Garbage Town

2026 Gotham Book Prize Finalist

A group of 90s teens unearth buried truths and embark on a fight for their lives

Raj Patel grew up in the shadows of Fresh Kills, the largest landfill the world has ever seen. At sixteen, he's watched the Staten Island crime family extend its tentacles to all aspects of his town's lucrative trash business, but he's always kept his distance from their dirty trade.

That is until Raj and his friends unearth a dark secret at Fresh Kills. Now they must choose between self-preservation and the pull of justice. With the burden of caring for his family and the determination to protect those around him, Raj plunges headfirst into the dark secrets that lie just beneath the surface of the dump. The more Raj and his friends dig, the more they risk. Soon, they're in way too deep, and the line between hero and fool starts to blur.

In Garbage Town, Ravi Gupta spins a tale that blends the heart-pounding adventures of a mystery novel with the intimacy of a coming-of-age story. Follow Raj and his friends as they decide who to trust and whether to risk everything.