A Fine Addition

By Joshua G. M.

In my last review, I dissected Ellen Hopkins' novel Identical, and due to how much I enjoyed it I decided to invest in another one of her works. This time around, the text I chose to read was one of her most well-known pieces, Impulse. Much like Identical, this story is primarily aimed towards young adult audiences. However, the story takes a different approach, and instead of revolving around the life of two sisters, Impulse observes the lives of three troubled individuals, all of which are dealing with their own demons.

Much like my experience with Identical, I found myself enjoying this story. Although the pacing feels slower and the characters are less captivating, in my opinion, I still still found myself invested. Knowing nothing about the story was somewhat daunting at first, but because of my minimal familiarity with her writing style I was very excited to begin this read. Of course, Hopkins utilizes her stanza-like/freestyle poetry structure, which moves the story along at a pace faster than average books, for me at least.

Once again, Ellen Hopkins has won me over with a story of hers. While I personally enjoyed Identical more, I still appreciated this tale and its content. If you are a fan of Ellen Hopkins or are curious to read something written in her style, be aware that Impulse has become a fine addition to my list of recommendations.

Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins, Simon and Schuster, January 2007, 666 pages