Impulse

                      The book Impulse by Ellen Hopkins is about three different teenagers, who are put in a mental facility. They have all tried to kill themselves, but none were successful. The book takes place from all three points of view, and switches constantly. Like all of Hopkins books it is written in the form of a poem. All the characters have several problems and reasons for being in the facility. Tony tried to overdose on pills and kill himself. He is gay, and hasn’t been accepted. His boyfriend died, and his dad abandoned him as a little kid. His mother will do anything for money, including prostitution, and doesn’t care at all about Tony. He has been in the facility for about two weeks longer than Conner and Vanessa, who came on the same day. Conner shot himself, but it didn’t kill him. He appears like the perfect person, with the best life from the outside, but is really broken on the inside, where people can’t see. His family completely neglects him, and just care about what people think of them. They really just don’t care about him at all. Vanessa has always cut herself, but this time went so far as to almost cut her whole arm off. Her father is in Iraq. He mother died, partly because Vanessa refused to call 911, making it her fault.

I think Tony is by far the most interesting character. I think this because he is the character with the most history, and components to the reason he’s in the mental hospital. He clearly seems to be not only the most complex character, but also the most willing character. For example he obviously had the hardest life before trying to kill himself. Everyday he got made fun of for being gay. On top of that he had to deal with the death of his very serious boyfriend. Also, as I said earlier he was abandoned by his father, and neglected and mistreated by his mother. He was even sent to Juvey when he was little, but at the point I am in the book we don’t yet now why.

An example of how Tony is the most willing character is that he actually doesn’t seem to hate being in this facility. He participates in class, and during group and private therapy sessions. He is the only one of the three that isn’t talking about getting out as fast as he can, or trying to play the doctors. It seems like he’s well when he’s not. I think being here to him is better than being home, and he honestly wants to get better. This makes him the most willing, because he is the only one so far really trying to get better, and improve.

            I think all of these reasons overall makes him the most interesting character. He by far has the most history, and seems to have the most reason for being here. Not that there is a good reason to try and kill yourself, but if you were in each one of their shoes, Tony’s seem to be the worst. He also is the only character that really wants to get better, and who doesn’t absolutely hate being in the facility, like Conner and Vanessa. He not only is the most interesting character, but also just seems to be the best person. Seeing how he reacts to everything and his overall attitude, especially based on where he came from, he definitely seem like the best and most interesting character.