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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I was a bit hesitant to start reading this. Ellen Hopkins has a unique writing style. She tells a story in free verse poetry, which I found a bit difficult to get used to when reading Crank, another book of hers, a while back. But when I started reading this book I was used to the style and it wasn’t as awkward as it was the first time I read an Ellen Hopkins book.
One of my favorite parts about this novel is how real the characters were. Pattyn was very strong and made her own decisions. Sure, some of them weren’t super smart, but everyone messes up sometimes. I also really enjoyed seeing how she was conflicted. She didn’t accept the ways of her families religion, but since she had been told that it was right her whole life, she couldn’t just throw it all out of the window. Every time she did something that her family had told her was wrong, she was hesitant to do it, even though she felt that it was actually an okay thing to do.
Pattyn’s father was a really interesting character to read about. At times I could tell that he wasn’t all big, bad, and evil. I could see a bit of humanity in some of his choices, but overall I really disliked him, considering how he acted. It was a bit irritating not knowing what he was thinking and why he did the things he did, but it gave the book a whole new air of reality, because you can’t always know why people act the way they do.
The setting was described absolutely beautifully. The way the mountains in rural Nevada were described brought the whole story to life, and the ranch was a great thing to read about.
I have read nothing like this before, and I doubt I’ll ever come across one even remotely like this one. It was unique, heart-wrenching, and absolutely fantastic. It was an amazing plot that really made me think about what really matters, and it was beautifully written. The only thing that I slightly dislike was the ending. It was open-ended and very frustrating. But, as it’s going to have a sequel, I guess it was a good way to end the book, even if I didn’t get the answers I was hoping for.
As I said before, this novel was absolutely amazing, and I give it 5/5 stars.
One of my favorite parts about this novel is how real the characters were. Pattyn was very strong and made her own decisions. Sure, some of them weren’t super smart, but everyone messes up sometimes. I also really enjoyed seeing how she was conflicted. She didn’t accept the ways of her families religion, but since she had been told that it was right her whole life, she couldn’t just throw it all out of the window. Every time she did something that her family had told her was wrong, she was hesitant to do it, even though she felt that it was actually an okay thing to do.
Pattyn’s father was a really interesting character to read about. At times I could tell that he wasn’t all big, bad, and evil. I could see a bit of humanity in some of his choices, but overall I really disliked him, considering how he acted. It was a bit irritating not knowing what he was thinking and why he did the things he did, but it gave the book a whole new air of reality, because you can’t always know why people act the way they do.
The setting was described absolutely beautifully. The way the mountains in rural Nevada were described brought the whole story to life, and the ranch was a great thing to read about.
I have read nothing like this before, and I doubt I’ll ever come across one even remotely like this one. It was unique, heart-wrenching, and absolutely fantastic. It was an amazing plot that really made me think about what really matters, and it was beautifully written. The only thing that I slightly dislike was the ending. It was open-ended and very frustrating. But, as it’s going to have a sequel, I guess it was a good way to end the book, even if I didn’t get the answers I was hoping for.
As I said before, this novel was absolutely amazing, and I give it 5/5 stars.
4.5**
This book really surprised me! i read it because an english teacher recommended it to me and i’m glad she did because I really enjoyed it :) It’s very similar to Impulse which makes sense since the way Ellen Hopkins writes is so cathartic and intense. especially when her books are about mental illnesses.
The ending caught me so off guard, i can’t tell if she committed or if she was just severely depressed because of Ethan’s death. either way, it was amazingly written and i hope to read more of her books because the ones i’ve read so far are amazing.
This book really surprised me! i read it because an english teacher recommended it to me and i’m glad she did because I really enjoyed it :) It’s very similar to Impulse which makes sense since the way Ellen Hopkins writes is so cathartic and intense. especially when her books are about mental illnesses.
The ending caught me so off guard, i can’t tell if she committed or if she was just severely depressed because of Ethan’s death. either way, it was amazingly written and i hope to read more of her books because the ones i’ve read so far are amazing.
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is so heart-wrentchingly beautiful that I can't start the sequel just yet because I need to calm myself down first. Ellen's well-chosen words to paint the whole of this novel makes it a book you can't put down. Bravo, Ellen, this is definitely a masterpiece.
I really love Ellen Hopkins!! This book was definitely not on the same level as Crank but it was fantastic! I did an in depth review on my youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0tyfeNJlrg
I would give this book a 4.5/5 stars just because I think it could have been a little bit more crazier but in all it was relatible and written very well!
I will update this once I write out a full review but for now go and check out my youtube review
I would give this book a 4.5/5 stars just because I think it could have been a little bit more crazier but in all it was relatible and written very well!
I will update this once I write out a full review but for now go and check out my youtube review
Some parents can be such idiots. That's how i felt with this books. You can't just pretend nothing's happened. But overall this book was beautiful. The ending made me cry.
Burned was an apt title for this one. I felt burned and a little exploited after reading it.
I love Ellen Hopkins. Her "Crank" trilogy is one of my favorite YA series because of its rawness. I feel like I say this in a lot of reviews, but what works about "Crank" is that it doesn't resort to cheap sleights of pen to evoke a thrill. It puts forth, in experimental verse form, a candid view of crystal meth addiction.
