Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town

This is one of those times I really wish Goodreads did half starts, because 3 and a half is more like it.

While I almost gave up on the book several times in the first third, I was glad that I ultimately stuck with it. It was an interesting tale of the spread of meth and its effects mainly in one small town in Iowa. While there are asides to other towns and other locales, most of the action focuses on Oelwein, IA. You meet quite the cast of characters including the mayor, police chief, small town doctor, and a few tweakers that were willing to tell their stories. The author also delves in to how the meth makes it Oelwein first from California (via Ottumwa, IA) and then from Mexico. I drove through Ottumwa all the time on my way to/from college and had no idea of it's seedy underbelly or the fact that it's a major distribution point of methamphetamine in the Midwest.

All in all, a good read. Especially if you live in area that has been infested with meth.