythmic and seamless use of dialect, it examines issues that thousands of teens all over the country wrestle with every day. And, in doing so, it really has two messages. One, for the teens who can relate to Jeremy, says, "There can be a way out." The other speaks to those who don't have to deal with his problems, and who may be tempted to despise and dismiss those like him with little thought. It says, "Here's how he got this way, and it could happen to anyone."
From the Book:
My arm was hurting bad. Real bad. The bone could have been broken. I couldn't tell. I just knew it was hurting and swollen. I felt like just taking the gun out and throwing it away and giving up so I could get the mess over with. I opened my mouth so I wouldn't make so much noise when I breathed. Down the street I saw the patrol car was still at the corner. He had his lights flashing. I didn't know if he'd seen which way I was running or not. I knew I was too tired to keep running much more.
I started to lift my arm to look at my watch and the whole arm just lit up with pain. The bone had to be broken. I figured it was two or three o'clock in the morning. Skeeter had called me just past midnight and told me they got Rico. I knew Rico was going to punk out. In a way I was glad they got him, but I knew he was going to blame everything on me.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: HarperTeen, Publication date: 2/1/2009
Number of pages: 186, Price: $16.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14, Read Alone: 14
Number of pages: 186, Price: $16.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14, Read Alone: 14
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