Melvin Burgess’s

— or

in the US — marked a turning point in young adult (YA) fiction in the UK, a field within YA now known as UKYA. The novel’s bleak yet realistic portrayal of two teenager’s descent into heroin addiction offers frank, honest discussions of drugs and drug culture, including squatting, prostitution, and teen pregnancy. First published in 1996 by Andersen Press, Burgess contends that

was “an experiment”, both for him and his publishers, pushing the boundaries of “teenage fiction” in the UK, which, at the time, was aimed at younger teens, not those over thirteen/fourteen (Burgess, “Junk (Smack)”). Addressing the older end of the, then only potential, teenage market,

revolutionised UKYA. In separate interviews with

2063 words

Citation: Phillips, Leah. "Junk". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 July 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38831, accessed 21 November 2024.]