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Tricks

by Ellen Hopkins (Goodreads Author)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 13,402 ratings · 933 reviews

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love...more

Hardcover, 627 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (first published August 20th 2009)

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Apr 10, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nancy by: Thomas

Shelves: addiction, aids, child-abuse, prostitution, lgbt, kids-and-teens, made-me-cry, library-books, favorites

When I went to pick this book up at the library, I was surprised at how small and fat it was. Great, just what I need…a 600+ page book and hardly enough time to read. When I opened up the book and glanced at the first few pages, I was delighted and shocked the margins were so wide and there were no more than seven words per line. Then I thought, “wait a minute, this is freakin’ poetry!” Since I read so little poetry and never developed an appreciation for it, I left the library slightly disappoi...more When I went to pick this book up at the library, I was surprised at how small and fat it was. Great, just what I need…a 600+ page book and hardly enough time to read. When I opened up the book and glanced at the first few pages, I was delighted and shocked the margins were so wide and there were no more than seven words per line. Then I thought, “wait a minute, this is freakin’ poetry!” Since I read so little poetry and never developed an appreciation for it, I left the library slightly disappointed. Well, Tricks isn’t exactly poetry, but a novel written in verse. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down. Dishes were piling up, dust bunnies were fighting back, and I was late to work.

Tricks is a story about five deeply troubled teenagers, all from different areas, backgrounds, and family situations who end up falling into prostitution.

Each character has a story to tell. These stories are brief, and jump from one character to the next and back again. At the beginning, I was a little frustrated at how short their stories were and was afraid that I would not be able to distinguish one character from the next. It turns out there was no need to worry. Hopkins does a brilliant job of infusing her characters with life, personality and emotions. As I continued to read, and the characters’ situations became more harrowing, I found the stories very intense and was relieved there was some separation. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed the writing style. These stories told in verse allowed me to get into the minds and feelings of the characters without extraneous detail, and helped me feel a deeper connection with them.

Tricks broke my heart and made my stomach churn. The stories were gripping, painful, and honest. My own teenage years, painful memories, wrong choices, and difficulty with parents all came flooding back. I wish my own parents could have read a book like this, just to see how their own behavior and actions could irreparably damage a child’s life.
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Jan 24, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, ya

Wow! This book is memorizing and has completely blown me away. No review I am capable of writing would ever do it justice. I'm not sure whether it's Hopkins writing style or subject matter that shakes you to your core, or both, but either way, it's nothing short of spectacular and I know that days from now, I will still be thinking about this book. Well, perhaps haunted would be a better term.

By the title alone, you can deduce what awaits these characters, a life of teen prostitution, but what y...more Wow! This book is memorizing and has completely blown me away. No review I am capable of writing would ever do it justice. I'm not sure whether it's Hopkins writing style or subject matter that shakes you to your core, or both, but either way, it's nothing short of spectacular and I know that days from now, I will still be thinking about this book. Well, perhaps haunted would be a better term.

By the title alone, you can deduce what awaits these characters, a life of teen prostitution, but what you will not expect is the events and choices that will lead them there. It's enlightening and heartbreaking, it will make you cringe and it will make you cry, it will probably even make you thank your blessed stars that you were lucky enough not to suffer from the same fate, and wonder if you could have these characters brand of courage and determination. It is nothing short of amazing to see how something as simple as choosing to love someone can alter your life so completely, and not always for the better, even with the best of intentions. And it's terrifying to know what a guise love can be, and how easily people can play upon it.

Some of these characters make stupid choices, one's that you will scoff at, some make the only choices available to them, and more than one never had a choice at all. Some of these characters you will become endeared to from the start, one in particular will make you want to write him off (I thought Cody was a loser), but by the end, I found myself crying for Cody, though I disliked him tremendously. Why? Because no one deserves his fate. I suppose it was Hopkins's genius to throw in such a gray area as Cody.

