Ellen Hopkins: Tilt Book Review (No Spoilers!)

As soon as I heard Ellen Hopkins had a new book out I scurried over to Indigo to buy it; as my favourite author, Hopkins books are the holy grail of literature. There was no way my bookshelf would be deprived of the wonder and bliss that is her complete collection of teen books. Her latest book, Tilt, a companion text to her adult book, Triangles, is written from three perspectives; that of Shane, a gay 16 year old dealing with family problems, Harley, a 13 year old good girl gone “bad”, and Mikayla, who should be prepping for graduation, but instead is forced to make a life altering choice. As all three protagonists worlds unravel the reader is immersed in their realities, and discovers their deepest fears and secrets.

I should really expand a little on what Ellen Hopkin’s books are like, and why I enjoy them so much. Hopkins writes in poetry, that is, her stories are written entirely in free verse. Each poem tells a different part of the story, and they all tie together. Yet, they could also all stand alone as separate pieces. You’ll also find her young adult books are all about teens, their personal struggles and the choices they make and the choices that others make for them. What I like about her books is that the stories are REAL. These are things that actually happen, they could happen to you or me. There are no vampires or werewolfs or silly imaginary romances designed to keep preteen swooning.

One could protest that Hopkins’s books are too graphic, that the subject matter is to dark for teenage minds. However, this is definitely not the case. I would like to point out that her books are for 14 plus teens, and much of the plot in her books may be prevalent to what they experience or hear of already. Also, being informed about the real world is going to be more of a benefit than a detriment, young people must learn about what is potentially out there. In regards to book content Hopkins explains “What I’m writing about, it’s all there. It’s not stuff I’m making up to be sensationalistic.” Also, what I find after reading her books is that they taught me not to be so judgemental. Her books switch point of view so the reader gets to see both what a character looks like from the outside, and what they are truly feeling within. From this teens, including myself, can learn to be more empathetic towards others, even those whose behaviour they may feel aversion towards.

Overall, I’d say Tilt was a worthwhile read, and addressed situations previously left unmentioned in her other books. Of course, there was some overlap in events and common themes tied in from her others books, but, that is what makes her books hers. If you enjoy Ellen Hopkins, you’ll enjoy Tilt! Conversely if you enjoyed Tilt and you want to enjoy more Ellen Hopkins my personal favourites include Impulse, Identical, and Burned.