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Impulse

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Impulse Cover

ISBN13: 9781416903567
ISBN10: 1416903569
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act — suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.

Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.

And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun — and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life — but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

Review:

"Hopkins (Crank) weaves together the story of three troubled teens locked up in a psychological facility after suicide attempts, once again writing in artful free verse. Each character is full-bodied and distinct. 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. As they begin to open up to their counselor — and each other — they reveal an almost unbelievable amount of grittiness in their backgrounds. 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. 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). This is a thick book, but the free verse makes for a fast read. By book's end, readers may well feel the effects of each protagonist's final choice. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Young people will enjoy this book....The characters are relevant and interesting and the story gives readers an opportunity to dip below surface appearances." KLIATT

Review:

"Mature fans of the verse format will devour this hefty problem novel." School Library Journal

Review:

"A fast, jagged, hypnotic read." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"[R]eaders seeking an understanding of teen suicide will surely appreciate this penetrating exploration of the topic." VOYA

Synopsis:

From the author of the acclaimed Crank comes a gut-wrenching story of teens in crisis. Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act of desperation — suicide.

Synopsis:

Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act — suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.

Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.

And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun — and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life — but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

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About the Author

Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, and Perfect, as well as the adult novel Triangles. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada. Visit her at EllenHopkins.com and on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsYA.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 10 comments:
kayla_joy_fernandez, April 25, 2009 (view all comments by kayla_joy_fernandez)
Hopkins' "Impulse" is an incredible eye-opener that will leave you viewing the world differently. i found this book to be engaging and recommend it for anyone who is up for a good read.
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Alie, March 21, 2009 (view all comments by Alie)
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF ALL TIME!
i would get so caught up in reading i would finish like 35 pages in like 20 mins.
soooo goood.
youll love the characters.
Ellen Hopkins is an amazing writer and youll love all her books!
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crowyhead, February 13, 2009 (view all comments by crowyhead)
This novel, written in free-verse poetry, is set at a mental institution and follows three teens who tried to commit suicide. Conner is a rich kid with a "perfect" life who tried to shoot himself. Vanessa, whose mother is also bipolar, is a cutter who went too far one day. And Tony, who lived on the street after being abused as a child, tried to kill himself with a drug overdose. Now they are all at a private mental hospital, trying to come to terms with what has brought them there.

I'd heard good things about Hopkins, but my ultimate reaction to this book was "bleh." I knew it was going to be a "problem novel," but I had hoped that Hopkins might do something interesting here. Instead, the characterization was often either flat (as in the case of Conner and his family) or full of holes (as in the case of Tony). Vanessa is the most well-fleshed-out character, but Hopkins leaves at least one major plot element just sort of dangling -- it's mentioned a few times, and then dropped. I suppose it might be in part due to the first-person nature of the narrative, but I was also disappointed by the way that Conner, Vanessa, and Tony seemed to be the only human characters in the novel. The other patients were characterized solely by their mental illnesses, and were very rarely treated with any kind of sympathy. I also didn't quite feel that Hopkins did a good enough job evoking the different voices of the main characters through the poetry, which was supposed to have been written by them: it all seemed as though it was written by the same person.

I think this could be popular with upper middle and high school students, but it's likely to rub some more mature readers the wrong way.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781416903567
Author:
Hopkins, Ellen
Publisher:
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Subject:
Interpersonal Relations
Subject:
Family - Parents
Subject:
Suicide
Subject:
Social Issues - Values
Subject:
Social Issues - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Subject:
Social Issues - Suicide
Subject:
Novels in verse
Subject:
Mental Illness
Subject:
Children s Young Adult-Social Issue Fiction-Suicide
Subject:
Children s Young Adult-Social Issue Fiction
Copyright:
2007
Publication Date:
20070123
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
Young adult
Language:
English
Pages:
672
Dimensions:
7 x 5 in
Age Level:
14-17
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Related Subjects


Young Adult » Fiction » Social Issues » Depression and Mental Illness
Young Adult » Fiction » Social Issues » Suicide
Young Adult » General

Impulse Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$8.50 In Stock
Product details 672 pages Margaret K. McElderry - English 9781416903567 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Hopkins (Crank) weaves together the story of three troubled teens locked up in a psychological facility after suicide attempts, once again writing in artful free verse. Each character is full-bodied and distinct. 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. As they begin to open up to their counselor — and each other — they reveal an almost unbelievable amount of grittiness in their backgrounds. 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. 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). This is a thick book, but the free verse makes for a fast read. By book's end, readers may well feel the effects of each protagonist's final choice. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Young people will enjoy this book....The characters are relevant and interesting and the story gives readers an opportunity to dip below surface appearances."
"Review" by , "Mature fans of the verse format will devour this hefty problem novel."
"Review" by , "A fast, jagged, hypnotic read."
"Review" by , "[R]eaders seeking an understanding of teen suicide will surely appreciate this penetrating exploration of the topic."
"Synopsis" by , From the author of the acclaimed Crank comes a gut-wrenching story of teens in crisis. Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act of desperation — suicide.
"Synopsis" by , Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same.

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act — suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.

Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.

And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun — and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life — but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

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