Tricks

NOTE: I read this via audio bookI was quite taken with this book - it was quite compelling, raw and intense. The book covers 5 teenagers from different places, with different issues (family, background, etc) who all end up prostituting themselves. I understand that the book was written in verse but there was a very 'novel' feel to the audio book - each voice was different for each character which was nice and added to each individual stories. Although some of the voices were less effective than others, I wasn't bothered by any of them too much. Each character comes to life at Hopkins' hands - they live, breath and elicit emotion from the reader as we follow their journey into prostitution. The material and circumstances of the book are show more harrowing, difficult to read and extremely thought provoking. I've continued to think about these characters and their stories after finishing the book which is always a great sign of a compelling read.This is an excellent YA book that I think all older teens (15 and older, in my opinion) should have the opportunity to read. It really gets to the heart of how just one choice (seemingly insignificant at the time) can result in a spiraling of events that can change a life forever. show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Eden, Ginger, Cody, Seth, and Whitney are teens whose life circumstances have taken them to an increasingly common yet horrible place. Simple survival is their motivation for selling sex for money.

Eden never thought about sex. Raised by a fire-and-brimstone father and mother meant hours in a church pew, not on dates and at parties. Meeting Andrew changed her life. He was just as innocent as she was, so the two learned about love together. It was real and special until her parents found out. She was sent away to a terrible place, and she did what she had to in order to escape.

Ginger's life was always filled with sex. Her mother had six kids by five different guys, and her show more attempt to keep food on the table involved any man looking for what she was willing to sell. Thank goodness for a grandmother willing to take them in and do what she could to provide for them. Ginger vowed to be different, but when her mother began to use her for profit, it was time to leave. But making a change from what you've always known is not as easy as it seems.

Life for Cody and his brother, Cory, improved when their mother married Jack. Jack was great at filling the role of dad, and Cody appreciated it. Cory may have been rebelling, but Cody did his best to be a responsible son and step-son. Then cancer struck and Jack was gone. Things got crazy when there wasn't enough money. Gambling might provide the answer, but he needed a supply of cash to make money that way, forcing him in directions he knew were dangerous.

Seth and his dad survived the death of a mother and wife. Their simple Indiana farm life continued on without her; however, that simple life didn't welcome the fact that Seth had known for quite some time that he was gay. He actually lived two separate lives - the farm life his father assumed he would continue, and the new life he had found in Louisville. As long as he could keep the two lives separate, he could make everyone happy. When a letter caused the two to collide, Seth learned that his father could not accept the truth, so he was forced to leave. A man named Carl made an offer Seth couldn't refuse, but so often those offers don't last forever.

Whitney is popular and beautiful. She is used to having the things she wants but not always the attention she desires. Her doting father is gone a lot on business, which leaves her with a busy mother whose focus has always been on her older daughter. Hooking up with a popular guy gives Whitney a reason to carry on, but when that relationship ends, she is left with anger. That anger drives her in a rebellious direction that she will soon regret.

Ellen Hopkins takes her readers on yet another dangerous journey into lives that have gone wrong. The focus is on the increasingly current trend of teenagers forced into selling themselves to survive. Whether it is out-and-out prostitution or the thinly disguised "escort" services, more and more teens are involved in sex for money.

The five young people in TRICKS all have very different reasons for getting caught up in this destructive lifestyle, and Hopkins paints a stirring and vivid picture of each of their paths into this terrible world. TRICKS is hard-hitting and disturbingly direct as it details the downward spiral of five lives.

Fans of Ellen Hopkins are no doubt anxiously awaiting this new release. One word of caution from this reviewer is that this direct approach to a serious subject is best suited for older teens. show less

I can only think of three words to sum up this tragically written tale: unbelievable, heart-wrenching, and powerful.

