Thank you so much GreenLeaf for this incredible book! I was so surprised how much I loved it. I am venturing out of my romance genre and this did not disappoint. I kind of loved Georgia. I honestly am not even sure if I was supposed to but I really did. I would have loved a tad bit more of her but I think for the storyline it was perfect.

This kind of gave me the Outsiders vibes mixed with mob. I loved the coming of age and the hardships they face. Everyone has their own story always, and we forget that in real life. Raj did not. I loved Raj's story. He was honest and scared and I wanted to give him the biggest hug. The friendship between the characters made my heart so happy. Even under circumstances they did not ask for. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this story.

꧁𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼꧂

𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙊𝙧 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙪𝙥, 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙄’𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚—𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚—𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.

𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

I will say that I sat on this book for a while, but the whole comparison to The Outsiders had me excited to read it. While it is not The Outsiders (not by a long shot), it was still enjoyable. Raj was a cool character, Dante and Ugo were fun. Val, Deadbolt, and Cheetah were all solidly written. Georgia was great, and her story was definitely the top of the list of intrigue. The story was okay. It wasn't the best, and it didn't stink to high heaven. It was mid. I liked how the story unfolded. I didn't really get the intro of the novel and how it connected to the story as a whole, but I think that became clearer at the end, if I'm right in how it was tied in. That is where my one missing star lies. The ambiguity, which was probably intentional, was evident at the beginning and throughout the story as a whole. Other than that, not a bad novel.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that coming-of-age element and worked with the mystery going on in this book. I was engaged from the first page and thought the overall storyline worked together to tell the story that it needed to. The characters felt like they were real people and enjoyed the overall feel of this. Ravi Gupta has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

Coming of age meets organized crime meets 80's/90's pop culture, all taking place in Staten Island? Gupta hit it out of the park on this one! A group of teens works together to try to figure out what secrets the local city dump is hiding and following on this path leads us through an emotional rollercoaster. The 80's and 90's touches give that feeling of nostalgia, the organized crime aspect kept me intrigued and on the edge of seat, and the personalities and relationships between the teens added some fun and humor to what could have been a dark novel. It was the perfect balance and I can't wait to see what Gupta has in mind for his next book. Considering he is a debut author, this is quite an impressive read!

This book takes place in the 1990’s in Staten Island where Raj Patel and his group of outsiders known as, The Victory Boys, unearthed secrets inside the walls of the landfill known as Fresh Kills.

They’re high school kids going after one of the biggest gangsters in Staten Island. Raj’s neighbor is a detective, but can she be trusted when the gangsters are friendly with the local police department and the FBI. Who do you turn to when your life is in danger?

It’s 2001 and Raj’s old neighbor, Detective Booch, has made a gruesome discovery in the area of Fresh Kills. What happened to The Victory Boys and whose body was just unearthed from the old landfill?

I flew through this book and thoroughly enjoyed Ravi’s debut novel. The mystery behind the young body discovered had me rooting for The Victory Boys’ survival in taking down one of the most dangerous men in Staten Island. I don’t usually read YA but this book was filled with great characters, shocking twists, and an ending I didn’t see coming.

A really great, engaging read. I loved the characters (maybe a little more backstory but overall I can't complain). I couldn't stop reading this one and would be so happy if I saw another book from Ravi pop up in the future with these characters again!

Set in 1990's in Staten Island a group of teens take out the mob at the dump. This was a good book, I enjoyed my time reading this one. The story was well written and kept my interest. I gave this one 4 stars and will recommend. I will be waiting for his next book to come out.

While reading this, I feel like I’m experiencing a book version of Stranger Things—minus the Demogorgon and the Upside-Down world. It carries the same thrill and excitement I felt in the journey of Raj and his friends, but this time, the monsters are the people who hold too much power. And in their pursuit of that power, the lives of others no longer matter.

In the summer of 1991 in Staten Island, New York, where the story starts off, Raj Patel and his friends find a scary secret buried in the trash at Fresh Kills Landfill. What starts as a fun adventure soon turns dangerous as they try to uncover the truth. But the more they dig, the more trouble they find. As danger grows, Raj must decide how far he's willing to go to reveal the secrets that could change everything.

It’s really rare for me to read a young adult novel, and I’m glad this one did not disappoint. I was hooked from start to finish. Aside from the feeling of thrill and suspense, it also has humor and the ’90s vibe that felt nostalgic. Overall, this book is engaging and thought-provoking with emotional depth.

This book was fantastic! It was a redux of the Goonies vs the Fratelli’s. I loved it and wondered what was coming next! I had no idea how the story would turn out, but the result was great! The characters were so real and vivid, the plot was fast paced, and the action was perfect! Kudos on an awesome story!

I was so excited to receive this book in an advanced reader copy! Thank you to netgalley for proving me to read this book!

I absolutely devoured the story! It was so good and so captivating! I was on the edge of my seat!

