Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2020

This is a gut-wrenching read bringing the personal experiences of young people and families to the story of Flint. I didn't want to put it down, and although I knew the basic story, this made it real. Well-written and clear. It must have required a strong trust relationship between these young people and families, and the writer, a trust they obviously did not have with others noted in the story.
Although written as a young adult book, it is also very appropriate for older adults.

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A devastating and exhaustive look at the history of Flint's water crisis

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2020

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POISONED WATER is about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Most of you are probably familiar with it because for a while, it was splashed all over the news. To save money, residents were switched from Detroit-routed pipes fed by Lake Huron to a direct line piped in from the Flint River. Soon, residents were getting disgusting-looking water in various colors of brown, and started suffering conditions ranging from skin rashes to Legionnaire's disease. It turns out that not only was there microbial contamination from the water (gross), the chemicals that were being added to treat the water (at the ridiculously underfunded facility-- $8 million budget to upkeep something that should have cost a conservative $60 million) were being added without chemicals to prevent corrosion, which was resulting in all the metals from the pipes filtering into the water, including lead.

What makes it worse was that the officials responsible for the change from Huron to the Flint River were, in the words of the book "aggressively dismissive" to residents voicing their concerns over whether the water was fit for themselves and their families to drink. One woman was accused of dying the brown water in her bottle herself at what I believe was a council meeting. A dossier of scientific data collected by a leading expert in water safety was brought in to officials who even refused to touch or accept it. To save the town money, they switched to water that already had indications of being unfit to drink, and in an ironic twist of fate, anything that was saved was lost in the legal fees from the investigation of the mismanagement.

According to the back of the book, this is middle grade nonfiction. I don't really think this is middle grade-appropriate, just because the writing level is very science- and data-heavy, and it uses language that I, a thirty-something millennial with a Bachelor's degree, needed to think about. I certainly wouldn't discourage a kid from reading this who wanted to learn more about Flint and social justice, but I also think that it would be a struggle for a lot of kids. That said, I think it's definitely worth the read-- for kids and adults-- because it really delves into Flint's sad history as a racially segregated town (and race was probably a factor in why Flint was ignored; institutional racism is a huge problem, and even if it isn't the root cause of a given issue, it can help foster the symptoms and keep them lingering), its brief boom in the peak of the automotive industry, and then its collapse and penultimate ruin when GM went under (before being bailed out).

It's a depressing and hard book to read, but in a sad, twisted way, it's also inspiring. Seeing how the community banded together and refused to listen to the officials who were very clearly in the wrong was an incredible feat. Especially when they managed to get scientists and experts on the phone who, in turn, helped the people of Flint gather the incontrovertible evidence of the harm that they needed to force the switch back to Lake Huron water. It was grassroots community activism, and it's a shame that it came at such a terrible cost. FWIW, the book does end on a hopeful note, though.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 to 5 out of 5 stars

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How Pure Is Our Water?

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2021

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I heard about the Flint Water crisis on the news and followed the report carefully when it started I read the horror stories getting sick from drinking their own tap water, of rashes on their bodies, their pet dogs and cats getting sick, brain damage from lead in the water, Many, many health problems, of them being in jeopardy of losing the houses that they live in, family members and friends dying from the bad state of their water.

This book for young adults tells the history of the switch from the water that came from Lake Huron to the badly polluted Flint River. i cried many times reading this book and I believe that everyone, students and adults need to read what this town went through. They had to struggle and protest and wake up the EPA and finally get help from the Federal Government.

I am full of empathy for everyone suffered and are suffering from poor decisions, holding money over people's lives. I am immunocompromised and was sick from the water in the town that I am living in. I went to a gastroenterologist who thought that my symptoms were due to being lactose intolerant. Finally, I read an article about water pollution and checked the water contaminants records on-line. The city had a high level of a parasite, and they lowered the levels by treating the water with chlorine. People with healthy immune systems were no longer effected but those with weak immune still got sick. I bought bottled water, but I cannot eat a salad out any more because the lettuce and other vegetables are washed in the city tap water.
and they lowered the levels by treating the water with chlorine. People with healthy immune systems were no longer effected but those with weak immune still got sick. I bought bottled water, but I cannot eat a salad out any more because the lettuce and other vegetables are washed in the city tap water.

If you have not read about Flint, please do.

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Real Heroes and Villians

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2020

Every book I read about the Flint Water Crisis makes me sad and angry. The stories of the suffering of the citizens of Flint are horrifying. It is revolting to know that governing officials made the economic decision that lead to this suffering, then covered it up.

Candy J. Cooper saw that the excellent books already written about the crisis, including The Poisoned City by Anna Clark and What the Eyes Don't See by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, left some stories untold. In Poisoned Water, Cooper shares the stories of the primarily African American Flint citizens who alerted authorities and politicians that there was something wrong with the water. The crisis is an example of racist policies.

General Motors plants brought a migration of workers to the city who fought for a union and fair wages. When GM closed plants, those who could left the city. With the tax base decimated, Governor Snyder sent in an Emergency Manager [EM] to balance Flint's budget, disenfranchising elected officials.

Detroit water was expensive and the EM opted to use Flint River water while the city developed a new source. They sidestepped the use of anti-corrosives and added chemicals. The river water corroded the natural buildup in the pipes that had previously kept the lead from leaching into the water. The discolored, foul smelling water caused rashes, hair loss, and illness. People complained and were lied to by authorities who insisted the water tests showed no problems.

