Smack

Melvin Burgess

Jun 2010 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

About this ebook

Winner of the 1996 Carnegie Medal in Literature and the Guardian Prize for fiction, two of England's most prestigious awards, Smack tells a penetrating story about heroin use, a topic that is becoming familiar in the news and one of importance to teens everywhere.

The story begins with Tar, a fourteen-year-old, who runs away from home. He convinces his girlfriend, Gemma, to come with him, and it is not long before they are engulfed in a loose community of people living in abandoned buildings. Everything seems to be turning out so well: they have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and a brand-new group of friends. And when Tar and Gemma try their first hit of smack, they think life will keep on getting better.

But before long, they find they've lost control. The search for the next hit becomes all-consuming--until a disaster forces Gemma to take matters into her own hands.

Insightful, haunting, and real, Smack is the Go Ask Alice of the '90s. It's a book that every teenager should read--then pass along to a friend.

Ratings and reviews

Read this in highschool & has never escaped my memory a great book that puts you in the footsteps of a struggling addict. It gave me more insight than D.A.R.E. class, which fails to point out bad family backgrounds & homelessness often end up in drug use

This book is the truth. The ending is as raw as it gets, & will put you in the middle of a bunch of screwed up emotions.

This is the best book I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down, I recommend it to all my friends as well.

About the author

Melvin Burgess is the author of several other highly acclaimed books for young adults, including Burning Issy. Mr. Burgess lives in Lancashire, England.