In Junk we are following the stories of Gemma and Tar, a pair of 14-year-olds, as they become addicted to heroin after they run away from home.

Their story is told through many POVs which gives a sense that everyone is a little bit unreliable because no one seems themselves as the villain in their own story. I did enjoy this as a storytelling device however there was at least one POV that we only got a couple of chapters from but didn't feel as though it really advanced the plot and made for pretty uncomfortable reading. This way of telling this story also meant that there were a number of narrative gaps because people are not omnipotent or omnipresent so there was a sense that we never really had the full picture and that worked really well. On the other side of things, hearing the story told in the characters' voices meant that the reader didn't have a sense of distance so the full scope of the devastation addiction had on their lives wasn't necessary apparent.

Overall, I appreciate what Burgess was attempting to do with this book but I think that I was waiting for more and it under-delivered. It is a difficult thing to assess because addiction was quite a destructive force for these characters and the ending is somewhat melancholy but I just felt kinda numb at the end.

Given that this is the 25th anniversary edition, I do think that this is a book that would have hit very different when it was initially released as I am not sure there were the books at the time, particularly in the YA arena, that were talking so frankly about addiction and generational trauma in the same way that there are today.

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.

I think I’m probably not the intended audience for this book, I know that many people who enjoyed this. I found the characters annoyed and irritated me too much to enjoy this

I don't know how I had missed this amazing gritty book. Harrowing but yet amusing in parts, raw gritty characters and a realistic storyline of the dangers of drugs. Highly recommend.

I had never even heard of this book before I saw this book on Netgalley for request. I did look up reviews before requesting and found out about the importance of this book. However, this book was kind of boring to me and is not as good as some of the newer YA that has been published. Maybe I am just not the target audience for this book, as I know that so many people have enjoyed this book and I am sure a lot of people will still continue to enjoy this book.
Although, I did not find a new favourite in this book, I will acknowledge the important topics and how well they were written and tackled within the novel.

I cannot believe how important this book is, has been and will probably always will be. When written, the UK was undergoing a massive teen heroin problem, still today 25 years on, there's still a massive teen drug problem.
Melvin Burgess knows how to write teenagers. He has written about drug users, teen prostitues, drug addict denial and drug withdrawal so well in this book. This book should be on every school library and every public library young adult section in every town. I loved this book so much and having owned a copy for many years, I'm now kicking myself I haven't read it before it became 25 years old.
I will also stand by the quote that I'm not sure was praise or not in the acknowledgement section at the back of the book
"TRAINSPOTTING FOR KIDS" because it totally is! This book may help some kids realise what goes on in the real world but it most likely won't make them into heroin addicts. Let them read it. Let them all read it

I loved this book first time around and I can't believe it's 25 years old! I remember when it was first released it caused quite a storm because it was so graphic in its writing of Tar and Gemma and their drug taking. It still packs a punch 25 years later and is still as shocking and compelling in equal measures.
Junk tells the story of Tar and Gemma who are teenagers in love with each other and dangerously addicted to heroin. It chronicles their use and reasons behind that and exactly what both characters are trying to escape from. It's raw and edgy and just as relevant today as it was in 1996.

I remember this book when it came out, but never got round to reading it. I’m so happy I had the chance to read this, it was gripping to read and you really felt like you understood the drugs world a little more.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I cannot believe I have never read ‘Junk’ before now. It has to be the one of the first books that paved the way for what ‘YA’ is today; a genre that can depict harsh realities in an honest and thought provoking way and Burgess really achieves that here.
The story is set in the 1980's and focuses on the problems of young runaways and the temptation of drugs, especially heroin. Tar and Gemma are only fourteen when they decide to run away from home; Tar has been physically abused whereas Gemma cannot put up with her parent’s strict rules anymore. The two end up in Bristol and befriend some people who believe in opening up squats in empty homes and peaceful protesting but ultimately the two get pulled away from these friends in want of more excitement and fall in with the destructive couple, Lily and Rob.
As soon as Lily and Rob come into the story you know it’s going to go downhill quickly because the pair thrive on heroin and before long Tar and Gemma start using too. I don’t think I’ve ever read such an unflinching description of the lives of drug users and I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were only in their mid teens. The entire story is dark and gritty and is still powerful now.
Ultimately this book is harrowing and blunt but also I think it has to be one of those books you have to read as a teenager because it stays with you. Also with all of those different viewpoints woven together through Tar and Gemma’s story their experiences are fully realised in a way that is haunting yet immersive.

