What do you think?
Rate this book
American Garbage: The Meager Rise and Massive Fall of a No-Name Rock Band
A twenty-something tries to hold his band of burnout musicians together while battling his own mental illness and navigating his tumultuous intimate relationships during the early years of the War on Terror.
138 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2022
About the author
Lucas Mangum
49 books130 followersLucas Mangum is an author currently living in Austin, TX.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 2, 2023
Fuck. I mean ... Jesus FUCKING christ
.
.
AMERICAN GARBAGE: the Meager Rise and Massive Fall of a No-Name Rock Band, by Lucas Mangum, is a book that blurs a lot of lines.
.
.
Following a depressed twenty year old as he works through his life and watches his friends change--some for the better and others for the worse--AMERICAN GARBAGE is like the melancholy aftermath of a Richard Linklater film. It's a coming-of-age drama, without the flashy eccentricities or over-the-top drama that have infected the subgenre. It's obviously a personal story to Lucas, but it's also a story that fits any reader like a glove. So many sequences from the book triggered deep and sometimes repressed memories for me. I recalled my post drop-out malaise, the desperation to create art while being unsure where my life was headed, and realizing that some of the friendships I'd kept from high-school where actually toxic. The book points at these things and almost DEMANDS that the reader dig them up. Whether the reader wants to or not.
.
.
But this is as much a story about music and art as it is a story about youth and growing up. And you can genuinely hear the music leaking from the pages and filling your ears. Angry, aggressive, and the sort of sound you loved as a kid and worry about hating as an adult.
.
.
No one wants to grow up and be uncool. Everyone has to. No one wants to say goodbye, but everyone must. AMERICAN GARBAGE encapsulates all of this, and punches you right in the face with it. And it does so with sparse, fluid prose and realistic characters. There's no flowery subtext or pretentious posing ... this book almost feels like a documentary. An intimate documentary that follows the life and times of the local band you heard once at a bar and forgot about.
.
.
Lucas is a very close friend of mine, but separate that from my experiences with this book and its still the best thing I've read all year. I won't spoil the journey for you, but it made me laugh, cringe, and cry. Sometimes all at once.
.
.
If you want to read something real and down to Earth, and you want to feel some strong emotions ... then I strongly recommend you give AMERICAN GARBAGE a read.
.
.
AMERICAN GARBAGE: the Meager Rise and Massive Fall of a No-Name Rock Band, by Lucas Mangum, is a book that blurs a lot of lines.
.
.
Following a depressed twenty year old as he works through his life and watches his friends change--some for the better and others for the worse--AMERICAN GARBAGE is like the melancholy aftermath of a Richard Linklater film. It's a coming-of-age drama, without the flashy eccentricities or over-the-top drama that have infected the subgenre. It's obviously a personal story to Lucas, but it's also a story that fits any reader like a glove. So many sequences from the book triggered deep and sometimes repressed memories for me. I recalled my post drop-out malaise, the desperation to create art while being unsure where my life was headed, and realizing that some of the friendships I'd kept from high-school where actually toxic. The book points at these things and almost DEMANDS that the reader dig them up. Whether the reader wants to or not.
.
.
But this is as much a story about music and art as it is a story about youth and growing up. And you can genuinely hear the music leaking from the pages and filling your ears. Angry, aggressive, and the sort of sound you loved as a kid and worry about hating as an adult.
.
.
No one wants to grow up and be uncool. Everyone has to. No one wants to say goodbye, but everyone must. AMERICAN GARBAGE encapsulates all of this, and punches you right in the face with it. And it does so with sparse, fluid prose and realistic characters. There's no flowery subtext or pretentious posing ... this book almost feels like a documentary. An intimate documentary that follows the life and times of the local band you heard once at a bar and forgot about.
.
.
Lucas is a very close friend of mine, but separate that from my experiences with this book and its still the best thing I've read all year. I won't spoil the journey for you, but it made me laugh, cringe, and cry. Sometimes all at once.
.
.
If you want to read something real and down to Earth, and you want to feel some strong emotions ... then I strongly recommend you give AMERICAN GARBAGE a read.
June 24, 2021
Left me gutted!
This is a very raw, powerful coming-of-age story about a rock band in post-911 society.
