Smack by Melvin Burgess Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Smack
Book Review: Compelling and Scary Downward Spiral
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story Tar and Gemma, two teenagers, who run away from their families in search of freedom and end up in a prison of their own creation -- drug addiction. This is a truly compelling book and I felt myself swept along in total sympathy with the main characters. At first it's all fun and games until they realize that you can't run away from certain basic human needs: the need for a home (which becomes a squat), the need for family (which becomes a group of squatters, who sadly are also junkies). It's only a matter of time before the lure of drugs (as a bonding ritual) takes over -- and then we watch these characters spiral downward. I read this book right after another Amazon purchase -- The Losers' Club by Richard Perez -- and while that novel isn't about drug addiction, but a 'failed,' lonely writer addicted to the personal ads, I was reminded of the need we all have to belong, to feel ALIVE. The story of Smack reminds us that we can never escape from ourselves, from certain innate human needs. And when we try to break away from the more traditional ways of life, those needs, that loneliness to belong is still there. I truly love this book and would recommend it to anyone. It's beautifully written and compelling. And sadly true.
Book Review: Compelling and Scary Downward Spiral
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story Tar and Gemma, two teenagers, who run away from their families in search of freedom and end up in a prison of their own creation -- drug addiction. This is a truly compelling book and I felt myself swept along in total sympathy with the main characters. At first it's all fun and games until they realize that you can't run away from certain basic human needs: the need for a home (which becomes a squat), the need for family (which becomes a group of squatters, who sadly are also junkies). It's only a matter of time before the lure of drugs (as a bonding ritual) takes over -- and then we watch these characters spiral downward. I read this book right after another Amazon purchase -- The Losers' Club by Richard Perez -- and while that novel isn't about drug addiction, but a 'failed,' lonely writer addicted to the personal ads, I was reminded of the need we all have to belong, to feel ALIVE. The story of Smack reminds us that we can never escape from ourselves, from certain innate human needs. And when we try to break away from the more traditional ways of life, those needs, that loneliness to belong is still there. I truly love this book and would recommend it to anyone. It's beautifully written and compelling. And sadly true.Book Review: Compelling and Scary Downward Spiral
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story Tar and Gemma, two teenagers, who run away from their families in search of freedom and end up in a prison of their own creation -- drug addiction.This is a truly compelling book and I felt myself swept along in total sympathy with the main characters. At first it's all fun and games until they realize that you can't run away from certain basic human needs: the need for a home (which becomes a squat), the need for family (which becomes a group of squatters, who sadly are also junkies). It's only a matter of time before the lure of drugs (as a bonding ritual) takes over -- and then we watch these characters spiral downward.
I read this book right after another Amazon purchase -- The Losers' Club by Richard Perez -- and while that novel isn't about drug addiction, but a "failed," lonely writer addicted to the personal ads, I was reminded of the need we all have to belong, to feel ALIVE. The story of Smack reminds us that we can never escape from ourselves, from certain innate human needs. And when we try to break away from the more traditional ways of life, those needs, that loneliness to belong is still there. I truly love this book and would recommend it to anyone. It's beautifully written and compelling. And sadly true.
Book Review: Dangers of Drug Addiction
Summary: 2 Stars
Tar is fourteen years old when he decides he's had enough of his parents' alcoholism and his father's abuse. He needs to get away from home, and he wants his girlfriend Gemma, also fourteen, to go with him. Gemma is excruciatingly bored with her life, and she feels her parents are far too strict. Even though she doesn't love Tar, she really likes him and so she decides to run away with him.
Things go well for awhile. Tar, especially, seems to have found his niche, meeting up with an older couple who allow him to squat with them in an abandoned house. They provide food for him, not minding that he is too young to bring in money of his own. When Gemma joins them, though, they worry. She has parents who don't abuse her like Tar's, and they are concerned about her wild streak.
Gemma soon decides she doesn't need anyone else acting like her parents, so she convinces Tar to move in with another couple, Rob and Lily, who are bigger partiers and much more fun. It is not long after they move in that Gemma and Tar get their first taste of heroin.
At first heroin doesn't seem like a big deal. It's nice to use it, but everyone can stop whenever they want. But as the days and years go by, it becomes harder and harder to quit, and everyone is much more willing to do whatever it takes to get more.
I liked the concept of this book, showing how people fall into drug habits without realizing what is happening. However, I didn't like any of the characters, which made it hard for me to feel sympathetic toward them or to root for them to turn their lives around.
Book Review: Enjoyable and Captivating
Summary: 4 Stars
The book has quite a unique format as each chapter is from the perspective of a different character. Their slow transformation is captivating and the book was hard to put down at times. Be careful though...if you start reading it, you'd better FINISH it, or else you could turn to the big H..yup, the author makes it sound that good in the SMACK!