Summary

Smack is a controversial novel, penned by Melvin Burgess in 1996, in England. The original title of the book was Junk, the title changing upon its being published in the United States. Set in the early and middle 1980's, Smack's main subject is drug addiction. The story follows two main characters - Gemma and Tar - as they run away from their small seaside town in England, to squat in the big city of Bristol.

Initially, it is Tar's idea to run away. As a victim of child abuse, he is running away to find a safer life, and encourages his new girlfriend, Gemma, to join him. Believing her parents to be overbearing, Gemma soon joins Tar in Bristol.

At first, Tar and Gemma join a squat with older teens, Vonny and Jerry. They, along with Richard - the adult head of the movement - look after the younger teenagers and form a sort of family, albeit a disfunctional one. Soon, Gemma meets Lily and Rob, two teens close to her age, who introduce her and Tar to heroin. After awhile, the girls turn to prostitution to support their habit.

The story is told in first person perspective, not only in the viewpoint of one character, but nearly all of them. Each chapter is titled with the name of the character who is speaking. In this way, the author - Melvin Burgess - avoids preaching on the dangers showcased within the book. Instead of a narrator explaining that "drugs are bad," each character explains their own personal motivations and the reading audience is able to view the characters decline first-hand.

The characters in the book metamorphes as time progresses. Some characters grow in positive ways, eventually, and some do not. If a reader is looking for a book with a fairy tale ending, this won't be it. What this will be is a realistic look at runaways, squatting, drug use, prostitution... and most of all, heroin. It's a gripping read and a valuable teaching tool for teenagers, although the subject matter is best suited for older teenagers.