It's more transgressive compared to other works by the author, but it's still got that no holds barred vibe like his other works. Drugs, sex and nihilism abound, but it's a different kind of horror.
I love that Lucas Mangum isn't afraid to experiment. This was a well-written snapshot of a slice of a wild, anxious time in history. For me, Jonathan's tragic ending hit hard, but I felt it was a fair representation of that chaotic time.
This is a very raw, powerful coming-of-age story about a rock band in post-911 society.
It's more transgressive compared to other works by the author, but it's still got that no holds barred vibe like his other works. Drugs, sex and nihilism abound, but it's a different kind of horror.
I love that Lucas Mangum isn't afraid to experiment. This was a well-written snapshot of a slice of a wild, anxious time in history. For me, Jonathan's tragic ending hit hard, but I felt it was a fair representation of that chaotic time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
Evocative of a specific time and place, Lucas Mangum's "American Garbage" has the feel of reading very personal diary entries during the period of one young man's life. One can't help but get the sense that this could be semi-autobiographical and that only adds to the authenticity of the proceedings.
Narrator Luke spends his time between partying and hanging out, playing in a hard rock band, and working a low-wage job at Borders (Remember Borders?). Meanwhile, one of his bandmates in a flurry of patriotism has decided to join the Marines to join the War on Terror.
I could've used more signifiers of the time-period. We get a few mentions of the post-9/11 world and the book's awesome cover certainly evokes that, but I needed more signposts to that world.
The book does a good job of portraying the wheel-spinning stagnation of early twenties slackerdom. Mangum does such a good job of lulling us into the patterns of the one-step forward, two-steps back that can occur with playing in a band, that I don't want to say much else for fear of spoiling the experience that I had with this book.
When it's all said and done you'll want to spend more time in this world and I can only hope that Mangum writes a thematic sequel.
Narrator Luke spends his time between partying and hanging out, playing in a hard rock band, and working a low-wage job at Borders (Remember Borders?). Meanwhile, one of his bandmates in a flurry of patriotism has decided to join the Marines to join the War on Terror.
I could've used more signifiers of the time-period. We get a few mentions of the post-9/11 world and the book's awesome cover certainly evokes that, but I needed more signposts to that world.
The book does a good job of portraying the wheel-spinning stagnation of early twenties slackerdom. Mangum does such a good job of lulling us into the patterns of the one-step forward, two-steps back that can occur with playing in a band, that I don't want to say much else for fear of spoiling the experience that I had with this book.
When it's all said and done you'll want to spend more time in this world and I can only hope that Mangum writes a thematic sequel.
December 8, 2022
Have you ever read a book that made you put it down and walk away because it gave you such heavy boots that you couldn’t finish the end until you had a moment to collect yourself (and there was only 5 or 6 pages left?) Well, Lucas Mangum’s AMERICAN GARBAGE ruined my life for a little bit (in the best way). Let’s get into it.
A band of misfits (literal band) go in search of fame but run into some trouble along the way; trashing venues, cheating girlfriends, friendship perils, nomadic wanderlust, and lives forever changed.
Where do I start with this one? The coming of age story during 9/11? The toxicity of complacent relationships? How friendships, no matter how close, can always have a crack that cannot be repaired? The quest for fame? The need for validation? Hanging on to your youth while also trying to navigate adulthood?
I can continue, if you would like.
But I won’t. Because I want and need you to read this too. Much like BONE CIDER, I was not prepared for the emotional damage Mangum can provide. I think of PANDEMONIUM and think, maybe it will be bloody and insane too! Nope. This is bleak, depressing, and possibly his best to date. And I am OBSESSED with SAINT SADIST.
It’s a shorty at 136 pages so it’s a one sitting type of read.
(Personal note: I hate(d) Cherri. If I ever run into the woman she may be based on, I’m punching her in the vagina.)
Available on Amazon (and possibly through Lucas for a signed copy.)
A band of misfits (literal band) go in search of fame but run into some trouble along the way; trashing venues, cheating girlfriends, friendship perils, nomadic wanderlust, and lives forever changed.
Where do I start with this one? The coming of age story during 9/11? The toxicity of complacent relationships? How friendships, no matter how close, can always have a crack that cannot be repaired? The quest for fame? The need for validation? Hanging on to your youth while also trying to navigate adulthood?