Having been an avid reader of young adult fiction for more than 25 years, I can hardly believe that I have never before picked up this classic novel.

I confess I was not drawn to it as a teenager myself. I was, perhaps, influenced by negative comments about it - saying that the sex and drugs involved were unsuitable for my innocent brain and taking that in. I was aware of the book on the periphery of my reading proclivities but was, instead, draw to more tame romances, horrid and fantasy novels.

On reflection as an adult, reading Junk as a younger teen would have been eye opening. In fact, a blurry memory of stopping at a ‘friend of a friend’s flat on the way home from school one day I have cloudy images of a flame, tin foil, a tea spoon and bags picked up from the pharmacy - so perhaps the world of Junk wasn’t as far as you would think from my idyllic and innocent childhood.

I think this book is eminently suitable for teenagers around 14 and above. I can’t say it would be massively suitable for my 11 year old son - and it probably wouldn’t actually hold much interest for him. I think Burgess’s reasoning that it is necessary to uncover the glamorous temptation of the drug world and also show the downfall of the characters after this. He clearly shows how easy it is to be sucked in. A fun-loving teenager acting the role of ‘a little prossie’ for a couple of hours and coming home gleefully with enough money for them all to get high soon becomes a vulnerable prostitute who is being strangled by her own tights by a punter.

I can see why this book was shocking as one of the first young adult novels. However, in today’s market and having just read Charlie Higson’s
‘Enemy’ series about a Zombie apocalypse with brutal and graphic violence throughout, I can certainly see more value in Junk. Any violence, sex or drug taking is central to the storyline and not gratuitous. The characters are well formed, likeable and believable. It’s a cautionary tale for modern times.

Great read, have read this before many years ago and probably enjoyed it more this time around.
Hard hitting and gritty, definitely a book young adults/teenagers should read to explore the impacts of drug use. Story is captivating and timeless.
Many thanks

Junk: 25th-anniversary edition is as hard-hitting and relevant as it was when it was first published. It doesn't shy away from discussing drug use and the effects, A fantastic and thought-provoking read.

I had not heard of Junk before even though this was a re-release to celebrate its 25 anniversary. The premise was intriguing and I was expecting a YA trainspotting type of novel and although aspects of that were there, mainly the drug taking, the actual ply and characters missed the mark for me.
Perhaps I just want the right audience but for me the writing didn't live up to today's YA standards and I found it quite childish in places. The characters were so annoying too, I wanted to reach into the pages and shake them!
I could see kt working for the right reader but it wasn't for me unfortunately.

What a book to return to.

I read this book as a teenager myself, probably around 15 years ago. I found it horrifying, fascinating and gripping back then - and the same all these years later.

This is probably the first book I read that "stuck with me"; all these years later I still recall how I gasped and cried at the events within the pages. Even though it has been 25 years since this book was released, it still feels as poignant as ever. Tar and Gemma are 14 when they run away, desperate to be free of their lives. They end up in Bristol, living in squats and soon find themselves addicted to heroin in attempts to forget the lives they have left behind, embracing the "fun" and exciting lifestyle they have found.

Told from the perspectives of a variety of characters, this story really highlights that anyone can end up in such a situation and is a challenging and dark read. The characters, whilst unlikeable at many points in the story, are all well fleshed out and as a reader I found myself about to see so many that I have encountered in my life in their experiences.

As fascinating as it ever was, I did not regret returning to this highly acclaimed YA novel as an adult.

The seminal controversial YA novel that's just as important now as 25 years ago.

What's most effective - and perhaps most important - about Junk is the multiple voices we hear and through that, the different sides of drug addiction. It's immersive, helped massively by believable characters that you feel for and want to follow.

That's not to say it's always a pleasant read; it's often shocking, at times painful, even disturbing. This is not a comfortable book. Burgess shows what can feed into addiction, and vitally, the flaws in the systems and support given that allows people to fall through the cracks. He dives into the mental health of those who become addicts, how this can be tied in with family, abuse, self-esteem and image, mistakes, and coincidence. Given the right circumstances, any one of us could become Tar or Gemma. Any one of us could become homeless, addicted, lost.

