Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Source: Received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada and one from Atria (shared with another blogger)

Publisher: Atria

Release Date: October 18, 2011
Number of Pages: 544 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

In this first adult novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the unforgettable Crank trilogy, three female friends face midlife crises in a no holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life.

Ellen Hopkins has made her mark as the wildly popular author of several novels for young adults—every one of them a New York Times bestseller, and every one a hard-hitting exploration of tough-to-tackle topics. Now, in Triangles, Hopkins brings her storytelling mastery and fearlessness to take on the challenges of adult dramas.

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, 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? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay 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 one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

---

This was my first time reading something written in poetic verse...and also something written by Ellen Hopkins, and I absolutely loved it. I was extremely hesitant to try poetic verse out at first, but I decided that I'd give it a shot, and I am so glad that I did! Triangles was a beautiful story, and it was beautifully written! I was seriously blown away while I read this one, it was one of those stories that sticks with you long after you've finished reading. :D

Before trying poetic verse, I was always worried that it would be hard to get to know the characters,  but in Triangles, the characters were so real, and while I didn't always approve of their actions...*cough* Holly *cough* I still felt like I genuinely got to know them throughout the book. I loved that Triangles alternated points of view between three characters, Holly, Andrea, and Marissa, and I especially loved that all three of their lives were connected in some way. Holly was best friends with Andrea, who was the sister of Marissa, so sometimes their stories would overlap, and I really liked when that happened, it just made it seem so much more involved.

Out of the three characters, Marissa's stories were my favourite, she was genuinely such an amazing person, who had been through so much, and I was thrilled that her ending of the story seemed pretty optimistic. Holly, was probably my least favourite, but I did find her parts entertaining...morally, I just kind of found her to be a terrible person. I could understand why she acted the way she did...even if her choices were kind of terrible. Andrea, was somewhere in the middle, she'd been through lots but she'd worked hard in her life to get where she was. All of these women had men problems, which I'm sure is pretty obvious by the description, but they all handled them in different ways.

My favourite of the poetic verses were the sections between the different narrators. If you read the words that stuck out off to the side, they'd form a complete sentence, or idea, and every time I'd read one of them, I just couldn't help but smile! :D I was completely enthralled with Triangles once I started it, and I honestly didn't put it down until I was done. For a 500-and-some page book, it seriously just flew by! :D

I seriously can't recommend Triangles enough! It was a captivating story told in a beautiful way. I will put a bit of a warning here though because Triangles does mention sex, and there are a few scenes that don't go into explicit detail, but they describe enough that it might not be appropriate for younger readers. Ellen Hopkins does have YA titles though, so if you're younger and want to try one of her books out, maybe go for those ones first, and wait on Triangles until you're a bit older. :)

If you're a bit hesitant to try poetic verse, like I was, I say go for it! Don't be afraid, and give it a chance. You might love it like I did, and after reading Triangles, I can definitely say that I've become an Ellen Hopkins fan for life! :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur