This book is incredibly well-written. The plot was great. The genre was very odd for a young-adult book, but the author made it work really well.

I commend the realism of the dialogue. It has an accurate way of depicting each character’s well-being. It does not use too many metaphors or figures of speech (though there is a lot of foul language); it’s pretty much normal conversation. (Not like some books where a normal guy suddenly speaks like a poet or uses deep analogies that surprise.)

The story is dark and gloomy, presenting lots of societal issues, but the sequence of events is well constructed and characters are well introduced and developed.

The only downside for me, I guess, was the ending. It was too soft after intense emotion throughout the story. Or I maybe I just expected something more compelling and intriguing to conclude a great piece of art.

But overall, I really enjoyed reading the book; it is a masterpiece I would very much recommend to anyone.

Higgs-Coulthard paints a vivid picture of a family in the act of collapsing. The mother is dead, the father drifting in and out of the picture as he works "jobs". It takes much of the book to get a real sense of what these jobs are but only a few chapters to realize that they probably aren't above-board. They aren't even really getting by, only putting up the most basic of appearances. And that's this book's strongest point. We are really living Josh's life with him, seeing his lack of choices and opportunities. So when he makes questionable decisions they seem rational in the moment, the decisions that will help pay a bill or buy a meal. It's a book less about plot, which is surprisingly slow paced, but about the relationships you have from childhood and those you build. It's a bit rough at moments but nothing too traumatizing. Worth reading and reflecting upon.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. First, I found the writing super compelling. I could feel my heart beat faster as I read some of the intense scenes about Josh and his desperation to keep his brother out of the foster care system. His fear when he discovers what’s happening to the people on their crew who’ve “disappeared”.

I also found the characters believable. There were some who didn’t get what Josh was going through, and some who figured it out. They didn’t all respond the same way. Even Josh’s grandma, who was cruel and neglectful, also had some pretty deep layers. I liked that depth.

The one thing I struggled with, though has to do with a character Josh describes as having OCD. He does things like avoiding cracks on the sidewalk, repetitive hand motions, and rituals. So that fit some of the stereotypical presentation of OCD. He’s kind of the only character really portrayed as having mental health issues. Some of the directions the story takes align with some stigma about mental health issues. That made me a bit uncomfortable. I found myself wishing that his OCD had been left out of the story or that maybe a different character had those symptoms.

I do really like that the author drew attention to the plight of homeless children and teens in the United States. There’s also an author’s note that explains that there are more than one million kids in the US who are homeless. More than any other industrialized nation in the world, according to the author’s note.

I was unable to read this before it was archived/removed from my books, unfortunately. I didn’t realize it was expiring until it was too late. That is my bad. Sorry about that.

A strong point of Junkyard Dogs is how you feel for Josh and his desire to look after his younger brother. It tugs the heartstrings and is a real strength of the writing. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.

Heart-wrenching and suspenseful, this read lays the harsh struggles of a teen, who just wants to gain a half-stabile life for his younger brother, bare while entering a tough world of violence, thieves, and fight to stay alive.

When seventeen-year-old Josh's father disappears, life's fragile balance tips. His grandmother doesn't want to care for him or his brother and threatens to turn them over to the social services if Josh doesn't figure out how to pay their half of her trailer's rent. Josh has a shot at a basketball scholarship and needs to keep, at least, school running if he ever has hopes of finally changing his and his little brother's life around. But he needs to know where their father went, especially since his mother has already passed away. The search, though, leads him to his father's friend, who doesn't have Josh's best interests in mind. Instead, Josh is lured into a world of thieves...and those who argue disappear.

There are some trigger-warnings for this read: murder, child abuse, foul language, violence, drugs, winks at prostitution, knife/gun threats and a few more. So, sensitive readers will need to know this.

Josh is determined to improve life, although he has no clue how outside of the hopes of pulling off a basketball scholarship. He has a real chance at making it, but life outside of school has dealt him a more than difficult hand. His grandmother's compete lack of care and selfishness breaks the heart, especially with Josh's younger brother caught up in the mess. While, at least, she feeds his younger brother, Josh is left to starve without his father's even little income. And when the Grandmother then demands Josh pay rent despite the father's disappearance, it's hard not to feel for him.

Thanks to the death of his mother not long before, Josh hangs on his father that much more, which also means that he's more concerned with finding him than figuring a way to iron the rest of life out. This psychological end also comes into play as Josh refuses to see openings for help around him and shows mistrust at every turn. The author draws the reader into Josh's head, allowing them to sympathize with his decisions and experience how difficult it is for him to think through everything. Considering how dark the world is that he sinks into, it's more than understandable.

While the tale makes the reader wish Josh and Twig would finally get a break the entire time, the author also builds in a violent world. As those around Josh disappear, it becomes clear that he's stepped into a dangerous area. The idea of trust becomes even more blurred, and not only isn't it obvious how Josh can escape any of it without endangering the little he still has, but the threat to his own life grows.

It's well-woven in a way, which hits the gut and heart. There were a few moments, where I found myself skimming over paragraphs, but all in all, it's a grabbing read which leaves a mark.
I received a DRC through Netgalley and found the read engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

After reading this book, I had immense gratitude - that my children were raised in a loving home, that they were properly fed and clothed, that we could always fulfill their needs. The MC, Josh, doesn't have that. At 17, he is forced to take care of himself and eventually his 9 year old brother. He is a likeable, relateable character trying to find his way.

The mystery involving the dubious character, Stan, serves to keep tge plot interesting.

An excellent YA novel.