This book is not an easy read, it’s vivid and graphic and deals with a very risqué subject matter but I would encourage everyone to read it, especially teens. I’m amazed this made YA standards, but thankful that it did, because teens are the very ones who should read this book. Parents, if you are reading this review, read this book with your teen. False beauty can hide ugliness, just as ugliness can hide beauty and you will be doing your child a tremendous injustice from hiding knowledge of either from them. It may prevent them and you from making monumental mistakes. I’m certain that Hopkins has brought hope and understanding to more than a few readers.
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Jul 27, 2010 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who don't shy away from disturbing and uncomfortable books

Recommended to Tatiana by: Heather, Ryan, Crystal

Shelves: 2010, verse, ya

"Tricks" was my second Hopkins' book. I read "Impulse" a while ago and remember devouring it in a matter of hours and loving it. I wish I felt the same way about "Tricks."

Hopkins has established herself as a crusader of tough teen issues - drug use, suicide, abuse. This book was no exception. The author approached teen prostitution head-on, not sugar-coating it and without unnecessary moralizing. I applaud Hopkins for that, not many authors have guts to touch this kind of subject. As for the nov...more "Tricks" was my second Hopkins' book. I read "Impulse" a while ago and remember devouring it in a matter of hours and loving it. I wish I felt the same way about "Tricks."

Hopkins has established herself as a crusader of tough teen issues - drug use, suicide, abuse. This book was no exception. The author approached teen prostitution head-on, not sugar-coating it and without unnecessary moralizing. I applaud Hopkins for that, not many authors have guts to touch this kind of subject. As for the novel itself, it left me cold.

First, I was (to my own surprise) extremely bored by the narration, so much so that I started contemplating to drop the book altogether. I might have felt this way because of the multitude of the POVs - too many switches, too little time to get attached to any character. Very often I found myself confused who was the narrator, the stories started to blend together.

I also thought the book was just too wordy, too drawn out when it didn't need to be (too much info about Cody's gambling problems, for instance) and too quick or superficial when some events needed to be explored deeper. I felt I needed more to understand what drove Eden to so easily give herself over to Jerome for a couple of strawberries or how Ginger took on stripping.

Some events in the book felt a bit too cliche or gimmicky - Lucas' reasons for breaking up with Whitney (because she was a virgin and not great in bed - really?) or Carl's transformation to an abusive sugar daddy in a matter of... minutes.

Long story short, too often I felt I was being emotionally manipulated rather than truly touched by the characters' plight. I read another "issue book" not so long ago - "Living Dead Girl." Alice felt real to me, I never truly believed in Seth, Cody, Whitney, and Eden, only Ginger and her story had some authenticity.

The story picked up significantly in the last 100 pages or so, once everybody hit the rock bottom. Those pages were great, gritty and disturbing and painful to read. But it took way too long to get there and by that point in the story I was already tired of the book.

Will I recommend this book? Absolutely, the subject of it is important and has to be brought to light. Is this the best written book about teen prostitution? I don't think so. (less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

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 tog...more 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 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. (less)

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Aug 27, 2009 Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone who's 13+

Shelves: five-stars, glbt, own-physical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Oh my god. So I got this book the first day it became available at the book store (yesterday), and I couldn't wait to read it. So I did. And it was AMAZING. Ellen Hopkins does it again in this beautifully written novel told in verse titled "Tricks". It is about five teenagers who each come from different backgrounds, some in the upper class, some in the lower class. Three girls, two boys. Four are straight, one is gay. But they all have one thing in common: they are all searching for acceptance,...more Oh my god. So I got this book the first day it became available at the book store (yesterday), and I couldn't wait to read it. So I did. And it was AMAZING. Ellen Hopkins does it again in this beautifully written novel told in verse titled "Tricks". It is about five teenagers who each come from different backgrounds, some in the upper class, some in the lower class. Three girls, two boys. Four are straight, one is gay. But they all have one thing in common: they are all searching for acceptance, love, freedom, and they will all do whatever it takes to survive, in the unrelenting cold, cold world they will each be a part of. By the way, the last paragraph of the review will contain *major* spoilers.

Eden Streit is an innocent girl. She really is. Her mother and father are both heavily religious folk, her dad being the lead priest of their local church, and her mom being the trophy wife that he's always proud to come home to. Eden and her sister Eve (get it?) are both obedient and never cause any trouble. But when a decent young man who is two years older than Eden, named Andrew, decides to come into Eden's life and sway her off her feet, her parents are not happy. In fact, they send Eden away so she can reform her sins. And Eden will do absolutely anything to get out of that horrible place. Anything.

