Smack

Rating:
Summary: everything you never knew about heroin
Review: This book tells you what it's about right in the title; it's about smack, heroin, junk, whatever you want to call it. Smack is about two fourteen-year-olds living in squats in England in the 1980s. One of them, Tar, has an alcoholic mom and gets beat up by his dad so he runs away to live in a squat. His girlfriend, Gemma, hates her parents' restrictions, so she runs away to live with him. In Bristol, they meet two other teenagers, who introduce them to the drug that consumes their lives, heroin. Over the next four years, they are faced with addiction, prostitution, and numerous other things they didn't count on as they fall into and out of love with each other and heroin. They struggle with getting out of the deep hole of addiction, facing their parents, and regaining the lives they've created but have lost control of; all while learning many lessons about life, love, and themselves.
Burgess' style of writing each chapter from the view of a different character really pulls you into every side of the story, so that you feel like you are there. You come to know the characters inside and out, love them; you feel their pain and their joy. You worry for them and cheer for them throughout the whole book. But in addition to knowing the characters, you end up knowing the drug, heroin. This book reinforces everything you've ever been taught about drugs in a way more real than any health class.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants some drama, excitement, and emotion in a book. Teens especially will enjoy this book because they can relate to the feelings and the mindsets of the characters and what they are experiencing in this modern setting.

Rating:
Summary: smack
Review: Smack is a very good book, it is my favorite book ever. It talks about a kid having trouble at home and his dad beats him and his mom, so he runs away and gets involved in drugs and his life falls apart. He then gets his girlfriend to run away and come and live with him (witch is a bad mistake). She doesn't really like living with those people but then she meets a girl that changes her whole life. She soon gets offered her first hit of smack her and tar both so they do it. If it sounds interesting to you, read the rest of the book. The reason why I like this book is because it relates to real life stories. I really liked this book a lot it is my favorite of all time and I recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: This book is deffinently a favorite of mine! Melvin Burgess is brilliant when describing the highs and lows of drug abuse. It's as though he has been in the mind of a junkie and he doesn't hesitate to tell it like it is.

First starting off as a sort of young love story, and then crashing right into the 80's punk scene in England, this book goes through many exciting twists and turns, and Burgess doesn't miss one detail!

I've already recomended this book to all of my friends, and I deffinently recomend it to anyone curious as to how the life of a heroin addict really is. Especially if you really dig 80's punk!

Rating:
Summary: The answer to, "Mummy, what's wrong with heroin?"
Review: This book is so realistic it hurts. The plot in "Smack" introduces us to David--"Tar," and Gemma. Tar is a 14-year-old boy who comes from a broken home where his parents are both alcoholics, his father abuses both him and his mother, and his mother is manipulative of him. Gemma, his girlfriend, is also 14 and comes from what would be considered a relatively stable home, even if she doesn't get along with her parents and they make life "hard" for her. Tar runs away and is soon joined by Gemma, and we journey with them down their dark path to life on the streets and heroin addiction.
I love the vivid descriptions Burgess gives of the feeling of being high, how awful the withdrawal is, and how the addiction can destroy lives. The kicker is when Lily, another heroin addict, gives birth to a child who is born a junkie. This is just one example of the slap in the face of reality of this book.
The story is told from alternating different characters' points of view, making for a very interesting effect. You get to know what the characters are like before they're addicted and how they change. Tar's personality, in particular, begins as that of a sweet, artistic and intelligent young man until he is swallowed by the smack, and that's all he has time and energy to be; an addict.
This book is very sad. Why? It's all true. Worth your time, definitely.
~Kristen

Rating:
Summary: Smack didn't hurt me at all!!
Review: The reason why I read smack was because of the books main idea. Smack was something for teens and how to face teen problems. It delt with drugs and other teen no no's. The way they expressed it was by reading about a person and reading what they had to say like she wanted to take the drugs but she said "how about no." Thats how they showed what the stories about.Out of all the characters my favorite had to be Gemma. She was the main character it had more pages on her and she had a lot to deal with, like the one she loved. She had more things to face then anyof the other characters and i thought she was the coolest because of that.
I liked the story because it really relates to whats going to happen in the future and whats happening in my life right now. It really is helping me with what i want to happen in my life. It really taught me a lesson.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Trip
Review: Smack is an excellent look into the lives of two teenagers who are rebelling against the norm, and get sucked in too far. It begins as two innocent teenagers in England who run away from their controlling families. As one might expect Tar and Gemma begin using illegal substances such as Hash, liquor and tobacco. Eventually they get pulled into addiction to the drug heroin, or smack. This book takes one through the whole story of an addict. From the beginning to a good description of street life, and finally to the recovery process, which is no easy task.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: I really loved this book. i came across it killing time at a barnes and noble bookstore not intending to buy anything. It stuck out from the other books and i decided to read it because I had nothing better to do. For me to read a book it has to have my attention the whole time it cant start out boring, and this didnt. I ended up buying it because it was getting good. It's such a sad story. If you ever read this book, know that there is a glossery of the british slang in the back, i didnt know until i actually got that far in the book but its easy enough to figure out what they mean by how they are used in the sentence. It is about teenagers running away from home and meeting these other rtunaways then they end up addicted to heroin and they think they can quit but then they cant. There is alot more to it but i wouldnt want to spoil it. I couldnt put it down. I just finished reading it a couple hours ago and Im still thinking about it. Great book. Id read it again :)

Rating:
Summary: As addictive as the drug itself
Review: Smack is an amazing, powerful, amazingly powerful book. It portrays a side of the world that you don't normally see. It pulls you head first into a world of drugs, sex, and booze. Mainly drugs, particularly smack (smack, junk, heroin, whatever floats your boat). And there are some strange parallels between smack and Smack. When you start the book, you think, "This is a good book. I like it. I can take it or leave it, but I'd rather take it." Then, as the book progresses you find it harder and harder to put down. And when you HAVE to put it down for something else, you find your mind wandering back to the book, and you become more absorbed in its reality than your own. And finally, you may as well be surgically attached to it, because you just CAN'T put it down. And (here's where it's different) when it's all over and the dust clears, you have NO regrets. So, I guess, the book is better than the drug. But read it in moderation because you may get so wrapped up in the characters' lives and neglect your own, eventually causing your friends and family to leave you all alone with Smack. And the lesson: Be careful with Smack, kids; it could ruin your life.

Rating:
Summary: wow
Review: Smack is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. At about 300 pages it spans over 4 years of the lives of Tar (David) and Gemma. You become so entrapped by the characters that you feel as if they are living next door. At first I thought Smack was going to be annoying, what with every chapter being told from a different characters point of view. But I was defiantly wrong! It only made it more interesting. I really cannot explain in words the amazing feeling this novel gives you. I could see and feel every word of the characters, when they were getting high at parties I felt like I was sitting on the couch opposite of them. I loved all of them; Tar, Gemma, Lilly, Rob. They amaze you, what with topless Lilly when we first meet her and Tar's dandelions. I only wish they were all real. You get to experience their thoughts and know what they want. Please, read this book. You will never forget it.

Rating:
Summary: A beautifully written book.
Review: Melvin Burgess did in incredibly wonderful job of showing what life is like on the streets and being addicted to drugs. His words were powerful and the way he showed us the lives of the characters in the book is so original. This is a book that everyone should read (both old and young) because it gets us to think about how our life is and how we should be grateful for what we have. If you are a drug user or have experimented with drugs, you can relate to the lives of these people so much. An excellent book, excellent story, excellent author.