Junk by Melvin Burgess

Title: Junk

Author: Melvin Burgess

Publisher: Penguin

Originally published in 1996

Pages: 278

Genres: YA fiction

Format: paperback

Junk = Heroin = Bliss = Despair = A love affair you’ll never forget

Tar loves Gemma, but Gemma doesn’t want to be tied down - not to anyone or anything. Gemma wants to fly. But no one can fly for ever. One day, somehow, finally, you have to come down. 

This is a very challenging book. Not because of the language, the language is very accessible. Not because of the storyline, the story is quite simple. It’s challenging because of the content. When I was a teenager I used to read a lot of books halfway through before abandoning them, and in this case that’s a very bad idea. The first half of this book gives the reader a romanticised view of addiction, the rock-and-roll lifestyle and idealised notions of living a life without restraint, answerable to no one. The second half displays, slowly, insidiously, and with a creeping sensation of eventual disintegration, the effects of addiction.

Books are amazing, and one of the things that makes them amazing is their ability to allow the reader to experience the experiences of others without actually going down that road for themselves. This is a book aimed at teenagers, and I ardently believe that all teenagers should read it, but I also believe that all parents should read it beforehand so that they are somewhat aware of the life lessons being taught.

The narrative format is first person and the chapters jump between characters. This gives a wide reaching view of the situation and, explores the ‘unreliable narrator’ convention excellently. In one character’s narrative they will swear blind to the reader that they would never use needles, in the next character’s narrative they describe watching the former inject themselves. This method is subtle, allowing the reader to come to steady realisations that the characters themselves are finding hard to face.

Everyone should read this book. If nothing else it introduces themes that most people try to avoid, it forces the reader to face an uncomfortable reality, that kids do make these decisions, they do get into these situations, and the more we talk about it the better our society will be.   

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Publisher: Laurel-Leaf

Originally published in 1993

Pages: 179

Genres: YA, Science Fiction

Format: Paperback

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. 

The Giver is set in a dystopian future where the residents of the community take pills to suppress their human emotions so that they live a life of control, free from complication. Don’t worry, i’m not giving anything much away by telling you that, it’s the events that happen beside that point that drive the narrative. Jonas is, like many heroes from the ‘coming of age’ convention, singled out as special. The role that is assigned to him is assigned to no others, and the previously selected children have failed. As one might expect, Jonas succeeds where the others have not. 

Lowry’s book does not challenge the format of many books aimed at young adults. We follow Jonas as he sheds the simpler life of his childhood and begins to shoulder the responsibilities of his future. What is different about The Giver is the concept. The concept and the emotional, psychological empathy that the book demands. For such a narrow volume it packs a lot of punch, and it withholds just enough about the state of affairs at the beginning, that Jonas’s revelations become our own. 

On the surface this is not a complicated book. The ending remains pleasantly ambiguous, and can lead to some interesting discussions, but aside from that very little is left up to the reader. It is, instead, philosophically intense. Those who want a good, compelling story will not be disappointed. If you’re like me and you also like to read into texts and engage in analysis, then you’ll find plenty to draw upon. The depth of this book depends on the reader and so definitely falls into the category of YA fiction that will continue to appeal to a much older audience. It’s one you can go back to and it will reveal more every time. It’s also short, so if you find yourself with a free Sunday and feel like indulging by spending the day curled up on your sofa with a good book, this is one that you can get through entirely before dinner time.

Placing it in a wider literary context The Giver conforms with other YA books of the darker variety by centring upon a community where the adults in charge have fallen short and are not to be trusted. Lowry’s book can therefore be placed alongside His Dark Materials (Pullman), the Harry Potter series (Rowling), The Hunger Games (Collins), The Wind on Fire (Nicholson), and many more. 

Definitely read this book. It’s well worth the few hours that it will take you.