Seth Parnell is an Indiana country farm boy. He lives with his father, and they are both living through a terrible loss. The loss of a wife, and a mother. Seth also has to deal with the fact that he's gay. So when Seth decides to act on his urges, he comes to face to face with a nice man named Loren. Everything seems good for a little bit, with Loren treating Seth out to musical theather and to eat at fancy dining, but good things never last. So when Seth is cast out on his own to survive, there is nothing much he can barter with... besides his body.

Whitney Lang is the epitome of popularity and beauty. Although she would probably be better off without her mom and sister, she still has her loving dad and caring boyfriend Lucas to come home to every day. But what happens when Whitney gives something away to Lucas, something precious that a girl must be careful with, and it turns out that Lucas dumps her because of it? Whitney makes a rash decision driven by teenage rebellion - a decision she will soon regret.

Ginger Cordell just might want to be a writer when she grows up. But it's hard to focus on that when she has to take care of her four brothers and sisters, escpecially when her mom is always out hooking up with strange men to pay the rent. She is sick of always being surrounded by the stench and disgusting feeling of sex, so she decides to run away with her friend. But this change of scenery will not be just any walk in the park.

Cody Bennett has a nice, civil family. He has a younger brother named Cory, a loving mom, and a stepfather named Jack. He pretty much is living the life. But when Jack suddenly passes away, his family is torn apart and sinks faster than the Titanic while hitting the iceberg. With his mom out of commision and a younger brother that gets sent to juvy, Cody has to find a way to pay the bills somehow, right?

Gahhh I loved this book. Seriously, it was just amazing... breathtaking. Hopkin's prose is beautiful, this book just made me want to read more even though at times I was absolutely disgusted. Like a car crash you can't look away from. Everything about this book, the characters, the plot, it was just so magnificent. *spoilers beyond here*

Eden's story was probably the "happiest one", I think she was the character that only got the happy ending. Seth's ending really sucked for me, he never even gets out of prostitution! That made me really sad and depressed. I really liked him. Whitney... she was okay, she had a nice ending too, although for most of the second half of the book she was too buzzed for me to really get deep into her character. I felt so bad for Ginger, and this may be a bad thing to say but Iris totally deserved to get HIV. I can't believe she would sell her own daughter's body! What kind of sick parent would do that to her own child!? And last but not least, Cody. I felt for him too, although it would've been nice to be able to see if he could resolve the issue about his sexuality.

FIVE STARS!!!(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Jamika Monroe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 60-book-challenge

Tricks is a riveting tale of the struggle between acceptance and survival. 3 girls and 2 guys must make life changing decisions in their quest to find peace, love and happiness.

Ive read only one of Ellen Hopkins books before (Impulse) and was blown away by it. Besides the fact that her books are written in prose, Hopkins brings out the purest, rawest part of the human condition. The story flows from bad to worse and even through all the horrible decisions and horrifying experiences, you can't h...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Rhyanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rhyanne Lynch
January 18,2012
Period 2

“Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins Review

How much of yourself are you truly willing to destroy in order to survive? And once you have made these decisions, will you ever be the same? After dwindling down to nothing, and realizing there is no one to save you, what would you do? Most could never imagine having to answer such drastic questions, but for five teenagers, these are questions they have asked themselves before.

In the novel “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, descript...more
Rhyanne Lynch
January 18,2012
Period 2

“Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins Review

How much of yourself are you truly willing to destroy in order to survive? And once you have made these decisions, will you ever be the same? After dwindling down to nothing, and realizing there is no one to save you, what would you do? Most could never imagine having to answer such drastic questions, but for five teenagers, these are questions they have asked themselves before.

In the novel “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, descriptive and realistic scenarios are portrayed about real life situations that teenagers are faced with everyday, regardless of whether others want to think so. Five young adults begin to understand the consequences of certain actions. Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody lead completely different lives, filled with all types of people, but somehow all end up with the same occupation: turning tricks. For a few, this was there own decision- wanting to leave their miserable life behind, while for others it was their only shot at survival.

Eden, a young preachers daughter is a poster child- sweet and understand, who has just found her first love. But, when her parents find out about her secret romance, she is immediately sent to an asylum for troubled teens. She feeling betrayed by everyone except the one she loves, does everything in her power to escape.

