This review comes with a heads up. It is really gritty. The author does a good job of presenting the reality of the characters' existence. It is the content not the readability that focused my review.

“Garbage Town” by Ravi Gupta was gritty, funny, and heartfelt coming-of-age mystery set in 1990s Staten Island—equal parts suspense, nostalgia, and unforgettable characters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🗑️ Garbage Town by Ravi Gupta
A Coming-of-Age Mystery Buried in the Rot of Empire

Ravi Gupta’s Garbage Town is a gritty, propulsive debut that excavates more than just secrets from Staten Island’s infamous Fresh Kills landfill—it unearths the emotional sediment of adolescence, identity, and the American underbelly. Set in 1998, this YA mystery-thriller is as much a love letter to misfit youth as it is a searing indictment of the systems that treat some communities as disposable.

🧃 Plot: Bootlegs, Bodies, and the Burden of Truth

Raj Patel, a sharp-witted teen hustler burning bootleg CDs to support his overworked mother, wants nothing to do with the mafia-run trash empire that looms over his neighborhood. But when he and his ragtag crew—the Victory Boys—stumble upon a murder in progress at the dump, they’re thrust into a high-stakes chase that forces them to confront not only the criminal underworld but the moral rot festering beneath their own community.

Gupta’s plot is fast-paced but never shallow. The stakes escalate with cinematic tension, yet the emotional core remains grounded in Raj’s internal struggle: how do you stay clean in a world built on garbage?

🧠 Themes: Waste, Worth, and the Weight of Inheritance

At its heart, Garbage Town is a meditation on what society chooses to discard—be it trash, truth, or people. The landfill becomes a metaphor for buried trauma and systemic neglect, while Raj’s journey becomes a search for meaning in a world that’s already decided what he’s worth.

Gupta doesn’t shy away from the racial and economic tensions that shape Raj’s life. His Indian-Polish heritage, his fractured family, and his outsider status in a mafia-dominated town all converge into a nuanced portrait of identity under pressure. The novel’s emotional resonance lies in its refusal to offer easy redemption—only hard-won clarity.

🗣️ Voice and Style: Sharp, Wry, and Unapologetically Local

Gupta’s prose crackles with wit and specificity. The dialogue is authentic, the slang era-appropriate, and the setting richly textured. Fresh Kills isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character, grotesque and oddly majestic. One standout line:
> “As far as we were concerned, the Great Wall of China and Fresh Kills were comparable—monuments to humanity’s limitless potential for denial.”

It’s this blend of humor and heartbreak that gives Garbage Town its bite.

🧩 Strengths and Shortcomings

- Strengths:
- Vivid, character-driven storytelling
- A fresh take on the teen mystery genre
- Strong thematic undercurrents of justice, race, and resilience
- Period detail that enhances rather than distracts

- Shortcomings:
- Some secondary characters verge on caricature (though often intentionally so)
- The pacing in the final act feels slightly rushed, as if Gupta is sprinting to the finish line

🧷 Final Verdict

Garbage Town is Stand by Me meets Mystic River, filtered through the lens of a multicultural, working-class America that rarely gets center stage. It’s a story about what we bury to survive—and what we risk when we dig it back up. For readers who crave mystery with meaning and coming-of-age tales that don’t flinch, this one’s a must-read.

I don’t read a ton of mysteries, but I ended up finding Garbage Town by Ravi Gupta quite interesting.

The premise for this book is that a group of teens growing up in New York near Fresh Kills, the largest landfill in the world, get in trouble with the mafia when they accidentally uncover a dark secret.

It is a coming of age story, somewhere between YA and New Adult, as it focuses on a group of high schoolers that get involved in something pretty sinister. I was a bit confused in the beginning when we are put in the middle of what seems to be the aftermath of 9/11, but it is used as an introduction for evidence that uncovers something covered up years prior in Fresh Kills.

Raj then recounts everything that happened when he and his friends ended up in the dump and witnessed a murder that changed their lives. As they get deeper into the secrets behind it all, they must determine which is more important - the truth or their lives.

This book was quite well written, and everything flowed smoothly. There were several turns where I wasn’t sure what would happen next, especially at the very end! I didn’t always agree with the choices the main characters made, but I did understand why they did what they did.

It was a fun read, but nothing about it was overly exceptional.

A little bit historical fiction, a little bit of corruption, a lot of mob involvement, a little bit of coming of age, a neat setting of Staten Island, NY - the Fresh Kills Landfill - all help to comprise Ravi Gupta's new novel, Garbage Town.

This gripping tale begins in the aftermath of 9/11 when a juvenile's skull is found while investigators are sorting through the remains from our country's most horrific attack on domestic soil, trying to find anything to console family members. This skull, however, is not a fresh kill, and it shuts down the investigation.

This story has so many positives to keep its reader engrossed. Raj, our teenage, slightly nerdy protagonist narrator, is so real and authentic, as is his friend group, the Victory Boys. The plot is nicely executed with several twists, and the method of telling the story using a flashback is extremely effective.

Fans of murder mystery, police drama, coming of age, and historical fiction will all enjoy this novel by Ravi Gupta. "The secrets of Fresh Kills were meant to stay buried."

Back in the day, Raj Patel and his friends lived down the road from Fresh Kills garbage dump, the end of the road for garbage from NYC. Somehow, the town keeps reauthorizing the land as a dump, even though people in Fresh Kills die at abnormal cancer rates. But, one night, Raj and his new friend, Georgia, witness a mob hit and their lives are never the same. They are torn between the call of justice and self preservation. Raj goes to work for the local mob boss and uncovers the illegal dealings that are keeping Fresh Kills in the shadow of the mob and he vows to bring them down. This is a crime novel disguised as a coming of age story. Recommended.

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.

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!