Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6796 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up—Three teens tell their stories, in free verse, from a psychiatric hospital after failed suicide attempts. Their lives unfold in alternating chapters, revealing emotionally scarred family relationships. An absent father, a bipolar mother, and a secret abortion have caused Vanessa to slash her wrists. As a compulsive cutter, she hides a paper clip to dig into her skin. Tony's drug overdose was triggered by an addiction in which he exchanged sex for money. Abused as a child, he is confused about his sexuality. Connor is the son of rich, controlling parents, and he survives a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a doomed affair with a female teacher. Initially, the narrators are inwardly focused, having arrived at "level zero," the beginning of their treatment. As they become acquainted with one another, the story, told in spare verse and colorful imagery, becomes more plot-driven and filled with witty dialogue. Both boys value Vanessa's friendship and there is an inkling of competition for her affection, although she assumes that Tony is gay. During a wilderness camping trip with other patients and staff, which would graduate the trio to the final level of treatment, it becomes apparent that one of them is mentally backsliding at the thought of returning home and has stopped taking meds. The consequences are played out, leaving the others to grapple with an additional loss and a newfound appreciation for life. Mature fans of the verse format will devour this hefty problem novel.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Sharp, searing free verse . . . fast, jagged, hypnotic.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Reviews )

“A riveting, fast-paced story of teenage hurt and healing.”
—VOYA (VOYA )

About the Author
Ellen Hopkins has been writing poetry for many years. Her first novel, Crank, also written in verse, met with critical acclaim. She lives with her husband and son in Carson City, Nevada.

Customer Reviews

Great gift!
Any Ellen Hopkins books are great for teens. They show a light into a dark world that teens sometimes are not showed.

Impluse
I'd like to say that reading books made of poetry wasn't really my thing until a short while ago, then I came across impulse. Besides the red cover screaming at me I decided to open it up and read a few of the pieces but not before long I was hooked. The way Hopkin's poems differ from each perspective so distinctly is amazing and I love how the stories go in unexpected ways. It's a great book and I've read her other books as well, although it's a great book, it is something not everyone will enjoy so those who prefer a high school romance between a girl, a jock and her best friend aren't in the right section.

Not bad, but a bit predictable.
To be fair I haven't read this author's other works. So this review will be judged basically on first impressions alone.

All in all, this is not a bad book. But it is very predictable. At least for me it is. I figured out how the characters were going to end pretty early on. But that may be intentional, may be not. Anyway what I did enjoy and did not enjoy out of this book was:

1) The style. I took getting used to the poetry style that the three characters use. But it was kind of neat in some parts. The beginning especially works well this sort of style, but it fell a bit flat in the middle and toward the end.

2) The characters, more or less. I liked Connor best to be honest, mainly because he felt the most real to me. Vanessa was fine, but I could take her or leave either way. Tony was the weak link for me though. I just had a hard time connecting with him.

3) The descriptions of the families, was really well done. Vanessa's and Connor's were really well done. Tony's was fine, but it felt a little to melodramatic for my tastes. But a big complaint was when they went home as part of their rehabilitation, the author didn't go into much detail with them about what it was like to be back home. Which is a big problem, especially if they are/were trying to get better from their problems. They need some sort of closure, and I think as a reader so did we with their stories, but I feel a bit robbed that we didn't get that.

All in all, I 'd give this 6 out of 10.