Junkyard Dogs

December 1, 2022
While struggling to care for his little brother, an unhoused teen goes looking for their absent father and finds himself in over his head--literally as well as figuratively. In a mean-streets-style tale raw in language and feeling alike, Higgs-Coulthard propels 17-year-old Josh--desperate to raise the rent his flinty, pot-addicted grandmother demands to share her decrepit trailer with him and 9-year-old Twig--into the deceptively welcoming arms of his missing dad's longtime pal. Uncle Stan, full of big, vague plans and reassurances, is hanging out in an abandoned building and running a clandestine scrapping operation, diving into manholes to harvest the copper wire and plumbing beneath. Distressing events in Josh's family history add further grit, and once he begins finding dead bodies with the pipes underground, betrayal as well as escalating illegal activities ramp up the danger and suspense. But it's the succession of cold nights in filthy settings; the daily rounds of opportunistic snatching of scraps of cast-off and barely edible food to assuage constant, gnawing hunger; the pressure to present a facade of normalcy at school; and the pervasive lack of any sense of safety or trust that will likely evoke the strongest reactions in readers. Josh's unwavering loyalty to his brother offers a bright spot, and the story ends on a note of catharsis, if not resolution. Main characters are cued as White. A visceral story; not utterly tragic but grim and sad overall. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 14-18)

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January 9, 2023
Higgs-Coulthard delivers a gritty, emotionally nuanced read about an unhoused teen searching for his absent father. Since his mother died in a tragic fire that destroyed their home five years before, 17-year-old Josh has lived in his spiteful grandmother’s trailer with his father and nine-year-old brother, Twig. When Dad suddenly disappears, he leaves Josh with some cash and a note: “Have to see a man about a horse. Take care of your bro.” Gran, unwilling to continue caring for Josh and Twig, threatens to call the Indiana Department of Child Services, but agrees to let Twig stay in exchange for Josh paying rent and bringing his father back home. Josh’s search leads him to Stan, an old friend of his father’s, and he becomes inadvertently embroiled in Stan’s illegal scrap metal operation, stealing copper wire from inside manholes. But when Stan’s schemes take a deadly turn, Josh worries that he might never find his father or see Twig again. Utilizing atmospherically tense prose and layered, moving characterizations, this melancholy novel showcases one teen struggling to cultivate a better life for himself while navigating financial precarity and personal betrayal. Characters read as white. Ages 14–up.