The protagonists of the story share a solidarity with other impoverished people in the story that make it possible to stand up to corrupt police and government. I would say that this book would appeal equally to boys and girls, probably from age 11 upwards as there are some descriptions of police brutality which might upset younger children. Andy Mulligan’s novel Trash is really a tribute to community and solidarity. He makes you believe in the bravery and loyalty of his characters as they try to do the right thing, battling against a corrupt system. Andy Mulligan has fitted a lot of action into quite a short novel and he describes the unique setting of his story in such detail that you can really picture it in your mind, although I have to warn you that some of the descriptions are not very pleasant – especially the prison cages. Without giving away the thrilling plot the story progressed rapidly, always leaving you with clues to work out and an understanding of the boys' feelings as they try to stay one step ahead of the authorities.

This discovery leads to a huge adventure that changes their lives. Andy Mulligan’s novel Trash is really a tribute to community and solidarity. Early in the book the boys discover a small leather bag containing a wallet, a folded up map and a key. Andy Mulligan: How I wrote Trash in 10 days straight The author of Trash on how some stories are biters that you just can’t shake off and how he watched the movie adaptation by Stephen Daldry. Their lives consist of sifting through the rubbish, day after day, trying to find anything valuable that they can sell. Raphael and his friends live on a huge dump site, in a fictional city which is probably supposed to be in Latin America. A small leather bag falls into his hands. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. The story grabbed me from page one when one of the main characters, Raphael, introduces himself and his situation in very frank language, and you realise that this book is going to be about a world of which you (fortunately) have no previous knowledge. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it.

Trash by andy mulligan