Ellen Hopkins has once again shocked and blown me away by this dismal but wonderfully written book. Tricks weaves the tale of five teenagers, each battling their own demons and for their own reasons, have begun to turn tricks on the streets. Whether its to escape or make money or to learn how to feel something that might be love, these five teens struggle through the hardest times of their lives and not all will successfully get what they want in the end.

It is impossible not to feel a change with in yourself when reading this novel and the raw emotions can't help but make you feel amazed, hurt, or completely distraught. show more Hopkins is a powerful writer and I congratulate her for writing about these issues so masterfully when so many others have not. I can't imagine what must go through her mind when she writes these stories and she truly amazes me with her skill and talent.

Gritty, graphic, and not meant for the soft-hearted, Tricks is a powerful read that will leave you shocked for days to come. Thank you Ellen Hopkins, for writing such a masterpiece. show less

NOTE: I read this via audio bookI was quite taken with this book - it was quite compelling, raw and intense. The book covers 5 teenagers from different places, with different issues (family, background, etc) who all end up prostituting themselves. I understand that the book was written in verse but there was a very 'novel' feel to the audio book - each voice was different for each character which was nice and added to each individual stories. Although some of the voices were less effective than others, I wasn't bothered by any of them too much. Each character comes to life at Hopkins' hands - they live, breath and elicit emotion from the reader as we follow their journey into prostitution. The material and circumstances of the book are show more harrowing, difficult to read and extremely thought provoking. I've continued to think about these characters and their stories after finishing the book which is always a great sign of a compelling read.This is an excellent YA book that I think all older teens (15 and older, in my opinion) should have the opportunity to read. It really gets to the heart of how just one choice (seemingly insignificant at the time) can result in a spiraling of events that can change a life forever. show less

NOTE: I read this via audio bookI was quite taken with this book - it was quite compelling, raw and intense. The book covers 5 teenagers from different places, with different issues (family, background, etc) who all end up prostituting themselves. I understand that the book was written in verse but there was a very 'novel' feel to the audio book - each voice was different for each character which was nice and added to each individual stories. Although some of the voices were less effective than others, I wasn't bothered by any of them too much. Each character comes to life at Hopkins' hands - they live, breath and elicit emotion from the reader as we follow their journey into prostitution. The material and circumstances of the book are show more harrowing, difficult to read and extremely thought provoking. I've continued to think about these characters and their stories after finishing the book which is always a great sign of a compelling read.This is an excellent YA book that I think all older teens (15 and older, in my opinion) should have the opportunity to read. It really gets to the heart of how just one choice (seemingly insignificant at the time) can result in a spiraling of events that can change a life forever. show less

NOTE: I read this via audio bookI was quite taken with this book - it was quite compelling, raw and intense. The book covers 5 teenagers from different places, with different issues (family, background, etc) who all end up prostituting themselves. I understand that the book was written in verse but there was a very 'novel' feel to the audio book - each voice was different for each character which was nice and added to each individual stories. Although some of the voices were less effective than others, I wasn't bothered by any of them too much. Each character comes to life at Hopkins' hands - they live, breath and elicit emotion from the reader as we follow their journey into prostitution. The material and circumstances of the book are show more harrowing, difficult to read and extremely thought provoking. I've continued to think about these characters and their stories after finishing the book which is always a great sign of a compelling read.This is an excellent YA book that I think all older teens (15 and older, in my opinion) should have the opportunity to read. It really gets to the heart of how just one choice (seemingly insignificant at the time) can result in a spiraling of events that can change a life forever. show less

This book is about five teenagers looking/finding love how i love you can mean different things to different people.
I(living in one of the top 5 cities of the sex industry) was very pleased with this book. The sex industry is out there and this book will help be more aware of whats around you.
Some people are forced, some look at it as a last option, and others just find their way into it. It also shows you the consequences of your actions.
This book is severely realistic to the point were it shook me to the core. Things that happened in this book happens in really life more than we realize. This is a huge problem and i think that everyone should read this book to know a little bit more about the industry.