I always enjoy reading YA books that break the mold. Last month I read Jennifer Bradbury's "Shift," which takes place partially in a college setting. This month I read Andy Mulligan's "Trash," which takes place in an unnamed (probably South American) city. Three "dumpsite boys", who live in a shanty town and sift through mounds of trash to survive, find a bag filled with curious items, including a key and a photo id card, that the dangerous and corrupt police force is desperate to retrieve.
All three main characters take turns narrating, but so do a handful of adults who help them. I can't think of any other YA books off the top of my head that do this, and it was interesting to see the events from multiple perspectives, not all of them belonging to young adults. Even a dead man has his say, in the form of letters.
The clever mystery unfolds at a breakneck pace, and I was torn between racing through the pages and forcing myself to slow down so I could enjoy each revelation. Mulligan does a terrific job creating vivid, lovable, and sympathetic characters in a unique setting.
Do you prefer YA novels to be told only from the POV of teenagers, or do you like to see authors mix it up?
I first read about this book at the Random Acts of Reading blog and requested my library get a copy. Now I need to check if it ever happened...
ReplyDeleteOoh, I hope so. I would love to know what you think if you have the chance to read it. Thanks!
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