Bestselling author Tony Abbott's YA novel-in-verse is an unflinching and heartbreaking look at a boy's junk-filled life, and the ways he finds redemption and hope, perfect for fans of The Crossover and Long Way Down.
Junk. That's what the kids at school call Bobby Lang, mostly because his rundown house looks like a junkyard, but also because they want to put him down. Trying desperately to live under the radar at school—and at the home he shares with his angry, neglectful father—Bobby develops a sort of proud loneliness. The only buffer between him and the uncaring world is his love of the long, wooded trail between school and home.
Life grinds along quietly and hopelessly for Bobby until he meets Rachel. Rachel is an artist who sees him in a way no one ever has. Maybe it's because she has her own kind of junk, and a parent who hates what Rachel is: gay. Together the two embark on journeys to clean up the messes that fill their lives, searching against all odds for hope and redemption.
Narrated in Bobby's unique voice in arresting free verse, this novel will captivate readers right from its opening lines, urging them on page after page, all the way to its explosive conclusion.
- Coming of Age Story: Bullied and isolated, Bobby Lang—known as "Junk Boy"—must find the courage to clean up his life and see himself as more than just trash.
- Parental Neglect: At home, Bobby navigates a tense relationship with his angry, grieving father, a man lost in his own junk-filled past.
- Art and Identity: When Bobby meets Rachel, a gifted artist, her drawings show him a version of himself he never thought possible—someone worthy of being seen.
- YA Novel-in-Verse: Told in raw, lyrical free verse, this powerful novel is perfect for readers of Jason Reynolds and Elizabeth Acevedo.
