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A review by secre
Junk by Melvin Burgess
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Junk is a hard hitting read that showcases both the dangers and the allure of addiction and hard, hard drugs. With split perspectives between two teenage characters, it follows Tar and Gemma; one an abused young man, desperate to escape his alcoholic household and the beatings from his father, the other a spoilt and whiny girl determined to 'show' her parents by running away from home. The two are tied together by their teenage relationship, and start to make a life for themselves in Bristol. Only it doesn't take a lot before Gemma finds less savoury contacts and soon both of them are utterly enmeshed in a heroin dependent life style, resorting to theft and even prostitution to fuel their destructive habit.
It's a young adult book, but I can see why many parents may want to keep it til their child is older. Whist Burgess doesn't linger too deeply on the horrors of the drugs, they don't shy away from the consequences of the addiction. It also doesn't shy away from what makes drugs interesting, shiny and appealing. In the early moments of the novel, it doesn't seem like Gemma and Tar are particularly badly effected by their new life style choice. If anything, they are deeply in love with it. Their lives fall apart in gradual stages, one thing leads to another and devastating their lives.
It's a stark novel. You don't necessarily like the characters, but you're along for the ride anyway. It's well written, well portrayed and engaging. You watch the characters teetering on the edge of the abyss, waiting for them to take the final fall. It's absolutely a novel I'd recommend for teenagers and adults alike.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
It's a young adult book, but I can see why many parents may want to keep it til their child is older. Whist Burgess doesn't linger too deeply on the horrors of the drugs, they don't shy away from the consequences of the addiction. It also doesn't shy away from what makes drugs interesting, shiny and appealing. In the early moments of the novel, it doesn't seem like Gemma and Tar are particularly badly effected by their new life style choice. If anything, they are deeply in love with it. Their lives fall apart in gradual stages, one thing leads to another and devastating their lives.
It's a stark novel. You don't necessarily like the characters, but you're along for the ride anyway. It's well written, well portrayed and engaging. You watch the characters teetering on the edge of the abyss, waiting for them to take the final fall. It's absolutely a novel I'd recommend for teenagers and adults alike.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction