This was the first book by Ellen Hopkins that I have ever read. It was also my first time reading a book written in verse. When the opportunity came to participate in a blog tour for Triangles I absolutely jumped at the chance and I am glad that I did. Triangles is an absolute roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Told from the various point's of view, Triangles is at times emotional, erotic, raw, honest and above all real. The stories of Holly, Marissa and Andrea are ones that are found in everyday life. A woman unfulfilled and unhappy in her marriage, a woman struggling to hold on to her family and herself in the face of overwhelming odds, and a woman simply searching for something more. All are stories that we hear about everyday, some of us, maybe experiencing for ourselves in some way shape or form. That, to me, is the mark of excellent writing and storytelling. The fact that it was done so well and in verse is a bonus. This is not a YA book, but fans of Ellen's YA readers who have grown up and matured with each novel written by Ellen Hopkins will find Triangles to be a welcome addition to their collection.

The Good Stuff No holds barred, dark, truthful, raw and honest Writing style is unique Some nice dark honest humour thrown in A lot of truths about parenting, being a women and marriage All of the children characters are interesting,would have liked more about them - I love Shane Heartbreakingly beautiful at times Even-though it isn't my usual fiction and a little too sad and uncomfortable, I just couldn't put it down. Hopkins grabs you with her understanding of relationships and makes all of the characters oh so very real Fantastic character development Poetically written (mostly in a good way -- we all know that poetry isn't my thing) Very emotional (I'm talking rip your heart out stuff) - you will need Kleenex near the end Fascinating to read all of the various observations about the same events from each of the friends The Not So Good Stuff (MAJOR SPOILER AT END) Its a real downer at times and extremely uncomfortable to read - this is not a feel good book Sick terminally ill children make me cry and feel sick, I have a hard time with this Does not put a hopeful spin on marriage and way too many uncomfortable truths about marriage and friendship - I need something a little more hopeful (This has nothing to do with the exceptional talents of the author) SPOILER - The little girl dies and it is very raw and honest Favorite Quotes/Passages "Shane was born perfectly fine, despite the same genetic pairing. One in four. That's what their odds were. God gave Shelby SMA. Shane just got "gay". "She's penned her fair share of the spicy stuff. My expression must say more than I want it to because everyone laughs and Betty says, What? I may be old, but my memory is still good. And my husband isn't quite dead yet." "Oh, and I got a makeover -new cosmetics to enhance my natural "beauty." What a joke. But hey, the just-barely-out-of-high-school department store "expert" managed to sell this "in need of advice" middle-aged hag three hundred plus dollars' worth of lotions and creams, which do make my skin feel plumped and moisturized." Who Should/Shouldn't Read Good for adult reluctant reader Perfect book for a book club discussion Not for those who like something light and fluffy - that being said I am definitely reading something light and fluffy next cuz this was INTENSE 3.75 Dewey's (Based on my enjoyment not on talents of writer) I received this from Simon and Schuster on behalf of the Bookalicious Twitter Book Club

I've noticed lately that 2011 has been a year filled of new loves for me; middle grade novels, anthologies, mysteries, YA-to-graphic novels, bind-ups and finally... VERSE NOVELS. There's something extraordinary about verse novels that intrigue and captivate me. They always manage to make me emotional, far more than a novel solely about great tragedy would do. Speaking of which, October has been an amazing month for brand new verse novels. I've fallen head over heals in love with them and their wonderful ability to bring out and enhance an author's inner artisan and poet. They've always come across so beautifully, digging deeper into character emotions where regular novels wouldn't be able to. The wording, the structure, the organization - they all pull me in, how could I not love them? Triangles Was Beyond Emotional Trials, Struggles, Love, Passion As a fan of Ellen Hopkins' Impulse, Crank and Burned series, also verse novels, I couldn't wait to dive into her adult contribution Triangles. Upon beginning the novel I discovered how very fitting the title truly was. Triangles focuses on the points of view of three older and very different women, each undergoing their own life changing moments, struggles and trials. I found myself enjoying this particular aspect of the novel very much. Typically I'm not a fan of multi-POV novels but I felt that, in this case, it was quite befitting, especially as the novel, further on, proved to be very dark and gritty - purely driven on uncensored emotion. No character was perfect and that's what made me love this so much. They were flawed, imperfect - human! This very realistic factor is what inevitably helped me associate and connect with each and every character. I did, however, connect with one particular character the most. Molly, Andrea's friend, was easy for me to understand and connect with. She came across as a strong and wanting character, striving for more in life and I couldn't help admiring her for it. I also enjoyed Ellen's take on several issues that were depicted in the novel. She fearlessly tackled unstable relationships, disloyalty, deception and substance abuse to a perfect T. The emotion in Triangles was truly riveting and captivating, making me sigh and hope, cry and grieve. It was a heavily intoxicating novel and I find that fans of Ellen will fall in love with the extra dose of dramatic bliss.

