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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Violence in the context of drug culture and abuse
Language
A lot
Heavy profanity throughout; the street register is authentic and harsh
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual content; teen relationships depicted frankly
Substance Use
Very heavy
Heroin addiction is the entire subject of the novel — depicted in explicit, unglamorized detail
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The psychological devastation of addiction: denial, loss, degradation, and the destruction of everything else
What this book is about
Tar and Gemma run away from their troubled homes to Bristol, where they fall in with a community of squatters and ultimately into heroin addiction. Burgess's controversial 1996 YA novel is unflinching, told in alternating voices, and refuses easy redemption. One of the most honest books about addiction ever written for a teenage audience.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Heroin addiction depicted graphically
Teen substance abuse
Heavy language
Adult content
Reader Verification
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