Seth was a seemingly ordinary teenage boy to the common eyes. But kept a secret hidden inside himself that not even he wanted to admit. Being gay was not something he wanted, espicially sense his mother had just died and his father would never forgive him- nor would God. All he wanted was acceptance, and realized he could only find it in men online.

Ginger, however, had an extremely hard upbringing. Having a drug addict as a mother, she was forced to raise her younger brothers and sisters with only the help of her grandmother. Until one day, one of her mothers “friends” rapes her and claims it was her mother who was the one selling her own daughter for drugs. She knew it was time to escape; with the help of her best friend/girlfriend Alex, the two runaway to Las Vegas,

Cody was a normal teenager until after coming home one day, to finds his step dad had stage four stomach cancer. Within a few weeks his idol was dead and all that were left in remembrance were medical bills. In an attempt to help with family finances, Cody begins to play online poker, and quickly becomes addicted. Realizing he is more in debit then before, he turns tricks in order to make fast cash.

Whitney, a rebellious teenager who had problems with her mother, met an older man at the mall who she seemingly fell “in love” with. After running away with him, Whitney begins to realize her lover is not the person who she though he was. Though by then he had addicted her to heroin, so it was not an issue when he would come and go, hit her, or sell her to men on the streets.

Life is full of things that one person could not expect for themselves, and for these unfortunate minors, their unexpected was unimaginable. Delineated through the eyes of a young individual, Ellen successfully creates situations in which there is no happy ending.
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Oct 25, 2010 Krista Ashe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-110-of-2010-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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view all 5 comments

Nothing As someone that has experienced much of what happened in the book, I have to agree. The detail was... intense, it was a very hard read for me, emotion...more
Feb 11, 2012 08:43am

Krista Ashe Oh God, I'm glad I didn't!! I think I read a summary of it and what happened to some of the characters. Hopkins is a powerful writer, but damn, is she...more
Feb 11, 2012 10:10am

Dec 17, 2009 noah herrera rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Tricks Book Review
Tricks is a story about five teenagers, two boys and 3 girls. Each one of them has problems. They are from different parts of the United States, but their stories all connect.
The first person mentioned in the book is Eden. Eden's family is extremely paranoid, strict and Religious. They don't let Eden do anything. They soon find out that Eden is dating a boy and they freak out and take away her privileges because she says she loves him. Her parents tell her that he doesn't lov...more Tricks Book Review
Tricks is a story about five teenagers, two boys and 3 girls. Each one of them has problems. They are from different parts of the United States, but their stories all connect.
The first person mentioned in the book is Eden. Eden's family is extremely paranoid, strict and Religious. They don't let Eden do anything. They soon find out that Eden is dating a boy and they freak out and take away her privileges because she says she loves him. Her parents tell her that he doesn't love her though.
The next character in the story is Seth. Seth is gay and works on a farm for his dad and has emotional issues about his mom dieing. His dad doesn't know it yet though. Seth isn't sure hes gay in the beginning but when he flashes back through certain memories he convinces himself. He is scared to tell his dad because he knows he would strongly disapprove. He ends up getting a boyfriend and goes to a gay bar for the first time and gets ditched. He has no way to get home and an old man takes him home. This is when Seth's part of the story starts going down hill.
Whitney has a hard life of living up to her older sisters standards. She is always trying to get the light shinned on her by her mom but she never pays attention to her. She meets a boy named Lucas who starts getting her into a bunch of bad trouble. She loves Lucas but when she tells him he doesn't really say anything back. He starts her on cocaine and later has sex with her. He leaves her and tells her he only wanted to have sex with her because she was a virgin. She gets drunk and takes of with a stranger.
Cody lives in Las Vegas with his mom dad and brother. Cody gambles alot and makes alot of money. He hooks up with a girl named Veronica and they get at it really fast. Cody thinks everything is going good for him then his dad dies and they lose their source of income. they start loosing money and Cody thinks gambling will bring it back, but he just keeps wasting money away and doesn't know when to stop. His little brother Cory gets arrested for abusing a woman while trying to rob her house. When everything was going good for him his luck goes away and things keep getting worse.
Ginger is from a broken family. She has no father and her mother is a hooker and a drug addict. She really doesn't like her mother and is always trying to get away from her. They are tight on money with a bunch of little sisters. Her mother starts selling Ginger for sex to make money and doesn't tell Ginger about it. She gets raped by the two people so far wo pay her mother to have sex with her. Ginger doesn't know what to do because she cant tell anyone because they wont believe her. She ends up running away with a girl named Alex to become strippers.
You can predict how each of these kids stories all connect in the end and how they all become prostitutes. They are all unsure about life and need money to survive.
I didn't like this book. I didn't like how it was written and how there were five different stories going on at once. It get confusing and I forget which character is which. I kept getting mixed up with Eden and Whitney. I probably would have liked this book a little if it was just one person's story, but still I still wouldn't like it because it already tells you that each character becomes a prostitute. I think this book was just boring and there wasn't very much intensiveness.(less)

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Nov 20, 2009 erinbobarin94 rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I finished this book in two days! This is about five teens from different parts of the US who all end up selling themselves to survive. Most of the book is dedicated to showing how they end up in that situation. Eden is the daughter of a devout pastor and is forbidden to date until she is ready to marry. She falls in love with a boy named Andrew, so they are forced to keep their time together secret. When he parents find out, Eden is sent to a Christian rehabilitation camp in Nevada and becomes...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Eva Leger rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Hopkins fans

Recommended to Eva by: I like Hopkins' other books

Shelves: b-fiction, y-a, poetry-or-verse

I'm a little biased here so this will be short. My favorite books by Ellen Hopkins, by far, are her Kristina books. Those, in my opinion, far surpass anything else I've read by her, including this.
I don't mean to say this isn't good - it's great. I'd definitely go higher than the four stars if I could do a half but it's just shy of the five star rating for me.
Hopkin's manages to intertwine five different teenagers lives, all very different lives at that, and connect them together in the way she...more

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Dec 06, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three words; heartbreaking, depressing & nightmare

I had a really hard time getting through this book. Not because it was poorly written, but because it was heart-wrenching. I was disgusted, I was appalled, I was depressed.

I couldn't definitely feel a emotional change in myself the week I read this book. It took me a long time to want to read something again... and I just wanted something light and fluffy.

Hopkins is a powerful writer and I give her kudos for writing about these issues, I know...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Stephanie Reiner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Have you ever had to make a decision, that would change your life and the lives of your loved ones? Have you ever been in a situation, where you feel everything and everyone is against you? Well, this is what these five teenagers are facing. Ellen Hopkins' novel, Tricks, explores the lives of five troubled teenagers in such a powerful way, it will leave you shocked for many days to come.

Eden Streit is a girl, who is forced to live the way her parents want her to live. Her parents are against dat...more Have you ever had to make a decision, that would change your life and the lives of your loved ones? Have you ever been in a situation, where you feel everything and everyone is against you? Well, this is what these five teenagers are facing. Ellen Hopkins' novel, Tricks, explores the lives of five troubled teenagers in such a powerful way, it will leave you shocked for many days to come.

Eden Streit is a girl, who is forced to live the way her parents want her to live. Her parents are against dating and love, and when they find out their daughter was with a guy named Andrew. She is forced to live at Tears of Zion ( a place for corrupted teenagers ).
Seth Parnell is gay and he struggles everyday to keep that a secret from his father. When the truth is out, Seth's father can not except it and forces him to live on his own. Now Seth has to make a decision that will change his life forever.
Whitney Lang is a popular girl. She is used to having things she wants, but not the attention she desires. When she hooks up with a popular guy, she is very happy, but when the relationship ends, she is left with anger. That anger drives her in a rebellious direction, that she will soon regret.
Ginger Cordell's life has always been filled with drugs. Her mother has six kids, with five different fathers. The only person she truly cares for is her grand-mother, but when things get really hard, Ginger can't take it anymore. She decides on running away with her friend.
Cody Bennet's life was a good one, until his step-father died and everything changed. Now he has to take care of his brother Cory and his mother. Money was a big problem and the only option Cody could see was gambling.

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Their moving stories remain seperate at first, but then interweave to a tell a larger, powerful story. A story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. Will they find the little light that is left in their souls? Or will they surrender to the darkness, that is the devil.

