Three street boys take on the world in this fast-paced, exciting, intensely moving story.
Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael’s world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It’s a bag of clues. It’s a bag of hope. It’s a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking and fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man’s mission to put right a terrible wrong. And now it's three street boys against the world...
Andy Mulligan was brought up in the south of London. He worked as a theatre director for ten years before travels in Asia prompted him to retrain as a teacher. He has taught English and drama in India, Brazil, the Philippines and the UK. He now divides his time between London and Manila.
“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”
The Bookseller
“Trash is a brilliant book. It's vibrant, exciting and incrediby well-written”
John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
“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”
The Bookbag
“A thriller with moral weight and a complex structure”
Financial Times
“A superbly original tale.”
Natasha Harding, The Sun
“There is no denying the fact that Trash is a poignant, heart wrenching story...But it is also a rollercoaster thriller and I was not expecting that! There are some real sitting-on-the-edge-in of-your-seat moments in there! It is a very clever and well-written book, which will not leave you unmoved or unaffected.”
Library Mice
“I have never read anything like this before and I don't think I will again because it was so original...Mulligan is a great story teller. The pacing was fantastically laid out and had the right levels of suspense, mystery, and heart felt moments.”
YA Book Reads
“Trash by Andy Mulligan has to be one of the most startling and engrossing books for older kids to come along in a while...A solid read with plenty of entertaining twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, just remember to wipe your feet when you've finished reading as Trash is infectious and gets everywhere!”
Active Dad
“You will get swept away with this story. It is one of those books that you just can't put down! Told through different characters' voices it has the pace and vibrancy of Slumdog Millionaire. The boys' voices in particular are full of energy and heart breaking innocence. You really care about them and as a result you feel the urgency of their search and their desperation to unlock what this bag really means.”
