Review: Tilt

Tilt
By Ellen Hopkins
Published 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

A companion to last year's adult novel Triangles, Hopkins tells the stories of three teenagers whose lives are connected by their parents and how those lives begin to change based on their parents' decisions.

I will read pretty much anything that Hopkins writes but I've found myself not necessarily loving the last couple of things I've read. While I found her first foray into adult literature (Triangles, review here) interesting, I didn't find it as compelling as her young adult books Somehow, this book slipped under my radar and I didn't know of it until I spotted it sitting on our shelves. I immediately checked it out, curious to see how the events of Triangles would read from a different set of perspectives. I found this to be a more successful book than its companion - I guess I just think that Hopkins writes teenagers more convincingly than adults. However, though I liked this better than her adult titles, I still found this book weaker when compared to her earlier novels. Part of the appeal of Hopkins is her willingness to tackle truly tough issues unflinchingly - and I feel like that's missing here. I don't know that she is covering any new territory with the issues at play in Tilt - and it makes the book less compelling. While her style still makes for a quick read, I didn't feel the sense of urgency that helps propel her other novels along. Perhaps part of this is due to my already knowing how the storylines for the characters play out, as they are peripherally seen in Triangles. I will still seek out and read each new publication from Hopkins, but I hope they start reading like her earlier novels again soon.