By book's end, readers may well feel the effects of each protagonist's final choice. This is a thick book, but the free verse makes for a fast read. But readers will find themselves invested in the characters by the time the three head to their outdoor challenge-the final piece of their program-and can finally divulge their darkest secrets to one another (Tony and Vanessa even form an unexpected romance). Vanessa, for example, found her own mother dying after an overdose and did not call for an ambulance, and had a boyfriend who 'wouldn't even hold/ my hand' while she was waiting to have an abortion. Unfortunately, the subject matter is not entirely appropriate for anyone. Ellen Hopkins is a great author, and this may be her best book. Read Common Sense Medias Impulse review, age rating, and parents guide. Gritty book about suicide survivors told in free verse. As they begin to open up to their counselor-and each other-they reveal an almost unbelievable amount of grittiness in their backgrounds. Read Common Sense Medias Impulse review, age rating, and parents guide.

Conner is a wealthy overachiever who had an affair with a teacher Tony, who thinks he is gay, was locked up in juvenile detention center for years after killing his mother's child-molesting boyfriend Vanessa is a manic-depressive who cuts herself to 'hush the demons/ shrieking inside my brain.' All three have attempted suicide. Hopkins has since written several verse novels exposing teenage struggles such as drug addiction, mental illness, and prostitution, including Crank, Burned, Impulse, Identical, Glass, Tricks, Tilt, and Fallout. Each character is full-bodied and distinct. She started with nonfiction books for children, including Air Devils and Orcas: High Seas Supermen. ) weaves together the story of three troubled teens locked up in a psychological facility after suicide attempts, once again writing in artful free verse.

Impulse by ellen hopkins