Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

One thing that I loved about my vacation, besides the eating myself silly, relaxing, etc., is that it was a fantastic time to get in lots of reading.  I picked up Impulse by Ellen Hopkins two days before my vacation, and I was so hooked that I finished the 600+ page book before I left.  Yeah, that’s how I roll.

Written in verse, Impulse is the story of the lives of three teenagers who meet after they each attempt suicide.  Vanessa, Conner, and Tony come together at a psychiatric hospital and change each other’s lives in unexpected ways.  While the story is heavy heavy heavy and deals with serious issues of mental health and emotional struggle, the book is  wonderfully written.  With verse, every word counts, and Hopkins strings them along, beautiful and stark.  The story is told from the perspective of each of the main characters, and the changing point of view keeps the story moving along quickly.  I adored the book and I’m super excited because Hopkins will be at this summer’s SCBWI conference and I’d love to hear more from her.

Filed under Books I Like | Comment (0)