What does JD Vance's memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy', once a bestseller, talk about?

As American voters begin to familiarize themselves with Donald Trump's newly announced vice-presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, his infamous memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis', has surfaced in the political spotlight.
Written in 2016, the memoir recounts Vance's upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, by parents from the Appalachians in eastern Kentucky.It provides a first-hand account of the poverty and addiction plaguing poor, white communities and became a bestseller as Trump rose to power. Now, eight years later, the book is again a political lightning rod in the 2024 presidential race.
Critics argue that the memoir shows a lack of understanding of the complexities of poverty, while supporters praise it for capturing the harsh realities of life in these communities. Fans are captivated by Vance's portrayal of his experiences, buying the book in large numbers and watching its movie adaptation, which they believe demonstrates that Vance is an "everyday" man.
The film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams, received several Academy Award nominations and offers voters a glimpse into Vance's life and perspectives.
The memoir's resurgence has led to a surge in discussions online, with Goodreads temporarily blocking new reviews to prevent "review bombing," where users flood a page with negative or positive reviews based on criteria other than the book's quality.
The site states, "Rating this book is temporarily unavailable. This book has temporary limitations on submitting ratings and reviews. This may be because we've detected unusual behaviour that doesn't follow our review guidelines."
Similarly, the film adaptation of Vance's memoir has seen an increase in reviews on Letterboxd, a Goodreads equivalent for films. Despite some negative attention, the memoir currently ranks number 1 and number 2 on e-commerce's bestseller lists in paperback and hardcover, respectively. The film, released in 2020, reached number 6 on Netflix's top 10 films the day after Vance's selection as Trump's running mate was announced.