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    Impulse
    Impulse
    Impulse
    Audiobook6 hours

    Impulse

    Written by Ellen Hopkins

    Narrated by Steve Coombs, Laura Flanagan and Jeremy Guskin

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    About this audiobook

    Three teens who have attempted suicide meet in a psychiatric hospital, battle their demons, and begin to heal.The handsome son of wealthy parents, Connor has everything anyone could want-except his family's love and affection. Jailed for years after killing his mother's child-molesting boyfriend, Tony is confused about his sexuality. Manic-depressive Vanessa cuts herself. All three stories intertwine in a brutally honest story about pain and resilience.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateFeb 17, 2009
    ISBN9781598877700
    Author

    Ellen Hopkins

    Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous young adult novels, as well as the adult novels such as Triangles, Collateral, and Love Lies Beneath. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she has founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsLit.

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    Reviews for Impulse

    4/5

    615 ratings45 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is an excellent book to use to discuss the topic of teen suicide and its symptoms. The verses are well written or thought out and the reading is a page turner. This a great example of writing verse, as well as journal writing and venting any frustrations or confusions. This also shows perspective writing and how stories converge. Highly recommended reading and an easy read.
    • 5/5
      I have always loved this book. Beautiful writing, their pain feels so personal. Very in depth with each character, I cannot express that enough. Five stars, of course.
    • 2/5
      Eh. Fast read, but not great.
    • 4/5
      Im sad. but happy that the main characters I had my eyes on remains together. fuck this world is messed up!!
    • 4/5
      Ellen Hopkins tackles the prickly topic of suicide in her novel in verse. Three teens--Vanessa, Tony, and Connor--meet in the psychiactric wing of a hospital after unsuccessful attempts to end their lives. As they work through their own problems, they start to know and appreciate one another, even developing relationships that may last beyond their short time within the hospital walls. The verse distinguishes the characters well from one another, and the reader is sure to identify with at least one. Each teen struggles with family - overbearing, crazy, or lack thereof.Fast-paced and engaging, this is very popular with high school students.
    • 5/5
      This was another amazing book by her! Sad but honest!
    • 2/5
      Impulse by Ellen Hopkins follows three teenagers who are patients at a mental institution for troubled teens. Tony is a gay, charming young teenager who has done time in juvie and has abusive secrets in his past. Vanessa has inherited her mother's mental instability and does her best to forget her deepest secrets. Conner is an outgoing, popular, wealthy boy with a penchant for older women and a secret he tries to deny. All of them are in their current position after failed suicide attempts.

      The first problem with this book should be fairly obvious from the summary. Each of the characters has a Tragic Past (TM) that must be unlocked throughout the novel, and it gets tiresome. It feels like the best hits of a series of teenage after-school specials. Abortions, HIV, molestation, abuse... Now That's What I Call Trauma Vol. 30!

      While it's a good thing to talk about these, and there are people who may have all of this in their past, the sheer preponderance of Tragic Pasts (TM) is a little too much of a strain on reality. Vanessa had an abortion, her mother was bipolar (or schizophrenic?), and her father is away all the time in the military. Tony is gay (or not?), was homeless, was in juvie, was abused and raped by his mother's boyfriend, his mother is an addict of some kind, and he lost his mentor and friend to HIV. (Wow). Conner is the closest to a realistic portrait: wealthy, popular, and smart, but pushed by his over-achieving parents. He has an affair with his teacher, Emily. Aaaand of course we find out it's because he was secretly molested by his nanny when he was 12.

      It strains credibility, to put it lightly.

      I would be more interested if Hopkins had explored a perfectly normal teenager, without a Tragic Past (TM), who is suffering from depression and tries to commit suicide. If even one of the characters had been like that, it would have allowed a deeper look into what it feels like to be suicidally depressed and getting constant reminders that But you don't have it that bad! Instead, we get ... this.

      Additionally, I found my lip curling when I opened the novel and found it to be free-verse poetry. I'm not normally a fan, but I did read a decent novel written in that form before, and figured I'd give it a shot. The problem is that I have not so far read an example that satisfactorily justifies the form. Instead, I just kept thinking, "This could have been prose." There was never a moment, or a line, that struck me as, "Of course this would need to be told in free-verse!". You end up just reading the entire thing like a novel, except with excessive spacing, and as someone who frequently skips chapter titles, I had to scan back again to understand the first line because the real first line was the title of the poem. I say this as someone who frequently enjoys poetry; Hopkins simply isn't talented enough for me to feel that this needed to be told in poem-form.

      Finally, the length. 666 pages of teenage drama - and I use this term because, as I mentioned, the Tragic Pasts (TM) feel more soap operatic than real - is excessive, at best. By page 350, I had the sneaking suspicion I disliked the book. By 550, I was more than ready to be done, and Tony and Vanessa staring deeply into one another's eyes and discussing love in that trite way that teenagers do was enough to have me desperately paging on for more.

