After watching a recent Oprah show about a mother and son addicted to pain pills, I decided to read RX by Tracy Lynn. RX is the story of a teen girl named Thyme who is desperate to keep her grades competitive. Before she knows it, Thyme is in over her head, trading pills and other drugs for more and more of the Ritalin she thinks she needs.
I like this story because all of the characters engaging in this drug activity are the well-to-do "smart" kids, not the so-called druggies or kids from poor homes. These kids have the money and the social power to get whatever drugs they want, and they use these drugs to keep up with all of their activities and studies.
A unique touch to the structure of this novel is the inclusion of song lyrics and pop culture quotations related to pills and drug use. At first, I thought that these quotes were a nice, creative addition, but as I kept reading I felt the overwhelming power that drugs have over our culture. I don't always think about the commonness of pills in our society, but these song lyrics and movie quotes show that we have an obsession with finding a quick fix for our problems. And, as this book shows, there is no such thing.
This is a good, fast-paced read. If you're interested in it, please find it on the free reading shelves at the back of the room.
