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A review by audreychamaine
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
4.0
Triangles is one of the most emotionally engaging, heart-wrenching books I’ve read in a long time. It was also my first encounter with Ellen Hopkins’ writing, and now I know why so many people rave about her. It took me a while to get used to reading everything in verse, although I think this was made easier because she does not employ a rhyme scheme. The end of each chapter includes a poem with a structure that singles out words so that they form a statement on their own based on placement on the page, as well as within the text. While that was a cool effect, those pages threw me and I usually didn’t end up reading them with as much attention as the rest of the text. Still, I think the verse was a very effective way of delivering this intense content.
What makes this book so effective is Hopkins’ ability to create real, three-dimensional characters that you can fully believe in. Really, this novel is almost entirely character-driven, rather than action-packed. We alternate narration and storylines from Holly to Andrea to Marissa. I wanted to strangle Holly, I could relate to Andrea, and my heart just broke for Marissa.
Hopkins describes the lives of these three forty-something-year old women with startling honestly and unflinching attention. We see as they go through infidelity; group sex encounters; children who are gay, having sex, doing drugs, have a severe fatal condition, or are just plain distant. This is not a book for the weak-hearted, and probably not appropriate for teens, although emotionally mature teens will probably still enjoy it. As a young adult who is not yet married and has no kids, the three futures here terrified me, mostly because they’re so plausible and true. It made me think about the meaning of marriage, family, devotion, and how much of yourself you lose when you have responsibilities to children and spouses. It isn’t all bad, though, and the futures are as individual as those living them.
Even though it was so intense at times that I could feel my chest tighten and my stomach turn, I did enjoy this book and the rollercoaster of emotions it brought forth in me, and made me curious to read some of the Ellen Hopkins YA books I’ve heard so much about.
What makes this book so effective is Hopkins’ ability to create real, three-dimensional characters that you can fully believe in. Really, this novel is almost entirely character-driven, rather than action-packed. We alternate narration and storylines from Holly to Andrea to Marissa. I wanted to strangle Holly, I could relate to Andrea, and my heart just broke for Marissa.
Hopkins describes the lives of these three forty-something-year old women with startling honestly and unflinching attention. We see as they go through infidelity; group sex encounters; children who are gay, having sex, doing drugs, have a severe fatal condition, or are just plain distant. This is not a book for the weak-hearted, and probably not appropriate for teens, although emotionally mature teens will probably still enjoy it. As a young adult who is not yet married and has no kids, the three futures here terrified me, mostly because they’re so plausible and true. It made me think about the meaning of marriage, family, devotion, and how much of yourself you lose when you have responsibilities to children and spouses. It isn’t all bad, though, and the futures are as individual as those living them.
Even though it was so intense at times that I could feel my chest tighten and my stomach turn, I did enjoy this book and the rollercoaster of emotions it brought forth in me, and made me curious to read some of the Ellen Hopkins YA books I’ve heard so much about.