Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Published by: Atria

Release date: October 8th, 2011

Number of pages: 529

Where did I get this book: library

My rating: 5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"THREE FEMALE FRIENDS FACE MIDLIFE CRISES IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED EXPLORATION OF SEX, MARRIAGE, AND THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE.Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-athome mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for?Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband?Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts.As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, Triangles is the ultimate page-turner. Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters. Sometimes it happens like that. Sometimes you just get lost.Get lost in the world of Triangles, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers."

Review:

Ellen, Ellen, Ellen....you've done it AGAIN!

This is Hopkins' first adult novel, and I wasn't sure what to expect. It's been so long since I've picked up an adult novel (lol) that I wasn't sure if I'd even like it - even if it WAS the wonderful Ellen Hopkins. Well, I should have known better. Once again, she drew me in immediately. Just like her YA novels we all know and love (and if you don't, then you need to get familiar with them very soon!), the verse style flows beautifully. Her use of imagery continues to astound me.

Her characters are always wonderfully developed and I love how she alternates them, but they flow into each other. Their stories are separate enough so as not to be confusing, but they flow together so they do not seem disjointed - does that make sense? There are 3 main characters, points of view in this story: Andrea, a divorced mom of a 13 year old daughter who has pretty much sworn off men, Marissa (Missy), Andrea's sister, married to Christian, mom to a gay son and terminally ill daughter and gallivanting husband, and Holly their friend, who is married to a good guy and has 3 great kids, but feels the need to explore her own sexuality on the sly. I think I felt the most connection with Missy. She was so devoted to her kids - she felt like she was kind of dealt a cruddy hand with having both a gay son and a handicapped daughter, but she accepted them both and loved them unconditionally. I really did not like Holly at all. She was an adulteress, plain and simple - not ok, in my book.

I have to give a little warning here...especially considering most of the books I review on here are young adult. This book is NOT YOUNG ADULT. It has very mature themes, language, and strong sexuality. There are also quite a few instances of homosexual acts. If you are easily offended, be forewarned.

It was a wonderful read though - Hopkins never fails to disappoint me!