      The only actually surprising part of this book was the end. This is HEAVY spoilers: Conner commits suicide. (And even that, I had to suspend my belief, because who would release a psychiatric suicidal patient to an outdoors camping trip that has a strong possibility of danger and death?). It was a bold move, and one that I appreciated for its delicate look at the bleakness of the situation the characters were in.

      That said, it wasn't enough to save this book. The only good thing to come out of it is that I now know to get rid of the other books by this author on my to-read list.
    • 4/5
      I read this years and years ago and really identified with it.

      Ellen Hopkins has a really interesting writing style, very sparse and prosaic but it wasn't totally inaccessible to me. Don't worry about the size of this book if that intimidates you, there are sometimes only a few words to a page. I love that she's able to manipulate timing and pace by using spacing and the placement of text, it feels like she's really using the page.

      I remember not liking the characters very much, but I did love the prose and the poetry, no matter how stereotypical some of the characters seemed.

      Of course, this book is really really intense, trigger warnings abound, particularly for self-harm, eating disorders (I think), suicidal ideation and maybe sexual assault? But I can't remember the actual plot that well.

      This book, though, really had an impact on me when I was reading it. Perhaps if I read it back again I'd be more critical of it but if you think it's for you, go right ahead.

    • 4/5
      Hopkins does poetically disturbing and totally engaging so well.
    • 5/5
      Several years ago I had a student tell me that this book literally saved her life. It is a powerful, fiction account of three teenage strangers meeting at a treatment facility following failed suicide attempts. Moving, and sad but definitely notes of empowerment and worth your time.
    • 5/5
      Wow!! What a great novel in verse. Tony, Vanessa, & Conner are teens that have faced a variety of struggles in their lives. Their answer: Suicide. But they failed and meet in a treatment center. Well written with an incredible surprise at the end. Will they find themselves? Can they re-enter the real world? Check it out to find out.
    • 4/5
      This novel written in verse tells the story of three young adults in a mental hospital following their attempted suicides. Though Tony, Conner, and Vanessa live very different lives when they are admitted to Aspen Springs, they come to find that they have much in common while they attempt to overcome their inner demons together. The narrative sticks with the reader long after putting the book down, especially the emotional gut-punch of an ending.A lot of the novel’s readability comes from the poetic style Hopkins uses in all of her young adult books; it makes the nearly-700-page book that much easier to consume. It might appeal to readers who are below grade level because it is quicker to get through than most novels but it is still mature enough for high schoolers. The tone is dark, but the characters show that metal illness is treatable and survivable with determination and the help of others. Teens with similar struggles might be craving a book a book like this that show them that they aren’t alone. Hopkins gives insight into depress and bipolar disorder and will be powerful both the people with mental illness and those who want to learn more.
    • 5/5
      Any book that makes me cry deserves five stars. This was completely, utterly heartbreaking and I don't think I'm in a state to write clever, reasonable review right now. I also don't think I can say anything without spoiling it but this was just perfect. I started reading it when I was feeling like reading something depressive of some sort and this book seemed like a perfect choice. I've never read a book written in a poetry form before and I didn't know what to expect. On my own surprise, I found the written style incredibly captivating and intruding. I loved it more than I expected it and this book made me learn how incredible Ellen Hopkins is as an author. I'll definitely read more books of hers in a future.