Coming of age story that takes places in the 1990s in Staten Island. Raj is the main character we follow along with his friends, who are called the Victory Boys. They somehow become involved with the Staten Island crime family and are trying to navigate their way out of it. The story was engaging and witty, the characters are interesting and engaging and it gets emotional at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved this book way more than I was expecting to. The cast of misfit characters were so fun, and the overall mystery of the book made it a quick read. Plus, I love a good coming of age novel, especially one with good vs evil and a surprising backdrop!

There’s plenty of fantasy reads, realistic fiction, and romance for YA readers, but not really mystery or thrillers sadly. Garbage Town by Ravi Gupta fills that void quite neatly. It’s hard to talk about it without spoiling too much and that made me very happy. Until I realized I now need a friend to read this delightful book so I can properly talk about it. What I can say is that Raj lives with his overworked single mom, has a couple of close friends that he may or may not run money making opportunities with to help at home, and meets a mysterious girl. But stuff stuff stuff happens and it’s hard to know who to trust and what the right move is. Someone read this so I can talk about this, please!

Set in the late '90s, Garbage Town follows a group of teenagers who are no strangers to trouble, but this time, they stumble upon a dangerous secret that could cost them their lives. Raj, a 16-year-old boy, and his gang uncover something about their hometown, Stateland Island, that changes everything. The story is packed with drama, intense fights, and unexpected betrayals.
Although I initially had low expectations for the book, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. The title Garbage Town sparked my curiosity, and I’m glad I picked it up. While the plot was somewhat predictable and the explanations were adequate, I found it hard to fully connect with the characters and their situations. Still, it was an engaging read that kept me hooked.

This book had my attention from beginning to end. It’s a great coming of age story with a good twist. I wish some of the other characters were more involved instead of being left behind part of the way through. I also wanted to read more about Georgia and her background. Maybe a chapter or two from her POV. Regardless, it’s a great read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read! I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. It seems a little more YA than adult fiction. There were a few time I almost DNF'd it but I carried on and finished it.

I was about to put this book as a DNF after about 20% in but glad I kept going. There was some unnecessary filler that didn’t add anything to the story but overall kept my attention.

This book grabbed my attention right from the synopsis and it did not disappoint. Raj and his friends find some buried secrets in the largest landfill in the world located right in Staten Island and embark on a journey. This book is captivating and the characters are so well developed and written. You are reading a coming of age story and adventure. The teenage boy wit was making me laugh out loud at time. This story is just the complete package and while it may be categorized in the YA section, I would recommend this for adults too.

I cannot believe this was Ravi Gupta debut book and if this is what the author has to deliver, I cannot wait to see what else he writes. Thank you NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I know this may be an unpopular opinion, but Garbage Town just didn’t work for me. While it's marketed as adult fiction, the tone, pacing, and overall vibe felt much more like YA, and not in a way that transcends age categories. At times, it felt like Scooby Doo collided with a toned down version of The Sopranos, and not in a way that blended smoothly. The central premise of organized crime involving high school freshmen was just too far fetched for me to buy into, even with a generous suspension of disbelief.

That said, the writing itself was solid, and the characters were reasonably well developed, especially given the book’s shorter length. I do think there was room for deeper exploration and more complexity, but what was there was competent. Unfortunately, the plot felt implausible and the ending pushed it further off the rails, leaving me more frustrated than entertained.

In the end, while I can appreciate the creativity and effort behind Garbage Town, it simply wasn’t a good fit for me. Readers who enjoy quirky, genre bending stories with a youthful flair might have better luck, but I found it too unbelievable and lacking the depth I look for in adult fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ravi Gupta, and Greenleaf Book Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

An interesting, fast-paced and heartfelt story about a group of teenagers, that's at once a coming-of-age story as well as the age-old story of good versus evil. Though billed as a YA mystery thriller, it can easily be considered a clean read for anyone interested in a story from the turn of the century, that is full of nostalgic reminders of that time, as well as a smart, character-driven story that is about friendship and betrayal and conscience and legacy.

Raj, Val, and a couple of their buddies live the usual troubled lives of teenagers in Staten Island in 1998, when Georgia happens to come by. She is a stranger in town, and somewhere between trying to impress her and being a usual goofy teenager, Raj and his friends end up in the middle of a shocking disappearance, that may be murder, but there's no proof, and no body. Instead of moving on, they decide to insinuate themselves in trying to figure things out, and to set things straight - only to realize the hard facts of reality that life is unforgiving, and just because they are minors doesn't imply mean and cruel adults will shy away from inflicting unspeakable pain on them and their loved ones.

What starts off as a high school drama suddenly transforms into a high-stakes mafia story, with possible political and social ramifications, and tentacles that go far and deep all around.

Spinning a yarn that's fresh and entertaining, while at the same evocative of the late 90s can't have been an easy task, but Mr. Gupta makes it seem easy. The easy-flowing banter of the friends brings a smile to one's face every so often, and you can't not root for them, even as you see them sinking deeper into the quagmire that's their town, Travis.

All said and done, this is not a sweet story, and in fact admirably so, the author doesn't shirk from throwing hard truths and shocking twists, that may seem nearly brutal but, for the most part, come across as justifiably cruel.

Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher and the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and original review.