Language English Pages 278 pp (first edition) OCLC 37873825 Country United Kingdom | Publication date 14 November 1996 ISBN 0-86264-632-4 Originally published 14 November 1996 Publisher Andersen Press | |
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Media type Print (hardcover & paperback) Genres Young adult fiction, Literary realism Awards Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Similar Melvin Burgess books, Carnegie Medal winners, Substance abuse books | ||
Junk, known as Smack in the U.S., is a realistic novel for young adults by the British author Melvin Burgess, published in 1996 by Andersen in the U.K. Set on the streets of Bristol, England, it features two runaway teens who join a group of squatters, where they fall into heroin addiction and embrace anarchism. Both critically and commercially it is the best received of Burgess' novels. Yet it was unusually controversial at first, criticized negatively for its "how-to" aspect, or its dark realism, or its moral relativism.
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Burgess won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's outstanding children's book by a British author. For the 70th anniversary of the Medal in 2007 Junk was named one of the top ten winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite. Junk also won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a similar award that authors may not win twice. It is the latest of six books to win both awards.
In the U.S., Henry Holt published the novel in 1997 as Smack —another slang term for heroin.
Plot summary
The novel is told in the first person from various points of view; much of the narration is by Gemma and Tar, and takes place over the course of a few years in their lives. At the beginning of the story, Gemma is spending time with Tar, a gentle teenager who is planning to run away from home after suffering abuse at the hands of his father. Gemma is a rebellious 14-year-old and, despite having loving parents, decides to leave home and join Tar in Bristol.
In Bristol, Tar is introduced to Richard through Skolly, the tobacconist that took pity on Tar. Richard is a nervous, vegan anarchist, and he and his friends Vonny, a motherly character, and Vonny's boyfriend Jerry break into an abandoned house to squat there and invite Tar to stay with them. Tar is eager for them to meet Gemma as she arrives in Bristol; they are less pleased because they think Gemma is young and impulsive and would be better off at home with her parents. Gemma and Tar experiment smoking marijuana while they are living in the abandoned house. Tar phones his mother to let her know he's safe. However she makes him feel guilty for leaving her alone with his father, upsetting Tar greatly.
Richard holds a party in the abandoned house and Tar and Gemma meet Lily, who enchants Gemma with her confidence and carefree attitude. Gemma and Tar leave to stay the night with Lily and her boyfriend Rob. While they are there, Lily and Rob encourage Gemma and Tar to smoke heroin with them, and they do, believing that only smoking it won't get them addicted.
Tar and Gemma live with Lily and Rob for a long time, their heroin smoking habit turning into long-term addiction. They are joined by Sally, another heroin addict. Lily becomes pregnant and this inspires them into attempting to quit by going cold turkey, however they fail after only a day. Lily continues to inject heroin while pregnant. Lily, Gemma and Sally work as prostitutes in a massage parlour to fund their addiction. After getting arrested, Tar is sent to a rehabilitation centre. Once out, he declares himself clean, but after going back to the flat with Gemma, Lily and Rob, he takes heroin again.
The catalyst comes after Tar and Gemma are found with heroin again; Tar takes the blame and this time is sent to prison. Gemma, now pregnant with Tar's baby, allows Vonny to get in touch with her mother, who asks Gemma to come home and have the baby with the help of her parents. She agrees, and after 3 and a half years she is back at home. Her story ends with her clean and heroin-free, bringing up the baby without Tar because she doesn't trust him to stay off the drugs. Tar, once out of prison, slowly weans himself off methadone and settles down with a girlfriend, visiting his and Gemma's daughter every few months.
Characters in "Junk"
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
This novel has been adapted for the theatre by John Retallack (published by Methuen ISBN 0-413-73840-X).
It was made into a TV drama in 1999 as part of the BBC's Scene series for teenagers.
It has also been revised as of 2003 with the new title of Smack.
Often used as a thesis bases for drama (GCSE and A level) examinations