A review by hatseflats
Opioid, Indiana by Brian Allen Carr

5.0

2023 is turning out to be a really satisfying year of reading for me. I seem to keep coming across books that I find "amazing" and deserving a 5-star rating. The latest being Opioid, Indiana. Frankly, I am really surprised this novel has not received more buzz. The colloquial writing style was brilliant in putting you into the mindset of a Trump-era teenager. Though I can't say I know any actual teenagers, i can definitely imagine they would sound (and think) like Riggle in the story. In some ways, I found Brian Allen Carr's work reminded me of Bobby Hall's debut novel Supermarket. Another book that I found brilliant but somehow seemed to get the snub from a lot of literary critics. Oh well, there's no accounting for taste, is there? Earlier this year, I read Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, which also dealt with the issues of poverty and the opioid crisis in America. As much as I think her epic work is brilliant, I had a much more enjoyable reading experience with Opioid, Indiana.