This book's greatest misstep is its failure to recognize that Pattyn's crisis of faith, her father's abuse, and her relationship with Ethan are compelling enough; the story doesn't need cheap twists and shock value to be effective.
Perhaps the most tragic element of this story, though, was its ultimate betrayal of its own ideals. Pattyn's aunt spends so much of this book teaching her that there are options for women beyond marriage and motherhood. But, ultimately, Pattyn finds her self-worth and purpose in a man (albeit, a very kind-hearted, loving one). In this regard, she isn't all that dissimilar to her mother, who chose "true love" over college. It isn't that Ethan is unworthy of "forever love," as the book calls it, but Pattyn is just seventeen. The love story is touching, if not somewhat rushed, but also a bit hard to take--in a matter of weeks, she can't live without him and finds self-worth when she regards herself through his eyes.
As for the ending? Talk about narrative contortionism. This is a spoiler-free review, so I won't comment further on that.
I love Ellen Hopkins. Her "Crank" trilogy is one of my favorite YA series because of its rawness. I feel like I say this in a lot of reviews, but what works about "Crank" is that it doesn't resort to cheap sleights of pen to evoke a thrill. It puts forth, in experimental verse form, a candid view of crystal meth addiction.
This book's greatest misstep is its failure to recognize that Pattyn's crisis of faith, her father's abuse, and her relationship with Ethan are compelling enough; the story doesn't need cheap twists and shock value to be effective.
Perhaps the most tragic element of this story, though, was its ultimate betrayal of its own ideals. Pattyn's aunt spends so much of this book teaching her that there are options for women beyond marriage and motherhood. But, ultimately, Pattyn finds her self-worth and purpose in a man (albeit, a very kind-hearted, loving one). In this regard, she isn't all that dissimilar to her mother, who chose "true love" over college. It isn't that Ethan is unworthy of "forever love," as the book calls it, but Pattyn is just seventeen. The love story is touching, if not somewhat rushed, but also a bit hard to take--in a matter of weeks, she can't live without him and finds self-worth when she regards herself through his eyes.
As for the ending? Talk about narrative contortionism. This is a spoiler-free review, so I won't comment further on that.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
He was a dream. A safe dream.
Safe, because he was unattainable,
something to adore from afar.
Like a snow-drenched mountain
or an evening star.
The Storyline
17-year old Pattyn Von Stratten is the oldest child in a Mormon family which consists of an alcoholic and abusive father and an extremely overwhelmed mother. Unconsciously, she starts to rebel little by little from her strict family’s rules. After her father catches her in a moment of rebellion she is inevitably sent to live with her Aunt in rural Nevada. Pattyn begins to realize that life with her Aunt may not be as bad as she had originally thought and that going back to her old life may be harder than she thought.
Thoughts
This was the second Ellen Hopkins book I’ve read, and even though this was not as enjoyable as [b:Triangles|10843755|Triangles|Ellen Hopkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1313893537s/10843755.jpg|15709019], I did still enjoy it. It was damn near impossible not to feel bad for Pattyn and her 'moments of rebellion' which wasn't even anything that bad... her family just put her on such a short leash that any form of rebellion was conceived as horrible and wrong.
I can't help but feel that these types of family situations only make things worse on these children in the long run. Placing so many rules and responsibilities on them at such a young age usually leads to crazy acts of rebellion. Of course this is not always the case and many kids that live in strict households end up turning perfectly decent members of society. When I was in high school I used to have two really good friends who were both Mormons from large families (with enormous responsibilities) who ended up having a huge impact on how I view families such as these.
I finished this book with my jaw on the ground; it was an extremely abrupt and unexpected ending. I went into this thinking that it was a stand-alone novel but come to find out there's more to come in this series... I'm extremely interested in seeing how the author takes this story.
He was a dream. A safe dream.
Safe, because he was unattainable,
something to adore from afar.
Like a snow-drenched mountain
or an evening star.
The Storyline
17-year old Pattyn Von Stratten is the oldest child in a Mormon family which consists of an alcoholic and abusive father and an extremely overwhelmed mother. Unconsciously, she starts to rebel little by little from her strict family’s rules. After her father catches her in a moment of rebellion she is inevitably sent to live with her Aunt in rural Nevada. Pattyn begins to realize that life with her Aunt may not be as bad as she had originally thought and that going back to her old life may be harder than she thought.
Thoughts
This was the second Ellen Hopkins book I’ve read, and even though this was not as enjoyable as [b:Triangles|10843755|Triangles|Ellen Hopkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1313893537s/10843755.jpg|15709019], I did still enjoy it. It was damn near impossible not to feel bad for Pattyn and her 'moments of rebellion' which wasn't even anything that bad... her family just put her on such a short leash that any form of rebellion was conceived as horrible and wrong.
I can't help but feel that these types of family situations only make things worse on these children in the long run. Placing so many rules and responsibilities on them at such a young age usually leads to crazy acts of rebellion. Of course this is not always the case and many kids that live in strict households end up turning perfectly decent members of society. When I was in high school I used to have two really good friends who were both Mormons from large families (with enormous responsibilities) who ended up having a huge impact on how I view families such as these.
I finished this book with my jaw on the ground; it was an extremely abrupt and unexpected ending. I went into this thinking that it was a stand-alone novel but come to find out there's more to come in this series... I'm extremely interested in seeing how the author takes this story.