Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

Genre: Contemporary
Publishing year: 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: 3/5
Series: Companion to Triangles

Synopsis:
Witnessing the fallout from the poor choices their parents make and the lies adults tell themselves, three teens are clinging to the last remnants of the secure and familiar world in which they've grown up. But the ground is shifting. What was once clear is now confused. Everything is tilting.
Mikayla is sure she's found the love her parents seem to have lost, but is suddenly weighing nearly impossible choices in the wake of dashed expectations. Shane has come out, unwilling to lie anymore about who he is, but finds himself struggling to keep it all under control in the face of first love and a horrific loss. Harley, a good girl just seeking new experiences, never expects to hurtle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Review:
I don't feel that this book lives up to the standard set by Hopkins' other books. It just felt flat to me. Before reading Impulse, I could only remember one time I had cried over a book, and that book was A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. But Impulse and several books after it made me burst into tears.  Just not this one. At least part of my problem is that I couldn't connect with any of the characters.I honestly didn't like a single one aside from Alex, and he wasn't involved enough for me to grow attached.

The biggest issue is the number of narrators. In every other book by Hopkins we might have three to five main characters, it just depends. But it seems like every character in Tilt had a say. Mikayla, Dylan, Tyler, Shelby, Shane, Alex, Harley, Lucas, and a few others. While getting a peak into character's head was interesting it really made it hard to focus on the story. I felt myself getting turned around and confused several times and it became frustrating when I began mixing up the characters. Whose sister is that? Wait is this girl's parents the ones getting divorced or is it that other girl. By the end of the book my head was spinning off into space.

The only character I came close to liking was Shelby, but knowing her fate from the get go stopped me from becoming emotional over her narrations. Having already read Triangles, I knew most of the plot spoilers for this book already, but I did like getting into Mikayla's head. She seemed childish in the first book, and while I'm not ready to completely change my opinion of her, she did take a small step to redemption in the end.

Question: How many characters are too many?

After by Amy Efaw

Genre: Contemporary

Publishing year: 2009

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis:

What kind of mother could leave her baby to die in the trash? Not Devon Davenport, she’s a straight-A student and a remarkable soccer player. She tutors other students in Spanish and always does the right thing. Despite her stellar record, panic drives her to commit the horrible act of abandoning her child. Charged with attempted murder and placed in a juvenile detention center, she might be tried as an adult; if she is, she could be sentenced to life in prison. Does she deserve that punishment? She claims she didn’t realize she was pregnant, but can we believe her story? Was she buried in denial, unable to register the life growing inside her? Or was this a premeditated act? 

Review:

I’ve passed by this book several times but I’ve never picked it up for a closer look until now. A passing glance reveals a young woman leaning against a window or a glass wall with her face turned away. Looking closer I noticed her reflection differed from her actual appearance, and that the reflection was noticeably pregnant. Interest level increased dramatically.

The overall plot drew this story. Will they try Devon as an adult or a juvenile? Was she aware that she was pregnant? These two questions made me keep reading. The writing style of Auch with the sparse dialogue and choppy sentences irked my inner critic. I have been exploring my own creative writing for the past year and I have read untold amounts of articles and tips about publishing. The first sentence has to hook the reader. Below is the first sentence of After.

“The TV’s on, some lame morning show.”

There is nothing hooking about that sentence, and if I hadn’t read the blurb on the inside cover I wouldn’t have known anything about this story other than Devon is a rather boring character. Also with that first sentence, everyone sees that comma don’t they? Its placement is odd; in fact, it isn’t supposed to be there. That comma makes Microsoft Word recognize this sentence as a fragment, even though it isn’t. Take that comma out and the sentence is perfect. Sadly, that comma is still there no matter how much I wish it wasn’t. This is a typo, however minor, in the FIRST sentence. I have no more words on this subject.

I hated was the flashbacks. Oh the flashbacks. They were interspersed throughout the story and each disrupted the flow of the novel. The only one I found suitable was when she remembered the moment of the birth and her subsequent actions after it. 

The only other part of this book I feel is worth discussing is the ending. So, there be SPOILERS ahead!

Devon truly surprised me. I expected her to plead not guilty, and handle this like a fifteen-year-old child. When she faced her actions and admitted her guilt, I was impressed with Efaw’s ability to write about the growth of this character.  Seeing the relationship between Devon and her mother and understanding the effect her mother’s loose actions had on Devon growing up I can almost grasp how Devon was so far in denial. Almost. 

Dom, who was Devon’s defense attorney made it known that Devon had promised herself never to be like her mother. To never engage in sexual activity at an early age like her mother had, specifically so that she’d never be a teen mom. Devon is known to be a well-rounded individual and from the testimony of others mature beyond her years. I found it hard to believe that such a mature and determined girl would betray her own principals so easily. I wish Efaw had gone into more detail about the early days of Devon and Connor’s relationship. In addition, it would have been nice for Devon to give Connor’s last name. That poor guy didn’t even know he was a father. 

Question: Teen pregnancy is a volatile topic but with modern birth control is there any excuse for it? Excluding rape of course. I’m talking about creating life between consenting parties.