There's a reason this book has stayed in print. A must-read.

I approached this book without expectation as I wasn't sure how a book written about heroin use in teenagers 25 years ago would translate to today. Turns out, brilliantly.

The story starts with an insight into the lives of two soon to be teenage runaways Tar and Gemma. Tar is running from a very toxic and abusive home environment and Gemma wants to be free of her 'controlling' parents. Burgess does an amazing job at immediately giving a sense of just how young and naïve they really are. We also see many other characters introduced and as more people enter the frame the sense of unease and trepidation increases.

Burgess works so many levels of magic within this book to show the rapid descent of all of their lives. Subtle imagery flows throughout the book and huge, shocking moments are dealt with, with a casualty that seems bizarre yet so fitting. What was so amazing was how he developed the deterioration of their personalities and relationships as their situations declined. One minute I was feeling sorry for Tar and disliking Gemma and then without noticing the change, I realised that had flipped completely and my empathy went to Gemma.

The book has received a lot of criticism over the years for not shying away from the topics of child prostitution, child abuse and addiction however I think it is a wildly clever, realistic and gripping look at just what can happen when someone so young starts to stumble at the top of that chaotic downward spiral. It's a brutal, raw, and shocking book but one I think that should definitely be read by a larger audience.

Tar and Gemma are fourteen and desperate to escape their lives in Minehead. Tar needs to escape his abusive parents and Gemma just wants to be free. Months later they’ve run away to Bristol, living in squats, enjoying their freedom and meeting new people. It’s just what they need until they meet Rob and Lily and try junk for the first time. From then on, nothing is the same again. But it’s fine because the are young and free and can stop whenever they want right?

Twenty odd years ago I first read Junk as naive, angsty teenager and I was shocked and enthralled in equal measure. I think I even used it in an essay for my English GCSE. Years went by and I completely forgot about the novel until I spotted it on Netgalley. I couldn’t resist the chance to reread it and I was curious about how my perspective of the book might have changed all these years later.

Well, Junk really stands the test of time. 25 years later it’s still a completely relevant and important read. It’s compulsive and uncomfortable reading as you see Gemma and Tar slide into the grips of addiction with complete denial about it “A lot of people can’t handle junk. You have to be special to be able to use it.”

I really enjoyed the chapters written in the voice of each of the different characters. As a naive teen, it went over my head just how disgusting Skolly is but also what an important part he has in highlighting Tar and Gemma’s descent into junkies. I loved the symbolism of “Dandelion” and what it meant for the Gemma and Tar as well as how the painting illustrated their change in characters. The writing is spectacular with shock events being delivered in a casual conversational tone “Did I tell you, Lily turned blue the other day?”
I wish I had got a chapter or two about what had happened in the end to two other characters but really that’s the only negative I can say about it.

In short, I am so glad I got the chance to read it again. It’s a haunting, phenomenal book. When the time is right, I will be passing it to my children to read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A brilliant book. I was captivated from start to finish. Truly believable and realistic. I will be getting this for my son as I think it is an important book for teens to read. I feel like the issues are dealt with sensitively and in a way that will resonate with younger readers.

Melvin Burgess is the Godfather of Young Adult fiction and it's hard to believe that "Junk" was first published a quarter of a century ago. It's an incredibly brave piece of work, tackling the most serious of themes including domestic violence, homelessness, addiction and prostitution. Especially at a time when such topics were not regularly explored in books for young people. Burgess touches on the hopes and aspirations of youth and the yawning chasm between parents and their teenage children. His narrative breaking the fourth wall hammers home the insidious nature of peer pressure. "Junk" is told from various perspectives and each character is distinct. The book concludes with more hope than I expected although it is a satisfactory end to an exceptional novel.

I read this book as a young adult book which depicts children’s lives and the descent into drug taking. What starts as a bit of weed/dope and the realistic downward spiral to hard drugs such as heroine & crack cocaine. The sad thing is that the reasons that Tar left home in the first place are still happening today as he escaped his parent’s alcohol addiction which was causing them to both physically and mentally abuse him. Although I think it is a great book to show how quickly a bit of weed can turn to complete addiction I feel it does also glamourise drugs and the high they give and worry it would tempt some to try drugs.