Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Rating:
Characters: 19/20
Plot: 16/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 19/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 93/100 or A
Tricks is a story of five teens that find them in a place that they never though that would be. Each characters comes from a different background and had their own journey there. Their stories are all intertwined and create a large story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. 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 you" are said for all the wrong reasons.
Tricks is a powerful book. The characters are like those that I know. I related to aspects from pretty much every character. They were definitely three dimensional. I cheered for their them and cried for all of their sadness. I felt that the plot moved a bit too slow for some of the characters and was resolved rather quickly. It was a original look on teen prostitution and how people get in to it. I love how Hopkins makes sure to keep the story real and edgy. Hopkins created a wonderful book that I think that you should check it out. At the end, you will be thinking "What if this happened to me?" and will want to read more.