I can continue, if you would like.
But I won’t. Because I want and need you to read this too. Much like BONE CIDER, I was not prepared for the emotional damage Mangum can provide. I think of PANDEMONIUM and think, maybe it will be bloody and insane too! Nope. This is bleak, depressing, and possibly his best to date. And I am OBSESSED with SAINT SADIST.
It’s a shorty at 136 pages so it’s a one sitting type of read.
(Personal note: I hate(d) Cherri. If I ever run into the woman she may be based on, I’m punching her in the vagina.)
Available on Amazon (and possibly through Lucas for a signed copy.)
July 4, 2021
This was a straight forward, no bullshit, dark and emotional read from Lucas Mangum. It's not horror. And that makes me love it even more. As most of you know, or should know, Lucas is an incredible horror writer. Just read Saint Sadist, if you haven't already, and you'll soon realize he's one of the best. I was blown away by American Garbage, not only because of the grueling, darkness of the story, but that its still 100% Lucas Mangum, just minus the gore and horror elements. It's a story of friendships, heartaches and anger. And it centers around my first love in life, music. The phycological aspect combined with the 'a day in the life' feel makes it a really compelling read. Another cool thing about this book is that Lucas bypassed Amazon, opting for another publishing route, giving this a true indie feel. And lastly, the cover. I lost my breath when I first saw it. It's absolutely stunning and beautiful, and really against the grain, using a clean, glossy, look. American Garbage is a standout book. Different from the rest and worth your attention.
June 14, 2021
Taking my cue from J. David Osborne's Black Gum cycle and Kelby Losack's Hurricane Season, I set out to write a dark, grimy slice of life novel this time around. It follows a mentally ill young man trying to hold his band and his relationships together during the height of post 9/11 anxiety. Limited to 200 signed copies, you can order yours here: https://gum.co/PamZO
March 12, 2025
Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2025/03/12/american-garbage/
Lucas Mangum’s American Garbage: The Meager Rise and Massive Fall of a No-Name Rock Band is a dark and poignant coming-of-age-style story of the struggle between dreams and identity during that post-high-school-age period of a person’s life, when adulthood is often still an ambiguous thing of uncertainty. It’s powerful and compelling and is told in a way that feels personal to both author and reader. It speaks to the struggles of that time period, the struggles of being that age in our lives, but also struggles that know no age boundaries: self-worth and how it affects one’s choices, drugs and alcohol, relationships, those things we dream of doing and being. I found the subtext on friendships and how they can change to be especially personally impactful.
American Garbage is not horror, but it is quite dark in its bleak realism. It is masterfully written in first person and is an absolutely brilliant and important read. A shelf-worthy and highly recommended book.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2025/03/12/american-garbage/
Lucas Mangum’s American Garbage: The Meager Rise and Massive Fall of a No-Name Rock Band is a dark and poignant coming-of-age-style story of the struggle between dreams and identity during that post-high-school-age period of a person’s life, when adulthood is often still an ambiguous thing of uncertainty. It’s powerful and compelling and is told in a way that feels personal to both author and reader. It speaks to the struggles of that time period, the struggles of being that age in our lives, but also struggles that know no age boundaries: self-worth and how it affects one’s choices, drugs and alcohol, relationships, those things we dream of doing and being. I found the subtext on friendships and how they can change to be especially personally impactful.
American Garbage is not horror, but it is quite dark in its bleak realism. It is masterfully written in first person and is an absolutely brilliant and important read. A shelf-worthy and highly recommended book.
January 4, 2023
Took me right back to playing in bands in high school. Thos included the feeling of creating art with your friends, the feeling of not being able to get into the show you were supposed to play because you were underage, the feeling of watching your friends succumb to drugs, the feeling of dealing with breakups and losing friends. All these things are part of this book. Thought it ended to abruptly, would have liked to see what happened to the main character next.
November 26, 2021
I have a signed paperback signed and numbered out of 200. I really enjoyed this Novella. Great realistic coming of age story. This novel has drugs,sex,music, and mental illness. Some heavy events happen in this. This isn't a Horror book. Lucas Magnum proves he's a great writer in any genre.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews