Trash

Reviews

English teacher Andy Mulligan has produced a rip-roaring adventure, Trash, for aged nine-plus, featuring three street boys who discover a key that unlocks a gripping mystery. What could have been glum and preachy is actually a brilliant book I cannot recommend highly enough. This is a powerful and gripping story that takes us into some painful places, but makes us believe that transformation is possible - that the vulnerable and weak can sometimes triumph against a whole system. I would very highly recommend it. One of the most exciting and original novels of the year . . . It's a tight, thrilling story, told from various characters' perspectives and has a Slumdog, feel-good pulse beating through it. A genuine treasure find One of my favourite novels of 2010, now in paperback with a new cover look. Reminiscent of Slumdog Millionaire, three dumpsite boys take on the world in this gripping and intensely moving story . . . Harrowing, exhilarating, humbling and quite brilliant Outstanding, hotly anticipated thriller . . . an exceptionally satisfying plot Great stuff: taut, plausible and thought-provoking Trash is a thriller with moral weight and a complex structure . . . Without ever moralising, Mulligan raises issues of corruption, poverty, waste and excess in an exciting, but also grimly sad tale Wonderful - an exciting story with engaging characters told in a clever way with spare but lyrical prose . . . Trash comes highly recommended by me, and I don't have time to say any more about it because I'm off to read it again. And after that, I might read it again. And then again. You read it too A superbly original tale This is a highly entertaining and very satisfying book which should be recommended to all. It needs to be read. Harrowing, exhilarating, humbling and quite brilliant Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can't put down There is danger, and action, and periods of lying low - the tension is well developed and the climax gloriously appropriate. This was a very exciting read, and I certainly recommend it A cracker of a thriller . . . a zippy and classic briefcase-full-of-money thrill ride An exciting thriller about justice and courage pitted against ruthless corruption that takes readers into perilous places and prepares them for Oliver Twist A brilliant book I cannot recommend highly enough Exciting and fast moving as the story is, it also tugs at your heartstrings and reminds the reader that there are many young people for whom this way of life is reality. Unmissable! This is a powerful and gripping story that takes us into some painful places, but makes us believe that transformation is possible - that the vulnerable and weak can sometimes triumph against a whole system. I would very highly recommend it Often funny, more often very moving While readers will delight in the excitement and adventure of this story, they will also learn about the poverty and difficulties faced by many children throughout the world and about the consequences of corruption in government The chase leads them throughout the city, exposing the great disparity between the "haves" and the "have nots," and the huge injustice this represents. They face moral dilemmas throughout and, ultimately, make good decisions. Their intelligence and characters make the condition in which they live seem even more unfair An exciting read full of suspense. This will appeal to boys and to girls, and could act as a stimulus to classroom discussion of poverty, child workers, recycling in third world countries and the misuse of economic and political power Fast paced and brilliant, this is a book about a country fighting corruption and making right a terrible wrong. Mulligan has written something great. You simply must read it! I really loved this book, as it had all the ingredients required to make a good read - a great original story fraught with danger and good central characters that you warm to, wanting to ensure the best for them through the story. The book also has a strong cultural element based upon the author's extensive travels - a hint of life in the Philippines that ensures its appeal and authenticity. This is a sure fire read and I certainly look forward to another book from Andy soon. Once things start happening you cannot put it down because you are following a quest... I had to finish this book in one sitting This book had me hooked. If I had to describe it in three words I would probably describe it as a 'feel-good book'. The change in narratives meant it never grew dull and everything written was relevant to the plot. You have to read this book if only for the ending. I finished reading this book with a smile on my face. Outstanding, hotly anticipated thriller...an exceptionally satisfying plot. A great thriller with an ending that I absolutely loved and one I would recommend for boys and girls both young and old. This is one of those stories that makes you question what is really important and will make you feel grateful for the things you have. A thought provoking and fun read that will take you on an emotional roller coaster and I'm looking forward to reading more from Andy Mulligan. And finally a novel for young readers, Trash by Andy Mulligan, a life-affirming story told in multiple voices and set in the slums and rubbish heaps of Manila. Often funny, more often very moving, this is one of the treasures of 2010's young adult market. A humbling scenario, all too recognisable around the world. Wonderful - an exciting story with engaging characters told in a clever way with spare but lyrical prose. And underneath it all is a seam of social comment that isn't in the least bit tub-thumpy but that does bring awareness and a real understanding of life for dumpsite children across the world. Trash comes highly recommended by me, and I don't have time to say any more about it because I'm off to read it again. And after that, I might read it again. And then again. You read it too. Full of mystery and intrigue, Trash is a page-turning tale of corruption and cunning and valour...For a relatively slim volume, this is a book with major impact. It's a book that forges an emotional bond with the reader; a book that, if you're anything like me, will draw you in and make you care - really care - about the outcome.Trash expands our worldview and pushes the limits of our experience. It's gripping and humbling and filled with lifelike characters you'll take to your heart. It's an amazing journey. I loved it, and I'd urge anyone to pick up a copy. This one's unforgettable. I absolutely loved this book! A great storyline that will keep you hooked...The characters and their situation stayed with me for a long time after I had finished this book and I think that everybody should read this amazing, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking novel! Every now and then a book sneaks up on the unsuspecting public, with very little fanfare, and hits you where it hurts the most - in the heart. Trash is one such book Andy Mulligan has moved from the English countryside to a Latin American slum for his follow up to the school story Ribblestrop. TRASH is a thriller with moral weight and a complex structure..... Without ever moralising, Mulligan raises issues of corruption, poverty, waste and excess in an exciting, but also grimly sad tale. Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can't put down. Get Trash and get reading. If you read one book this year, just a single one, make sure you read Trash...it is a book which you will enjoy reading, where you will learn things and which will make you think. We definitely need more books like this. There is danger, and action, and periods of lying low- the tension is well developed and the climax gloriously appropriate. This was a very exciting read, and I certainly recommend it. An extremely good book Trash is such a heartfelt and poignant book to read. It makes you think about injustice and poverty. It makes you realise how different your own life is to so many other peoples all across the world. But above all, it is a gripping mystery which keeps you guessing until the very end. Trash is, quite simply, one of the best books of the year. The buzz about it is incredible and it really does live up to the hype. It's a truly unique novel and I can guarantee you won't have read anything like it before. It will stay with you for weeks after reading - I still haven't forgotten one detail and I can't help but keep rereading it. The story is so complete and perfectly executed; you can't get to the end of this one without being moved...Mulligan has such a beautiful way with words and a great turn of phrase, everything flows so perfectly and it's so hard to put Trash down half way through the story. As soon as the pace slows enough for you to catch your breath you're rocketing forward again. Brilliant. Truly exciting stuff I can assure you. This isn't a comfortable book, in the sense that it doesn't hide behind its fiction. These three boys live an upsetting life, and this is true of children in Latin-American countries. We are forced to address this issue throughout and I read the book humbled and very keen to read more from Andy Mulligan. If you want a book that will stay with you and mean something to you, then I would highly recommend this. a heart capturing tale In alternating and tightly paced points of view, supplemented by occasional other voices, the boys relate the intrigue in which they're quickly enmeshed. It all adds up to a cracker of a thriller. , a zippy and classic briefcase-full-of-money thrill ride. This is an intriguing teenage read with some important environmental messages in it. There is so much to admire in this story that it is hard to know where to start! ... It is not often that such important messages are wrapped up in such a genuinely thrilling adventure. Its appeal lies in its ability to make you fall in love with the characters, and assist them on an exciting, unpredictable journey of hopes and dreams. Andy Mulligan has created something stunning, it's beautifully written, captivating and very entertaining. I love how you never know what is going to happen until it's actually happened - bits and pieces being revealed as the story continues. Each moment has been placed with care on Mulligan's part and makes for a fantastic reading experience. Bernardo is the most touching hero, though Raphael, in Andy Mulligan's Trash, would give him a run for his money. Living and working on a mountain of rubbish, Raphael finds a small bag that the police are after. With only their wits to help them, Raphael and his two friends go on the run in an exciting thriller about justice and courage pitted against ruthless corruption that takes readers into perilous places and prepares them for Oliver Twist. Regardless, Trash is a book everyone should read. I mean it - everyone! No one can read this and say he (or she) did not take anything away from it. Andy Mulligan's Trash is one of those books that shows a picture of exactly how life is in places we don't know, but we should care about. Thought-provoking, uplifting and hopeful, this is a book that lifts readers into an entirely different world. ...Trash by Andy Mulligan, which is a(n)...inventive story of three friends living on a rubbish site discovering a leather bag full of secrets and clues they have to solve before the baddies get them...This is great stuff: taut, plausible and thought-provoking. ...intriguing mystery...the descriptions are brutal and graphic...Exciting and fast moving as the story is, it also tugs at your heartstrings and reminds the reader that there are many young people for whom this way of life is reality. Unmissable! Trash, a novel about children in a lawless Third-World country, has been dropped from the Blue Peter Book Awards shortlist because of worries that a police interrogation scene involving torture might upset younger readers. What's the problem? Children's appetite for a gruesome read knows no bounds. Havn't the Blue Peter bods ever heard of Hansel and Gretel, Struwelpeter, or a young chap by the name of Harry Potter? While readers will delight in the excitement and adventure of this story, they will also learn about the poverty and difficulties faced by many children throughout the world and about the consequences of corruption in government. Read it, then read it to your child. One of the most exciting and original novels of the year...It's a tight, thrilling story, told from various characters' perspectives and has a 'Slumdog', ­feel-good pulse beating through it. A genuine treasure find. Expand reviews