Book review - Junkyard Dogs

 

Title: Junkyard Dogs

Author: Katherine Higgs-Coulthard

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

                     Too Shattered for Mending by Peter Brown Hoffmeister

Rating: 

 

gritty and atmospheric

Summary (provided by publisher): Josh's father has gone missing without a trace, and Gran's ready to call social services. If Josh wants to keep himself and and his little brother, Twig, out of the system, he'll have to take to the streets and track down his dad. But when Josh digs too deep, his dad's old accomplices catch up to Josh and plunge him into a dangerous underground where putting his trust in the wrong person could number Josh in a growing pile of bodies.
This chilling portrayal of a teen desperate for food, shelter, and safety  barrels the reader through an emotionally-charged journey as Josh discovers that blood doesn't always make family—and some bonds can be broken forever.

My opinion: Higgs-Coulthard paints a vivid picture of a family in the act of collapsing. The mother is dead, the father drifting in and out of the picture as he works "jobs". It takes much of the book to get a real sense of what these jobs are but only a few chapters to realize that they probably aren't above-board. They aren't even really getting by, only putting up the most basic of appearances. And that's this book's strongest point. We are really living Josh's life with him, seeing his lack of choices and opportunities. So when he makes questionable decisions they seem rational in the moment, the decisions that will help pay a bill or buy a meal. It's a book less about plot, which is surprisingly slow paced, but about the relationships you have from childhood and those you build. It's a bit rough at moments but nothing too traumatizing. Worth reading and reflecting upon.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley