“The Death and life of an American small town,” that’s the main plot of Methland. This book shows the author Nick Reding travels to a small town and see for himself the effects of meth have on Oelwein, Iowa. The author not only has this plot in the book but other sub plots of either the past effects of meth in Iowa. One way he does this is telling the stories of a consumer and a distributor. The book goes from 2005 to 2007 of what happens in Oelwein. While there he does meet some people that are against drugs and tell how difficult it is to keep it clean and out of the bad economy.

This book shows us how Meth has a connection with the bad economy by explaining the why many in Iowa started doing it because of the economy. It tells many people who lost their job would start consuming meth to lift their spirit. But, many others began making meth that way to sell or consume them. It expresses how Nathan is stressed over so many cases of people involved with meth in his town and work and against meth and hopes to stop it use. From that point in 2005 newspaper and many others decide to try and show effects and even make laws to stop many meth labs in the region. By 2006 Nick goes back to hang with Nathan in Oelwein and finds out with the new laws being approved slows the production and meth labs but the new issue is the DTO a cartel with a big distribution of meth.

In 2007 Nathan and Nick again hang and see the town of Oelwein back alive to and being safe. The reason is from the control of imported pharmacy drug used in meth plus more strict ports in what they receive. To me this tells how meth affects a town or country. This book will keep you reading every page of what happens and even tells stories of those who were affected by it. In all I recommend this book to those who want to learn more of an issue and would want to show a way to care for those of their town or state.