Ellen Hopkins has put light in some very challenging subjects. There are lots of twists and turns throughout the book, that leave you wanting more. This is a book for those who enjoy their poetry, but it is very revealing on many topics, that may not be so suitable for younger readers. Overall, Tricks is a great read. (less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Iliana Medrano rated it 5 of 5 stars

Five teenagers from different parts of the country all learn what the true meaning between love and sex is. Under all their different circumstances but with the same goal in mind, to survive. Eden's parents are very orthodox Christian and are on her like a hawk. Once she finds a boyfriend through her dad's church her parents send her away to Tears of Zion, a deserted place for the 'possessed'. Eden's only incentive to get back if her boyfriend, Andrew, no matter the circumstances. Ginger's mothe...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hopkins is categorically intense. She is one of the few authors that are brave enough to recognize the challenges of teenage life, including love and what it can make us do.

Tricks is about five teenagers, each struggling against their circumstances and trying to find love. Unfortunately for them, their lives are filled with people that want to abuse and take advantage of them and their innocence and naivety. Eden is the preacher's daughter who finds the perfect boy, but is forced to sneak behin...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Bookmarked27 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone, however there is a lot of VERY Mature content.

Shelves: drugs-or-abuse, favorites

Tricks shines light onto such an unfortunate subject however, the light Ellen Hopkins shined, is absolutely extraordinary! Tricks shows the distorted tale of five teens: Eden, a minister's daughter who has fallen madly in love with her boyfriend Andrew, and now must suffer the consequences. Seth, who is having trouble juggling his two lives, and the different sexuality in them. Whitney, an outcast in her own family, looking for the attention and affection that her mother and sister has so many t...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Olof Eggertsdottir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Olof by: Friend

Shelves: book-club-book

Read Tricks by Ellen Hopkins for my book club. It was good. Nothing eyeopening really. As a therapist this is not new news that kids from all walks of life can end up in prostitution and that it all doesn´t look the same. Both boys and girls get sucked into the industry and most of the time out of shame or necessity. I guess I´m just a little jaded. Nothing in this book brought me to tears like others have said in their reviews but I guess I have heard some horrific stories in my profession and...more

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May 23, 2012 Maddie Flade rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-356

Tricks is the story of five teens, all with different stories, but who all struggle with similar issues. They have different twists in their lives, and the reader finds more and more details as the story goes on, which helps to create understanding for why these teens are dealing with the problems that have arisen in their lives. These problems range anywhere from unrequited love, sex, looking for love from the wrong people, drinking, drugs, gambling, etc. Some of the teens lives intertwine in a...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Natasha Larry rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I read the last page of this book I sort of stared off into space… heartbroken. First, I’ll say that this book was dirty, offensive and mostly devoid of hope. As it should be. It’s about teens; girls and boys as young as fifteen years old. They are ripped away from their homes and forced into prostitution for some reason or another.
The first half of the book is about falling in love, or falling in love with the idea of falling in love. There is the joy of the first time we read about throu...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teenagers who are mature enough to handle the subject matter

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Nov 14, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone, as long as they're not afraid to see the dark side of life.

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This. was. AMAZING.
Personally, the whole back-and-forth between characters thing has never really appealed to me...it's one of the reasons I never really got through The Prophecy. But in this case, it was used really well. I mean, each character had such an emotionally intense story, and switching between them just helped to keep me on the edge of my seat. There were a few times when I cheated to get to a particular character's story, but I soon stopped doing this, particularly when I realized...more

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Nov 05, 2011 KacieJoEh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tricks is about five teenagers who are trying to find acceptance in the world they live in. Although each one comes from a different background and home life, they all end up being caught up in the evils of prostitution. Ellen Hopkins writes in her signature poetry format, individually telling each character's separate story by showing the tough choices and issues each teenager goes through. The consequences and situations they find themselves trapped in are extreme and opens the readers to the...more

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May 28, 2011 tabitha good rated it 5 of 5 stars

Something about this book... I couldn't decide whether or not I loved it. I couldn't really figure out whether or not I liked the overall story. Books usually give me a certain feeling, depending on the story itself, of course, the meaning, the depth of it, etc. This isn't to say the book wasn't written well. I've decided though, after much thought, that this book is AMAZING! What I didn't like was horrible feeling the brutal honesty and images the book gave out. BUT! I respect that. It gave a c...more

