Ellen Hopkins was born in California in 1955, and has become a very popular author with teenage and young adult readers. She confronts issues such as drug abuse, suicide and sexual abuse head on in her books, and her hard hitting texts are probably one of the key reasons behind her popularity. Although most of her books are aimed at younger readers, she is increasingly writing for a more mature audience- part of her reasoning for this is that those who grew up with her first bestseller “Crank” in 2004 and now approaching adulthood themselves. Such a keen interest in her audience and the fact that she is probably still only early in her writing career, bodes really well for her future books. If you are a younger reader, why not give her works a try?

Crank

Crystal meth is a highly addictive drug, often referred to as “crank.” Hopkins wrote this book semi-biographically, as her own daughter became addicted to the drug and the story is loosely based on her story of addiction. Released in 2004, Crank has become a New York Times bestseller- the book centres on seventeen year old Kristina Snow, who is introduced to the drug when she goes to visit her unruly Father. She develops an alter ego “Bree”, but when she tries to reconnect with her mother and her studies, she finds out that her alter ego and her addiction have become stronger and she is led away from her previously positive life.

Impulse

In the novel, three teens are all suicidal and meet at a psychiatric hospital. Connor seemingly has a perfect life and a perfect family, but he cannot bear the pressure that his parents put on him by forcing him to live up to their standards. Tony grew up on the streets, effectively abandoned by his parents and abused by his mother’s boyfriend- when the only person he trust’s dies he is pushed over the edge. Vanessa is part of a broken family, with an absent father. Her mother starts going crazy and she has to watch out for her little brother and she starts harming herself. Through there friendship at the hospital, can they overcome there troubles?

Triangles

Aimed for older readers instead of her usual audience of young adults, Triangles tells the story of three female friends who are all facing a midlife crisis. Holly regrets being a stay at home mum loses weight and cheats on her husband. Her single mum friend Andrea would do anything for the committed relationship Holly has left and Marissa has a gay son, terminally ill daughter and a work obsessed husband. A story of betrayal, morals and forgiveness, it is a hard hitting novel.