      This book touched me right in the heart and ripped me apart in a good way. I'm still quite shaken from it and I hope you find the same enjoyment in that I did.
    • 4/5
      I've never read a book quite like this one before. Told completely in prose, they lyrical strategy of story telling really does seem to deepen the characters' expressions, as sometimes the things we want to say cannot adequately be put into words. Definitely a character-driven story with less plot and more talking.
    • 1/5
      The more I read of Ellen Hopkins, the more I am stupefied by her popularity. Every bad action is punished severely and only socially palatable kids get to have happy endings...while she may have an ear for the inner workings of the teen mind from time to time, her moralizing is completely off-putting.
    • 4/5
      Told in three voices Conner, Tony, and Vanessa are going through the treatment program at Aspen Springs after attempting to commit suicide. All three stories weave together as they open up and begin to heal - though one digs deeper into his depression. As they face their demons, readers realize how different a person's surface and inner thoughts can be. This fast read matches up to Hopkin's other novels in intensity and willingness to face what most people hide. Some parts are difficult to read because they do not hide the more disturbing facts, though it is never explicit.
    • 3/5
      Mini Review:This book was just all over the place. I love Ellen Hopkins & I love her writing but the characters were too unrealistic for me. I did like the sequel a lot and I will be happy to read more books by Ellen but this book was a fail for me
    • 4/5
      Reading a verse novel was a new thing for me. I have read long poems before and even anthologies that loosely tell a story, but this was the first true novel. The story is very intense as Hopkins expertly gets into her three protagonists' heads that I often forgot I was reading poetry instead of prose.
    • 3/5
      Ellen Hopkins's "prosetry" is mesmerizing, almost enough so to distract readers from the gaps in the story. At times, the plot seems rushed which only served to distance me from the characters. Like Crank, Impulse is definitely a hard-hitting novel, not for the young or weak at heart. I was enthralled by the characters but a bit disappointed with the holes in the book.
    • 4/5
      This book was very interesting... not like any other book I've read. The only reason why I did not give it four stars was because at times, I couldn't really see a good plot in the book. And at times it made me confused because there were four points of views. But other than that, a good book.
    • 5/5
      Wow what an awesome book i loved it. this was one of the most entertaining and deeplye educating books i have ever read in my life it was sad and mysterious but fun to read at the same time. i really enjoyed the characters. all of the patients were so real and fun to invision. The cover of the book tells the story pretty much. All this story is about is the impulse to break the rules and be with someone or not be witha anyone. It also showes how much every move you make and how much "trying to off yourself" can effect evryone around you and how bad it makes all the people who know you hurt deeply and how not just you hurt when you aer depressed
    • 5/5
      impuklse seems start out slow wich is unusual by Ellin Hopkins. however once you get itno it you cant get out of it. It locks you in with its intensity but it makes you mad when th book is over. gritty,intense,awesome,amazing.
    • 5/5
      this book had the most unexpected ending ever. this is another really good book and i don't say that about a lot of them. Ellen Hopkins is very talented. this book will suck you in and pull at your very heart strings. you will fall in love with it. everyone likes a book with a happy ending and even though this one doesn't have one you wouldn't be disappointed or said that you didn't pick it.im not on for spoilers and if your going to read this book then i don't want to spoil any part of it for you. but i must say that this is a must read.
    • 5/5
      Vanessa, Tony, and Conner, the three main characters, have three totally different lives and three different paths that all lead to the same place, Aspen Springs. Aspen Springs is a psychiatric hospital for people who have attempted suicide. Vanessa can't stop cutting, Tony can't stop overdosing on pills, and Conner has extremly abusive parents. Vanessa grabbed the knife, Tony grabbed the pills, and Conner grabbed the gun,and tried to end it. That's what got them to Aspen Springs. This was a great book! I couldn't stop reading!
    • 4/5
      Three kids deal with why they are all stuck in the same place. A mental help hospital for teenagers. They have to learn to feel better about their lives and face their problems head on. With the help of doctors and medicine.
    • 5/5
      Three teenagers end up becoming close friends in a psychiatric hospitals. Conner is a jock teenager who comes from a rich family and they don't pay much attention to him so he feels neglected. Vanessa is a bipolar teen who cuts herself to relive her stress and get rid of the pain she goes through. Tont was left by his mother and practically had to raise himself, even on the streets. I like Ellen Hopkins and all oh her books.
    • 3/5
      Impulse is about three teenagers who all end up in the same psychiatric hospital. They all struggle with their own different problems. Conner is a jock that comes from a rich family who only think about themselves and is neglected. Tony was also neglected by his mother and left to survive on his own, most of the time on the streets. Vanessa is bipolar and cuts her self to get rid of the pain she suffers. They all meet eachother and almost immediately become close while they help eachother with their troubles.I picked this book because I read Crank by the same author and I expected this one to be just as good. I was disapointed. This book didn't keep me wanting to read more like Crank did. While the story did touch me, I didn't really enjoy it as much as Crank.
    • 4/5
      This is for the audio version. This book is about three teens who have tried to commit suicide and have all ended up in the same hospital to help them sort out their problems. This was a story about the tragedy and eventually the hope that surrounded the teens. Ms. Hopkins developed layers of emotions and problems that each teen had to go through to lead them to eventually try to committ suicide, and while listening to the story a little more was told through each teen's narration. I've read other books by Ms. Hopkins, so I knew it would not have a happily ever after ending, but the ending was not what I expected. Worth the read/listen. It's an interesting book to listen to, but I would recommend being able to listen for more than just a few minutes at a time - which I was only able to do while driving to and from work.
    • 3/5
      Vanessa, Conner, and Tony all have different reasons for ending up at the Aspen Springs psychiatric facility. In these poems, they explore their pasts and try to salvage their future as they deal with their issues. Fans of Ellen Hopkins's other books will be pleased with this one. It's intense and the teens have issues. I don't particularly get why it was told in verse (other than that's what Ellen does) and I did not particularly care for the audio recording. It's told by three different narrators and I kept having to change the volume each time the narrator switched. Also, the two male narrators sounded too similar and I kept getting them confused.
    • 5/5
      Impulse was really really good. Sad and touching. It was cool to see how all of the characters needed each other to survive. And to ultimately make their final decisions. The book isn't as long as it seems because it is written in short poems. It is quick intriguing read.