Letter #2

I have enjoyed reading to the second paperclip in my book Smack by Melvin Burgess. This book is definately meeting all of my expectations. Like i said in my first lit circle letter, i was hoping that this book would be similar or as good as the book Crank i read some time ago. Now that ive read a little over half of it, i believe that its so much better. Towards the middle of the book is where the story really picks up. Its where Gemma and Tar take there first hits of heroin. It all starts with a party there at, Gemma ends up meeting a girl named Lily who she becomes infatuated with. Not in the lover-type way, but she wants to be just like Lily because she amazes her. They hit it off right away, but she doesnt know at the time that Lily is a heroin addict. This passage is one of my favorite so far, because it kinda shows the reasons why Gemma would risk her life and listen to what Lily says, and take her first hit.

"Did you ever see someone and think straight away, i want to be that person? I
want to look like her and think like her and have the same effect as she does .
. . you know? This girl-nothing mattered to her. All the rules, all the things
you do do and don't do, the manners, everything-she had none of that. If she
didnt like it she just didnt do it. If she did it, it was good. She didnt have
to say please or thank you. She didnt have to be offered anything; it was
already hers. She was more herself than anyone else ever was and as soon as i
clapped eyes on her i knew i wanted to be myself just as much as she was
herself."

Since Gemma and Tar are runaways, Lily invites them to stay at her place, And thats where they first try heroin. It goes from a little to make them feel good, to eventually a serious addiction. At first they dont realize that they are addicts and they think they can stop whenever.