'Saving Lily' Earns 5-Star Praise as a Powerful New Look at Addiction, Recovery and America’s Substance Use Crisis

Saving Lily Cover

Marlon and Kantor’s acclaimed book goes beyond memoir to examine the people, systems and policies shaping addiction in America.

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Saving Lily: Lessons from Building the Largest Addiction Treatment Center in Sin City During the Opioid Epidemic, by addiction specialist David Marlon and journalist Jessica Kantor, is earning enthusiastic praise from readers and professionals for offering something far bigger than a traditional memoir: an unflinching, deeply human examination of substance use, addiction and the American treatment system.

Published by Post Hill Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, Saving Lily combines Marlon’s personal journey from addiction and recovery with the story of Lily, a young woman struggling with severe mental illness, substance use, and homelessness. The result is a work of narrative nonfiction that uses two intertwined lives to explore some of the most urgent questions surrounding addiction in the United States and how it is addressed.

Readers have responded with all five-star reviews and strong word-of-mouth praise, while professionals and public figures have highlighted the book’s ability to make complicated issues surrounding addiction and treatment accessible to both experts and general readers.

“A beautifully written story of truth. As an addict of ten years even I’ve learned things about addiction from this book…10/10 great read.” - Amazon Verified Review

“This powerful new book ‘Saving Lily’ explains addictions and treatment unlike any other I have read. It has hard-earned advice and the author's ability to share concepts in practice, clearly and without the usual psycho babble in other works is a refreshing change. I liked the up to date observations based on personal stories. It opened deep personal thoughts and memories for me. Well worth the time for those who want to know how to deal with their addiction or those in their families.” - Amazon Verified Review

Former U.S. Congresswoman and Current Las Vegas Mayor, Shelley Berkley, praised the book for combining gripping personal experiences with an understanding of addiction and treatment, calling it an interesting read for both experts and laypeople. Clark County Commissioner and former legislator Marilyn Kirkpatrick similarly praised the book for its accessibility and its willingness to confront the truth about addiction.

The acclaim reflects what makes Saving Lily distinctive. While the book is rooted in Marlon’s own experience, it is not confined to his story. It examines addiction as a chronic illness, the complexities of co-occurring mental health disorders, the failures and limitations of healthcare and criminal justice systems, homelessness, the realities of treatment and recovery, and the need for individualized, compassionate care.

“People may pick up Saving Lily expecting a memoir,” said David Marlon, PsyD, author. “But what we really wanted to do was tell the truth about addiction in America. My story is part of it. Lily’s story is part of it. But the bigger story is about what happens when people fall through the cracks, and what we can do differently.”

The book draws on Marlon’s decades of experience working in addiction treatment and recovery. A nationally recognized interventionist and addictionologist, Marlon founded a major addiction recovery center in Southern Nevada after overcoming his own addiction and has worked extensively on issues involving substance use, mental illness, homelessness and recovery. He currently leads Vegas Stronger, a nonprofit focused on addressing homelessness through treatment for substance abuse and mental illness. Kantor brings a journalist’s perspective to the project, helping transform Marlon’s experiences and the story of Lily into a broader examination of addiction and the systems surrounding it.

The book’s central message is ultimately one of humanity: addiction cannot be understood through statistics alone, and recovery cannot be reduced to a single formula. As the book explores, every person struggling with substance use has a different history, different circumstances and different path toward recovery. That combination of personal storytelling, clinical insight and systemic examination is generating praise from readers who see Saving Lily as both an engrossing story and an important resource. At 304 pages, Saving Lily offers readers an intimate look at addiction while also asking a much larger question: What would it take to build an American addiction treatment system that actually meets people where they are?

Saving Lily: Lessons from Building the Largest Addiction Treatment Center in Sin City During the Opioid Epidemic is available in trade paperback and ebook formats un the United States and United Kingdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

David Marlon, PsyD, CPC, LCADC-S, PRSS-S, MBA, is a nationally recognized interventionist, addictionologist and recovery advocate. He is CEO of Vegas Stronger and previously founded one of the country’s most successful addiction recovery centers in Southern Nevada. He has served as president of the Southern Nevada Association of Addiction Professionals, received the 2018 National Advocacy Award from NAADAC, founded the CARE Coalition and Solutions Foundation, and helped establish Mission High School, the nation’s first public recovery high school. He has also appeared on A&E’s Intervention.

Jessica Kantor is an independent journalist specializing in health, human rights, and social impact. Her work can be found in Fast Company, Healthcare Quarterly, Innately Science, and others. She has been a Solutions Insights Lab interviewer since 2023. She provides communications strategy and writing for nonprofits and INGOs who are working on the Sustainable Development Goals. She is a living kidney donor based in Los Angeles.

BOOK INFORMATION
Saving Lily: Lessons from Building the Largest Addiction Treatment Center in Sin City During the Opioid Epidemic
By David Marlon and Jessica Kantor
Foreword by Michael Adams
Published by Post Hill Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
304 pages
ISBN: 9798895654774
Published December 16, 2025

Dave Marlon
Vegas Stronger
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