It took years before the people were heard, the water investigated, and officials admitted there was a problem.

"Who, then, were the heroes?" Cooper asks. Yes, the media "latched" on to some important folk. But left behind the grassroots activists and mothers and citizens without who stood up to power to demand justice.

The book is promoted for Middle Grade, and perhaps some young people that age will be able to handle it. I would recommend it for older teens and adults seeking a shorter history.

I was given a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

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Kasey at Story Sanctuary

Highly Recommended

Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2020

I didn’t know much about what happened in Flint, Michigan with the water crisis. I remembered hearing something about lead in the pipes and seeing shocking footage of a resident turning on her tap and brown, gross water coming out of it. But that was about the extent of my knowledge.

Then I read POISONED WATER. And I kept thinking, this is happening in my country. I kept waiting for some leader somewhere within the government to take a stand for the rights of the citizens. For their children. Because having access to clean drinking water is such a basic human right that until reading this book, I had taken it completely for granted.

As the residents organized and raised alarm bells and continued to report problems, I kept thinking, surely this time it will bring about some change.

I can’t help admiring the citizens who continued to speak out, kept making phone calls, persisted in reaching out to anyone who would listen. The author makes it clear that those are the real heroes in the story of Flint.

I think this is a must-read book for teens and adults. It’s really accessible and straightforward, easy to read, but in no way dumbed-down. It’s packed with personal stories, facts, timelines, and references to other resources. I highly recommend POISONED WATER.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Ula

5 out of 5 🌟 Fast-paced non-fiction political thriller

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020

The modern history of Flint, Michigan isn't an easy one. Once innovative metropolis with high-profit automotive business and progressive citizens, the city was a prospering and vital part of the Midwest. The global financial crisis in 2008 struck Fling really hard - people lost their jobs and crime rates rose. Later the town received national attention due to the water pollution disaster to eventually become almost a synonym of a fallen city.

'Poisoned Water' is an account of Flint City people and their struggle to have normal lives during the water crisis. How they fiercely fought to make their concerns be heard even after Flint officials constantly dismissed them. The narrative starts just after the financial crisis and explains city financial troubles and the origins of that water catastrophe.

First things first: This is not a middle-grade book! Not even a Young Adult one, it's non-fiction about greedy officials and people who suffered because of them. The narration itself was fast-paced and highly addictive - it's a quick read, although not an easy one. 'Poison Water' contains a great number of records about city residents who have been hurt or traumatized by their experiences.

That book isn't just a historical piece, it shows awful truth about people with power and why we shouldn't trust them. The story of Flint shows people who were lied to because of greed and arrogance and it's something we should be all afraid of.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.

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If It Can Happen in Flint, It Can Happen Anywhere

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

If the Flint water crisis has been background noise in your news feed but you haven't tuned in for the full story, you must read this book right away. It tells the story from background to what may be the final chapter, although there may yet be more to this story. It's told by journalists, so it's written in newspaper level prose, simple and fully explained. Even so, there's plenty of drama inherent in the story, as people who took their water supply for granted, as we all do, found that their water was burning them in the shower, coming out of the faucet peculiar colors, and slowly poisoning them. There was no warning -- people realized that their weird symptoms (hair falling out in clumps, vomiting pets) were due to the water. Flint residents had to fight to get anyone to pay attention over the denials of the city's leaders. The main takeaway has to be that what happened in Flint can certainly happen anywhere. Excellent book.

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The Flint City water scandal recounted

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

Candy Cooper’s “ Poisoned Water” is the author’s journalistic treatment of the 2014 and ongoing Flint, Michigan water scandal. The book is self described as “a children’s book” about the crisis and for “middle grade nonfiction.” Captions under the many black and white photos read “lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..” which is a publisher’s placeholder text before a final caption is entered under the photograph. These often come with a writer’s proof. Seemingly more angry rather than analytical, the content is a repetitive account of exceeding sad stories of the citizens of this “rust belt” city being victimized and harmed, some permanently, by governmental malfeasance and neglect.

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Monica G.

Everyone should read this book! It opened my eyes to the disparities that are everywhere we turn.

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020

As a Michigan pediatrician I found this book fascinating. It’s said to be a young adult book, but to me it was an excellent investigative story for adults of any age (I’m 62, not exactly young). I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. I read news reports over the years and heard Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha speak at a hospital Grand Rounds and on 60 Minutes about sounding the alarm. While reading this book I realized how fragmented my understanding was. This in-depth dive into the impact of this many-year crisis on the community and the crisp timeline provided brought everything into sharp focus. With its recent publication date (5/20/2020), the book has the advantage of presenting the fully-exposed story and of reviewing how the many government agencies and employees ultimately answered (or didn’t) for the damage done in the aftermath. Everyone should read this book! It’s a wonderfully-written quick-but-thorough read. It opened my eyes to the disparities that are everywhere we turn.

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Loves Books

Important Story

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

I found Poisoned Water a very easy-to-read book. It told Flint's story honestly, with many details that have been looked over by the media. It felt like a complete story, telling the challenges from all angles and the efforts made by the residents of the area completely. I was heartbroken at times and enraged at others. I'd recommend this book to fill in the gaps from what many heard about, but don't know the details of.

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5 star		77%
4 star		14%
3 star		6%
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1 star		3%

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