Review first posted at http://unautrehistoire.blogspot.com/ After reading Tricks earlier this year I am a little nervous when it comes to reading anything by Ellen Hopkins. Not because it was bad, but because it was so good that it left me feeling a little sick with how real and unnerving it was. Hopkins does that on a regular basis, her young adult stories leave you reeling with emotions. She doesn't sugar coat situations and make them seem better than they are. She tells the honest truth, the gory truth. This skill has put her, and her books on the banned list more then once. But they are amazing, I have only read two of her young adult fiction, and I have been shaken to the core by the story she tells. In saying that, when I heard that Ellen Hopkins was writing a novel geared towards adults I was excited and totally freaked out. After Tricks and Identical, how much worse could it be? It was that question that freaked me out, but I couldn't stay away. I was glad to realise that Triangles was not full of drug abuse, child molestation or prostitution. What it did involve was three women in their forties; one with a sick child and a failing marriage, another- a mother of three, facing her fortieth birthday with a brand new image, and the third- a single mother with a teenage daughter, who has been having a bit of a dry spell when it comes to men. They are all intertwined in one way or another and they are all dealing with similar issues. Three women, whose responsibilities have gotten in the way of what they really want? Writing about the lives of women may not be the most original topic in the world to write about, when Hopkins takes something on, it's bound to be epic, and Triangles was epic. If you've read Hopkins before you will not be disappointed with Triangles, if you've never read Hopkins, welcome to the beauty of her writing. The lives of the women in her novels are not perfect, but neither are they so terrible. That's what makes this book so good. I've said it before, Hopkins writes about real life, not just the bad stuff. Her traditional style of writing in verse adds to the beauty of this story. The real life situations that are presented in Triangles are complex and sometimes hard to read, but they won't leave you cringing. They will have you thinking about what it is like to be an adult, and be unsatisfied with your life. They will have you questioning about what is right and wrong, and what's worth sacrificing. Triangles tells the story of three women, of commitment and of friendship. Overall, this was another Ellen Hopkins masterpiece. It's not aggressively disturbing, but it still tells a tale that doesn't lie, and reveals human imperfection in all it's wondrous glory.

Triangles is about three women whose lives intersect cleverly, written in poetry, with a play on triangles and parallel and intersecting lives. Each of the three women is dealing with a midlife crisis: there is stay at home mom Holly who, outwardly, is living the perfect life with a big house, two kids and a loving husband but who secretly is very bored and dissatisfied and wants to experiment sexually; Andrea, Holly's friend, is a single mom who has given up on men and thinks Holly is crazy for taking what she has for granted; and Marissa, Andrea's sister, who is in a bad marriage, has a gay teenaged son and spends her days looking after her terminally ill daughter. The three main characters are real feeling and full of flaws. We are seeing them at very difficult times in their lives and watching them act out, in many ways. Through her poetry, Hopkins is able to intimately connect the reader with the character. She takes turns with the point of view of each of the main characters thoughout the book, so we have a chance to get into the heads of each of the women. I really felt for them in some cases and was horrified by them in others - Hopkins was able to create a deep, provocative connection with the characters, whether I liked them or not. The poetry in the book is interesting and beautiful at times, as well as being quite readable. I loved how Hopkins played with words and themes for each section of the book, and even how she placed the words on the page. At times the form echoed the meaning of the words. Each section ended with a word or phrase that became the theme of the poem for the the next section, which created a poetic continuity to the book. This was masterful and thoughtful. I also enjoyed how sparce the words were sometimes and how not everything was layed out. There were a lot of details left to the imagination, like we stepped into the middle of these women's lives with an expectation that we understand their background. This added to the intimacy of the book. Part of what Hopkins does in this novel is to push the characters and this sometimes manifests in explicit scenes. There are so many interesting themes in this book, primarily sex, marriage and love, but also betrayal, jealousy and friendship amongst others. I would recommend this book for those who like women's liturature or who are looking for something different or who wants to try reading a novel written in poetry.