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May 24, 2011 Olivia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tricks is a novel with 6 different, very contrasting characters with extremely different lives and stories. Each characters stories is reflected in a couple pages and then it is switched to the next character. It continues in this rotation of 6 story lines for the entire book. Obviously, this book is hard to follow alon with because of the conflicting and alternating story lines. However, the content of the book is amazing and extremely entertaining. Each story is about a different characters in...more

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May 24, 2011 Morgan Watson added it

“But if they had the ability to split me open, look deep inside; they would know the mask that appears to be my face is painted over the real me, smoke and mirrors, an illusion.” This would be my favorite quote from this book because it describes me in so many ways. This book made me to realize that there are more important things in life than being popular, going out with the hottest guy, and doing what ever it takes to be number one. I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles in life,...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Diane Morasco rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, my-library, review-copy, ya, gritty, raw

Tricks emotionally siphoned me beyond the point of sheer exhaustion. Once again, Hopkins delivers the goods by fearlessly seizing a tenebrous societal problem. Hopkins doesn't just illuminate the sabulous side of teen prostitution, she amplifies, humanizes & intensifies like the beacon of brilliance emanating from the Great White Way!

Tricks is a disturbingly heartbreaking novel that showcases just why Hopkins is the sovereign virtuoso when it comes to navigating the literary sphere.

Tricks is...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: becky-s-books

I was so hesitant to read this book and even picked it up and put it down several times while perusing my cousin's book shelf. I'm a superficial book browser and flipping through such a hefty book and seeing only poetry really invoked my "put back immediately" reflexes. Upon a few convincing tries by Becky, and a lack of other reading material, I started it.

The poetry format is scary at first but once you begin the "novel" it flows beautifully and is neither interrupted by format or the charact...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Hannah Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-9-weeks

I loved this book it gave me an entire new insight to how people feel about the things they do in life. This story is about 5 kids who all have different stories Ginger has a drug mother who doesn't care about having a daughter other then that she can use her daughter for her "friends" to enjoy. Whitney is a girl who has a okay life but just doesn't fit very well in it she finds out tht she is more interested in girls and particularly a girl named Alex. Seth is a farm boy who simply is gay no do...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Laura Pratz rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://thecoverreviews.blogspot.com/

Plot:
Tricks is told from five different points of view.

Eden has parents that are extremely religious, so much that she can't date until she's ready to marry. When she falls in love with Andrew, and her parents find out, she is sent off to a brutal religious facility in the middle of nowhere that is supposed to put her back on the right path to God. There, she is isolated, fed minimal amounts of food, and is never allowed outside of her little room.

Seth is gay...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Lydia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Personally I do like this book. It really reminds us to make the right choices as teenager. This book is all about drugs, violence, and really, if you think about it, these events in the book do happen in real life. I have read news about teenagers getting caught doing these things and in the end no one can stop them. It's up to them to make the right choices whether or not to stay in school. The only things I do not like about this book is how sometimes the author goes too in depth of innapropr...more

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About Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkin...more

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Trivia About Tricks

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Quotes from Tricks

“Some people
Never find the right kind of love
you know, the kind that steals
your breath away.
Like diving into a snowmelt.
The kind that jolts your heart,
sets it beating apace.
An anxious hiccuping of hummingbirds wings.
The kind that makes every terrible minute apart feel like hours.
Days.
Years.
Some people flit from one insane possibility to the next.
Never experincing the connection of two people.
rocked by destiny.
Never knowing what it means to love someone else,
more than themselves.
More than life itself, or the promise of something better.
Beyond this world,
More even (forgive me!) than god.
Lucky me, I found the right kind of love.
With the wrong person.” — 401 people liked it

“Eyes Tell Stories
But do they know how
to craft fiction? Do
they know how to spin
lies?
His eyes swear forever,
flatter with vows of only
me. But are they empty
promises?
I stare into his eyes, as
into a crystal ball, but
I cannot find forever,
only
movies of yesterday,
a sketchbook of today,
dreams of a shared
tomorrow.
His eyes whisper secrets.
But are they truths or fairy tales?
I wonder if even he
knows.” — 114 people liked it

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