In Christopher Largen’s novel Junk, readers are thrown into a world where a war has been waged on junk food.

Through this hilarious work of art, Largen creates a future where everything from Twinkies to coffee has been banned by the government in an attempt to fight obesity.

It sounds ridiculous, right? The answer is yes, but Largen tackles the issue in a way that is both endearing and realistic at the same time.

Through a mix of interesting characters, from a baker named Billy Sweet and his dog Sugar who is ostracized for his profession to Justin Bailey, the officer who forces the laws against ingesting sweets, readers are kept on their toes as to what exactly is going to happen next or who else is going to appear.

The best part about this novel is its apparent sense of self. At no point during the novel does Largen stray from who is he as a writer or from what point he is trying to make. Junk is a very in-your-face look at the watchdog role that the government holds over its citizens.

While readers may enjoy being propelled into this fantasy world where such an absurd act has taken place, they are also forced to recognize at the same time that this is something that we face in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. We see it every single day when we turn on the news: underage kids are buying alcohol because they know they aren’t supposed to, border patrols are attempting to combat the cocaine trade between the U.S.-Mexico border, etc. Whether we realize it or not, we are going through the same things Largen’s characters are, just in a more discrete way.

So the question is, is Largen’s fictional world as far-off as it seems or is it closer than we think? ( )

ENC Press has turned out another master of satire in Christopher Largen. “Junk,” his novel of epic proportions, follows the lives of different but interrelated people in the government’s war on junk food.

For starters, there’s Officer Justin Bailey – the man who imposes laws against the criminal act of consuming salt, sugar, red meat, etc. Moe Goodman is in a similar boat of sorts, what with his preaching centering on a faith-driven life (and less on the sickly ingestion of outlawed products). But on the opposing side, there’s Billy Sweet – along with his canine companion, the aptly named Sugar – who makes sweet treats for the Candy Man’s black market.

It’s an interesting triangle, but the real intrigue comes from their inner conflicts. As the War on Junk wages on, the three main characters are forced to question their loyalty to their initial causes. That’s what makes this particular piece of satire exceptionally interesting. It’s “Brave New World” for our time: a story made fascinating because of how far-fetched it appears but isn’t, with the focus placed on humanity in the face of (quite literally) sugarcoated diversity. Nothing is off-limits, including a reading of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as something of a religious parable in conjunction with serious issues, like diabetics’ right to insulin and the right to personal freedoms.

With raw, stirring dialogue and a series of really witty vignettes, Christopher Largen manages to make the story’s point clear while maintaining a sense of discovery for his readers. What I love best about “Junk” is the sheer fact that it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is – a syrupy novel full of personal triumphs of quality over quantity and a deep exploration of what it truly means to be an individual in a modern society. It’s not a copy of any kind. ( )

So with spring break upon me and people around me freaking out over food and the gym, I decided to pick up Junk. Words can't describe how amazing I think this book is. Imagine America in the not too distant future, where the government has decided to combat obesity by outlawing bad foods. Twinkies, Little Debbie’s, red meat, salt are all considered illegal and you can go to jail for it all. The government decides that junk is worse than everything else and that children have to be taught by example, so they take harsher steps to control the “junk abusers.”
Interestingly, the narration doesn’t follow one person and my impression was that it was meant to be showing how the problem affected everyone. I enjoyed the fact that at the end all the loose narrations were pulled together. One of my favorite characters was Justin Bailey. When he was first introduced and the more I learned I couldn’t help but connect him to Guy Montag of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. I also like how the government and people who were all for criminalizing junk food sounded reasonable and yet what they said was so crazy sounding. Example: that people who eat their boogers have healthier immune systems. It sounds plausible and after doing some research, I discovered does seem to have merit, but it also sounds really out there. The setting I found to be funny because Denton, Texas is in the area of Texas with the highest percent of obese adults. This made the story more plausible and ironic at the same time.
As a side note, while I was reading this I found out that Pepsi plans on pulling its products from schools by 2012; made me think that we might not be so far from American society in Junk after all. Everyone should definitely read Junk. The book pulls you in and entertains, while showing that a radical approach to solving the junk problem, or any problem for that matter, only creates a bigger mess. ( )

Put down that steamy, decadent, spongy, oozing-with-syrup and chocolate sauce dessert. Not only is it unhealthy, it is illegal. In Christopher Largen’s book Junk a surreal, absurd world arises in the wake of an increasing obesity rate, which leads to an array of other health related issues, and the government’s involvement in alleviating the problems. A young girl is sent away for eating a piece of a stale cookie, fast-food chains mandated to serve healthier foods, such as tofu and wheat grass, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Using a satirical form, reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut, Largen explores a world where the consumption of a sugary delight is not only illegal, but can get you killed.

In the very beginning the reader is warned about the imminent danger of having the book in their possession because of its suggestive content. With a 1984-esque view on the government, we are shown the various harms in having the government so completely involved in the nation’s nutrition. In the book there are several complex characters battling with the absurdity of the laws enforced on the masses. A cop named, Justin Bailey who is undoubtedly affected by the newfound laws of society is in a constant battle with the necessary punishment he must administer to “junk felons” and the complete absurdity of it all.

All in all, this book is a beautiful illustration of the indisputably awkward reality of having the government so completely involved in our everyday lives. It’s also reminiscent of the ongoing battle of cigarette laws and other intrusive political mandates. This book is definitely for people interested, yet terrified of the incomprehensible growth of government in everyday life and people just fascinated by the mere concept of such severe government control.

Christopher Largen paints an avid picture, and the story with its many appendages, including interviews, newspaper articles, and even illustration encourages the reader to truly be engrossed in this critique on societal paranoia and government control. ( )

Great book. Kind of a spoof on the U.S.'s WAR ON DRUGS as Largen took actual news headlines and turned them into the basis for his WAR ON JUNK. Set in a future U.S. where the government has stepped in and outlawed junk food as a way to try and curb obesity. It goes about as well as you'd imagine it would; salt is outlawed, people smuggle Twinkies and other "contraband," neighbors turn on neighbors, and diabetics can't get insulin. I really enjoyed reading this book, although the thought that we might one day actually live in a society like that (Amsterdam, by the way, has a thriving tourist industry as a result of not-outlawing junk food) scares me. ( )