Triangles centers in on the lives of three women, two sisters, Marissa and Andrea, and Andrea’s friend Holly and alternating narrators every few pages amongst these three women. The story begins with Holly, a woman who has everything she could ever dream of. She is athletic, has a successful and attractive husband who gives her everything, and has three lovely children who all live in a dream house. Of course, behind all what seems to be the perfect life, not everything is as it seems. Holly continuously feels as though she is missing something more in her life. One of her daughters is rebellious, and her husband Jace is the only parent who enforces parental discipline. Perhaps Holly’s emptiness comes from being an adopted child, biological parents unknown, and being married at such a young age in college. Just before her fortieth birthday, Holly begins to stray from her husband, trying to find something or someone to fill the void she has… The story then continues with Marissa who is in her mid-forties. She is a stay at home mother, who must dedicate every minute of her day to watch and take care of her terminally ill daughter, Shelby. Shelby has SMA and is not expected to live past the age of four. Marissa also must deal with her sixteen year old son Shane, who has recently come out of the closet, hangs out with the wrong type of crowd, and smokes up to escape. Her successful husband Christian is never around, and whenever he makes an appearance, he is usually drunk. When he comes home from various business trips, or from late meetings at the office, Christian never sleeps in the same bed as his wife and some nights, does not even come home at all. Marissa cannot help but feel that Christian is trying to escape his life at home by loading himself with work. Marissa also suspects that something is wrong… Could Christian be hiding something from her? Next comes Andrea, Marissa’s younger sister. Andrea is divorced and has a fourteen year old daughter named Harley, and rarely gets any help from her ex-husband. Unfortunately, Andrea gets involved with the wrong men, alcoholics, cheaters, and liars, leading to many dead end relationships. Andrea just wishes that for once she can find a man who is successful, handsome, and who will love her back, she wants that her best friend always takes for granted; she wants everything that Holly has… The emotions and daily lives of Holly, Marissa, and Andrea are the focus of the novel. These women are all connected to each other, one even directly affecting another’s life within the novel, thus making Triangles an appropriate title for this novel. These three women give strength to each other, while at the same time; some must lie to avoid destroying their friendship. Triangles deals with many heavy issues such as commitment, betrayal, adultery, and alcoholism. These three women learn that every choice they make will bring consequences that connect to these issues in some way. With alternating narrators, readers will be sucked into this powerful read, and will experience the many issues present in today’s society through the eyes of these women. From the very first page, Triangles will take you on an emotional rollercoaster that will last right to the very end. My favorite aspect of this novel is that Ellen Hopkins writes about relatable adult issues, that many women and families go through. I also appreciate that the secondary as well as the main characters are realistically portrayed. The alternating narration was brilliantly pieced together and is yet another aspect of the novel that I appreciated, as it gives the opportunity to readers to feel the thoughts and emotions each character experiences. Ellen Hopkins is an incredible writer with a wonderful way with words and that has a unique writing style. For those who are not familiar with Ellen Hopkins’ writing, she writes in poetic verse, and is definitely one of my favorite authors. Ellen Hopkins takes a bold stand with this remarkable adult novel Triangles, presenting many lessons readers should consider and can easily relate to. Ellen Hopkins’ novels are the kind that will leave you thinking about the issues presented, long after reading the novels, Triangles is no exception… I recommend this novel to those who enjoy Adult Fiction with emotional depth. For readers who enjoy YA, you should definitely consider picking up Ellen Hopkins’ previous novels, you will not be disappointed! 5/5 MUST READ, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!