Review (6) Impulse - Ellen Hopkins

Pages: 600
Publisher: McEldery Books
Synopsis (from Book): Act
on your impulse,
swallow the bottle
cut a little deeper,
put the gun to your chest.

Tony's painful childhood memories can be quelled only through pills. Vanessa has a secret that keeps her coming back to the blade. And Conner seems to have the perfect life on the outside, but his inward battle with his parents, his peers, and himself give him one last choice - to pull the trigger.

These are three lives that would have been cut short if not for the hasty intervention by loved ones. Or fate. Now they are given a second chance at a better life - but only if they help one another, and if they find the strength to let go of their inner demons. For good.

My Rating:


Review:

Plot:
Aspen Springs is a rehabilitation centre for troubled teenagers. Almost everyone here has some sort of psychological depression. Aspen Springs is bent on resolving these issues and getting these kids back on track with their lives.

Tony has an extremely scarred childhood. His mother wasn't the most responsible and was dealing with psychological issues of her own. His father, having realized his mother was a lunatic - left when Tony was young. Having no strong parental control, Tony is forced to raise himself and fend for himself. He chooses the streets cause he has nowhere else to go.

Vanessa almost killed herself, she cut a little too deep and almost bled herself to death, until her younger brother found her and called out to grandma, who with fast thinking, saved Vanessa's life. She is now at Aspen Springs trying to recover, but her huge secret seems to get her nervous and depressed, and only cutting seems to relieve the pain.

Connor has the perfect life, he's smart, good looking, and comes from a wealthy family. However, he craves love. His parents expect too much and constantly compare him to his more successful twin sister. He's only ever received plastic kisses from his mother, and deprived of maternal love. He tried to kill himself, but the bullet missed his heart and he's now stuck at Aspen Springs.

The three of them only have each others support to get back to normal, and get out of Aspen Springs. They learn new things about each other and about themselves as well.

My Thoughts:

So, I've said this before, but I'll say it again; I love Ellen Hopkins' writing style. It's very creative, and she is so inspiring. I really enjoyed this book and she does a great job at letting us get into the characters' minds, making it so easy to relate to them. I had a tough time putting this book down. Tony, Vanessa, and Connor truly come from difficult backgrounds, and being a psych student, i was able to understand them. I really loved Tony's sense of humor, it made the book a fun read. Impulse definitely helps with the understanding of depression and makes me more sensitive towards people that are suffering from it. Their life is not easy at all.