Smack

If u havent yet, read this book. Its pretty good.

In an attempt to liven up the content of my classroom library, I have been reading several young adult novels this summer. When I started this one, I felt that the first person narration was a little slow. I worried that students might lose interest or become confused by the multiple narrative technique. As I continued to read my opinion changed. Characters started to come alive on the pages. The world of heroin addiction was depicted in an unforgetable manner. The images that will stick with me the longest are those of "Sunny" the innocent baby of Rob (maybe) and Lily. Gemma describes that the baby's eyes are "glassy" and the baby is already a "junkie". Lily uses heroin on the baby's gums when he's fussy or teething. Also, heroin is transferred to the baby through Lily's breastmilk. Gemma remarks that "Sunny is such a good and quiet baby." Of course he is! He is stoned!! All the other characters chose heroin, the baby did not. I believe that students can learn a lot from this novel (including English slang).

This book is a great read. I myself was a heroin addict for three years, but have been clean since May 10th 2003, something I got into with my boyfriend. It was a quick descent into hell. Both of us became shells of our former selves. Only difference is that we came from loving, stable households. I could totally relate to Tar & Gemma, only difference is that I am American, not British. It was sort of difficult to read, because as a former addict, reading about drug use, especially heroin, makes me think about it, something I don't need to do. But as this book is recommended for young adults, hopefully it will make them realize what hell life as an addict is, and steer clear of all drugs. However, as the book is recommended for "young adults" 12 and over (I, for one, don't consider 12-year-olds to be young adults, maybe 15-16 y/o) I think this book is too much for young kids and a lot would go not understood or misunderstood by a 6th grader.

"Smack" begins with main characters Tar, real name David, and Gemma. They are 16 and 14. They escape abusive, toxic homes by running away and joining a squat. At first, everything is great Freedom from rules, freedom to be together, freedom to be. Then, they join another squat, whose inhabitants all use heroin. It hardly needs explaining what happens from there. It is a story of lives pulled under, and then blown up, by the power of addiction. However, it isn't just "isn't everything awful?". We are taken inside each character's mind and heart as they try to make sense of what's going both inside and outside of themselves. The reader will fall in love with some, or all, of them, as their lives are laid out, bare and raw, nothing held back. But, there is joy, too. Babies are born. Bonds are broken and remade. Several years go by in all of their lives as they go from youngsters to worldly wise men and women. This is storytelling at its finest. Very strongly recommended.

As SLJ had said "Powerful and calculated... Smack is not a lecture to be yawned through. IT'S A SLAP IN THE FACE." Smack goes into other aspects of drug addictions that many other books don't deal with, like how there is a major focus on squatting, and at the end of the book there is a note on squatting. The note on squatting also explains how it's not illegal in the UK like it is in other countries. The book shows how the characters deal with the repercussions associated with their addiction, such as stealing. The book uses many english slang terms and has a glossary to help you with some of the slang, which is very helpful for those who don't really understand the english slang. I have learned many things from Smack and many things I would have never even imagined. Smack is literally a slap in the face that will leave you thinking about it for days.

The author brings heroin addiction to life in this book. The characters are definitely realistic and believable. It is a rough life as a junkie and no holds are barred in this book. Not everyone makes it into recovery.

I have never smoked, drank or done any type of drugs but when I read the description of this book I thought it sounded pretty interesting. Get a little insight how some people end up where they are.When reading this book I thought, yea, I bet there are TONS of kids who think running away will solve all their problems but that is so far from the truth. And what some kids think are 'problems' are really not problems at all. I think this book would probably be a good read for kids or teenagers who like to party, think their parents have too many rules or that running away would be a blast.While I did enjoy the book I think it was lacking details. I like a book that is extremely detailed but I didn't feel this book was detailed enough.

The first time I read this, I was in my early teens. It popped into my head sporadically one day a couple years ago, and I hunted it down on Amazon. I've read it a number of times since, and, though it's for young adults, it's as gripping to me now as it was then. The scenes described unfold in my mind as I read, and I develop and re-develop relationships with Tar and Gemma over and over until I feel almost empty when I reach the last page and have to say goodbye (temporarily). Even though I'm in my late twenties now, I feel like they've aged with me even though they're still the youths they've always been in the pages. Beautifully written, jarringly raw, and emotionally harrowing.

The book itself is a fine read - I read it over ten years ago under the title 'Junk' I believed this was a different book by the same author along the same lines, however I was disappointed to find it was the same book under a different title.

Amazing book