Narrator Kirby Heyborne channels a bookish superhero in a way that is incredibly effective, given the narrative arc of this novel. Initially, listeners may view Heyborne’s choice to give weight to every—single—word a bit curious until they realize that the protagonist is a tongue-tied teen who simultaneously grapples with the trauma of losing his mother and the agony of being bullied for living in a junk-filled trailer. Throughout, Heyborne expertly differentiates a cast of minor characters, including an angsty lesbian teen, an empathetic priest, a high-strug divorcée, and an alcoholic widower. While Heyborne’s skills as a voice actor shine throughout, his most gorgeous work comes at the very end in a dialogue between the main character and his father. Give this a listen. G.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Junk Boy
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Tony AbbottUnabridged — 3 hours, 11 minutes
Junk Boy
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Tony AbbottUnabridged — 3 hours, 11 minutes
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Overview
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.
Editorial Reviews
08/31/2020
Bobby Lang lives with his distant, verbally abusive father, who has an alcohol dependence, in a neglected house overrun by all manner of detritus and rusting scrap. Solitary and friendless, Bobby scurries through high school alone, called “Junk” by peers and straining to remain as invisible as possible. He wants only to be left alone to make space for himself in the rotting shell of a 1967 VW bus that once belonged to his mother, but after accidentally witnessing the public humiliation of Rachel, a talented, queer artist and schoolmate whose mother violently rejects her sexual orientation, the two emotionally abandoned teens begin an uneasy friendship that forces them to reckon with their definitions of salvation and sacrifice. Writing in spare, straightforward verse, Abbott (The Summer of Owen Todd) deftly captures the characters’ hurt at feeling forgotten and misunderstood, the isolation of coming-of-age under traumatic circumstances, and the solace, in the form of the local priest, of being seen and accepted. Graceful in execution and in substance, Bobby and Rachel’s moving story is emotionally satisfying. Ages 14–up. Agent: Erica Silverman, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Oct.)
"The free-verse form effectively propels this story, which is at once action-oriented and introspective, forward. Bobby’s emotion-filled thoughts make him a narrator it is easy to feel sympathy toward. The idea that people can help others even as they contend with their own demons is clear. This message, and the easily accessible, evocative language of the verse, should hold appeal for a range of realistic fiction fans." — Kirkus Reviews
"Writing in spare, straightforward verse, Abbott deftly captures the characters’ hurt at feeling forgotten and misunderstood, the isolation of coming-of-age under traumatic circumstances, and the solace of being seen and accepted. Graceful in execution and in substance, Bobby and Rachel’s moving story is emotionally satisfying." — Publishers Weekly
"Seasoned YA author Abbott crafts a nuanced story about an unlikely but desperately needed friendship between two outsiders. Readers will be pushed to think critically about how words and actions affect others. The narrative also respectfully shows positive aspects of religion and getting mental health assistance. This novel-in-verse has an engaging male POV, and would be a good read-alike for those who enjoyed Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down. The message of breaking through barriers to reach out for help and being an empathetic friend are important themes for teens to understand, and makes this a definite buy for YA collections." — School Library Journal
"This poignant novel in verse captures the bleakness and frustration of both teens' lives and draws them out of their despair with courage and compassion. The . . . conclusion is both hopeful and a relief." — Booklist
"Bobby narrates in largely unrhymed verse with clipped lines and a propulsive cadence that befits its speaker. There’s light and redemption at the end that’s hard earned for all players—adult and teen." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Bobby narrates in largely unrhymed verse with clipped lines and a propulsive cadence that befits its speaker. There’s light and redemption at the end that’s hard earned for all players—adult and teen."
"This poignant novel in verse captures the bleakness and frustration of both teens' lives and draws them out of their despair with courage and compassion. The . . . conclusion is both hopeful and a relief."
"Bobby narrates in largely unrhymed verse with clipped lines and a propulsive cadence that befits its speaker. There’s light and redemption at the end that’s hard earned for all players—adult and teen."
"This poignant novel in verse captures the bleakness and frustration of both teens' lives and draws them out of their despair with courage and compassion. The . . . conclusion is both hopeful and a relief."
08/01/2020
Gr 9 Up—Bobby Lang lives on the edge of town in a dilapidated house with his father, who is disabled and continuously drunk. The kids at school call Bobby Junk, a cruel reminder of the junk-filled property he lives on, and he tries to be invisible at school to avoid the bullying. His story is told in free verse and readers are privy to his thoughts as he ruminates on his lonely life. By accident, he witnesses a moment of violence against his classmate Rachel when her mother discovers her with her girlfriend. Bobby and Rachel bond over their outsider status, and her friendship gives him hope where earlier he felt none. Seasoned YA author Abbott crafts a nuanced story about an unlikely but desperately needed friendship between two outsiders. Both Bobby and Rachel are dealing with weak and abusive parental bonds and the damage this does to them is capably shown. Readers will cringe over what Rachel's mother tries to force on her daughter because of her sexuality, and will hopefully be pushed to think critically about how words and actions affect others. The narrative also respectfully shows positive aspects of religion and getting mental health assistance. VERDICT This novel-in-verse has an engaging male POV, and would be a good read-alike for those who enjoyed Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down. The message of breaking through barriers to reach out for help and being an empathetic friend are important themes for teens to understand, and makes this a definite buy for YA collections.—Nancy McKay, Byron P.L., IL
Narrator Kirby Heyborne channels a bookish superhero in a way that is incredibly effective, given the narrative arc of this novel. Initially, listeners may view Heyborne’s choice to give weight to every—single—word a bit curious until they realize that the protagonist is a tongue-tied teen who simultaneously grapples with the trauma of losing his mother and the agony of being bullied for living in a junk-filled trailer. Throughout, Heyborne expertly differentiates a cast of minor characters, including an angsty lesbian teen, an empathetic priest, a high-strug divorcée, and an alcoholic widower. While Heyborne’s skills as a voice actor shine throughout, his most gorgeous work comes at the very end in a dialogue between the main character and his father. Give this a listen. G.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
2020-07-27
Two teens struggling with painful home lives forge a complicated friendship in this novel in verse.
Fifteen-year-old Bobby is called Junk by kids at school, a barb directed at him due to the piles of debris that litter the yard of the home where he lives with his neglectful father, who abuses alcohol. Bobby happens to witness the mother of Rachel, an artistically gifted classmate, slapping her daughter after she discovers Rachel kissing another girl. He is drawn to Rachel despite her often mercurial treatment of him. The free-verse form effectively propels this story, which is at once action-oriented and introspective, forward. Bobby’s emotion-filled thoughts make him a narrator it is easy to feel sympathy toward, and readers will likely be relieved by the auspicious events that transpire in his life as he learns more about his family history and is befriended by the town priest. Though the secondary characters are not as well-developed as Bobby is, the idea that people can help others even as they contend with their own demons is clear. This message, and the easily accessible, evocative language of the verse, should hold appeal for a range of realistic fiction fans. The characters all seem to be White.
A poignant, hopeful novel about emerging from the isolation wrought by abuse. (author's note, resources) (Verse novel. 12-18)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940177749525 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 10/13/2020 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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