Burgess, Melvin. Smack. Harper Teen, 1999. ISBN 978-0380732234 293 pp. $

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Smack is a gritty novel about the agony and ecstasy of heroin addiction. Two British teens run away because they feel cramped by their parents and live a life on the streets. Becoming squatters, they must resort to a life of crime to support their new habit. A tragic and realistic story, told in many different voices. Pair with The White Horse by Cynthia D. Grant and Beauty Queen by Linda Glovach by for a great book discussion.