Dope Sick

A powerful novel of drugs, violence—and second chances. Dope Sick, from two-time Newbery Honor winner and five-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Walter Dean Myers, belongs on reading lists beside Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and Dear Martin by Nic Stone.

A drug deal goes south and a cop has been shot. Lil J's on the run. And he's starting to get dope sick. He'd do anything to change the last twenty-four hours, and when he stumbles into an abandoned building, it actually might be possible. . . .

Elements of magical realism intensify this harrowing story about drug use, violence, perceptions of reality, and second chances.

This ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers earned multiple starred reviews and was described as "vivid," "nuanced," and "intriguing." Booklist said: “Myers' narrative strategy is so inherently dramatic that it captures his readers' attentions and imaginations, inviting not only empathy but also thoughtful discussion.”

Walter Dean Myers was a New York Times bestselling author, Printz Award winner, five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, two-time Newbery Honor recipient, and the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Maria Russo, writing in the New York Times, called Myers "one of the greats and a champion of diversity in children's books well before the cause got mainstream attention."

For a boy on the run, a strange room offers an impossible choice. But what is the price of a second chance?

• A High-Stakes YA Thriller: Seventeen-year-old Lil J is on the run in Harlem after a drug deal goes bad and a cop is shot. With his partner captured, he's the only one left to take the fall.
• Supernatural Element: In an abandoned building, a mysterious stranger named Kelly shows Lil J his life—past, present, and future—on a flickering television screen, offering a chance to change his fate.
• Gritty Street Lit: A raw, unflinching look at drug addiction and the feeling of being 'broke sick,' written in an authentic voice that speaks to the realities of urban life.
• Perfect for Reluctant Readers: With a fast-paced plot and short, intense chapters, this ALA Quick Pick is a powerful story that grabs you from the first page and never lets go.