Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

29 reviews

morainjay's review

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

tspice24's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

bookishchaos's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

First read by Ellen Hopkins and I'm impressed. The unique format of the writing was different and I loved the way she wrote these characters. Sometimes the story got a little slow but it held my interest all the way through and started to speed up halfway. The ending was so unexpected and emotional, not at all how I thought it would end. I'm looking forward to checking out her other books!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Pedophilia and Abortion

Minor: Drug abuse, Violence, and Religious bigotry

jordan_tanes's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pedophilia and Violence

dippermfpines's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

b00ks_d0gs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was actually enjoying this book until the weird relationship with the main characters. Not my vibe. Also there were some things said in the book I didn’t particularly agree with but you can’t agree with everything in a book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

ireneac's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

brunoshort's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Of all the Ellen Hopkins books I’ve read, this one affected me the least. I saw the ending coming so it wasn’t a surprise. The characters have similar traumas even though they’re from very different backgrounds and families. Only three of the characters have their stories fully told and I really only liked 1 of them. The other two were okay but pretty flat considering the intensity of the subject matter and their backgrounds. The biggest WTF? The final challenge patients go through to get out of the institution. It wasn’t thought out very well considering their demographic. I’ll just leave it at that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Murder

beccam22's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Read this if you like:
🥀🖤 Dark truthful stories
👪👯‍♀️ Found Family


🛑Please read triggers warnings ⚠️

Ellen Hopkins is known for beautiful dark stories and this is nothing less than that. Written in verse, so much is said and conveyed with the lest amount of words and it cuts deep.  Three teenagers go through a treatment program after attempting suicide, each for their own reasons and their own way. They find friendship and love and what is love.

These can be possible spoilers but I feel like it’s needed for some people in depth the possible triggers are: 
 There are detailed descriptions of self harm and suicidal thoughts. All main characters did attempt suicide and it is described in the very beginning how each of them attempted. There is detailed adult/minor relationships as well as rape and grooming. Can be considered forced institutionalization since all main characters are minors and family is requiring them to attend the treatment center. There is a character with bipolar and family history of bipolar, the history does go in depth and how it effected them growing up. There is a character who has an abortion and the guilt from it. There are absent parents, both military and simply leaving for a better life. There are parents who expect perfection and the pressure that comes with that. There is a successful suicide. Please do not read this if you are not in a good head space. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

These can be possible spoilers but I feel like it’s needed for some people in depth the possible triggers are: There are detailed descriptions of self harm and suicidal thoughts. All main characters did attempt suicide and it is described in the very beginning how each of them attempted. There is detailed adult/minor relationships as well as rape and grooming. Can be considered forced institutionalization since all main characters are minors and family is requiring them to attend the treatment center. There is a character with bipolar and family history of bipolar, the history does go in depth and how it effected them growing up. There is a character who has an abortion and the guilt from it. There are absent parents, both military and simply leaving for a better life. There are parents who expect perfection and the pressure that comes with that. There is a successful suicide. Please do not read this if you are not in a good head space.

urmom456's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The characters in this book are the products of their mental illnesses and trauma. They have no personalities, their personalities are their disorder/truama.

The one gay character is “fixed” by “turning straight” which I find disgusting. And as my review on Goodreads says, this is basically ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’ but instead it’s ‘If You Put a Suicidal Teenager on Top of a Cliff’.

Absolutely hated it, there was hardly any actual plot. No wonder it took me 4 years to even finish it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail