Rumble

June 16, 2014
Hopkins again tackles hot-button subjects through free verse, taking on cyberbullying, censorship, the role of religion, and the difficulties of veterans returning from war. At the center of her overstuffed but well-constructed story is smart, opinionated 18-year-old Matt, who is struggling with anger and a disintegrating family following the suicide of his gay younger brother, Luke. Matt leans on his girlfriend, Hayden, for support, while raging against her religion and the evangelical Christians whose bullying he blames for Luke’s death. When Hayden’s father tries to get the school board to remove copies of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Matt counters that “Maybe if the kids who drove over the brink had read the right books, they would’ve understood that being gay doesn’t make you bad or even different.” A violent twist very late in the story leaves Matt with new, life-altering challenges—something that he makes peace with rather suddenly, given the circumstances. Still, Hopkins expertly documents Matt’s increasing ability to accept and love others in his life, and eventually himself. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

July 1, 2014
Almost six months after his younger brother's suicide, a high school senior slogs through tangled resentment and guilt.Matt's world has never been rich with happiness, what with his cold parents who retreat "to their separate alcohol-soaked / corners." Dad bitterly rues the one-night stand that created Matt and forced the marriage; their house "is a sponge, / absorbing regret until it can hold / no more and disillusionment drips // through the bloated pores." Now Matt shoulders his own crushing regret. Luke was three years younger-Matt should have protected him from the homophobic and religious bullies; he should have told adults how depressed Luke was, even sneaking Mom's Prozac, which can be dangerous for teens. He definitely shouldn't have been distracted by his girlfriend on Luke's last, desperate day. Now that very girlfriend seems to be "trading [Matt] in // for Jesus." The sturdy, fast-reading free-verse poems-which sometimes shift into elegance-give a heavy sense of Matt's anger and discomfort, as well as how he vacillates between decency and churlishness. Themes of combat-induced PTSD, Christian fundamentalist bigotry, forgiveness, and foreshadowed violence integrate deftly. The climax surprises in the best way. Brief but explicit acknowledgement of the It Gets Better campaign (and why it didn't help Luke) grounds the contemporary setting.Readers devour Hopkins regardless, but this is strong and worthy. (Verse fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Matt's gay brother Luke committed suicide because he couldn't take the bullying any more. Matt blames everyone for his brother's death: his friends, his dysfunctional parents, and the middle school teachers and counselors who did nothing to halt the torment Luke experienced daily. The protagonist's temper is perpetually balanced on a knife's edge, and it takes very little to push him into a rage. Matt's only peace comes when he is with his girlfriend, Hayden. However, she seems to be pulling away to spend more time with God and her youth group, many members of whom were Luke's worst bullies. Matt has no faith in an imaginary deity and no forgiveness for those who used their theology to justify their abuse of his brother. His hatred is eating him up inside, but he can't let it go or he'll have to confront the real reason for his anger. Hopkins's latest novel in verse is timely and poignant. Matt is a wonderfully faceted character that readers will alternately sympathize with and dislike. His actions are directly related to his emotional turmoil, and teens will understand his pain and admire his intellect, even while shaking their heads over his actions. The work doesn't gloss over uncomfortable or difficult topics. Hopkins's realistic, truthful approach to bullying, religion, and homosexuality make this a powerful story for even the most reluctant readers.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 Hopkins' wildly popular novels in verse have covered a wide range of topics, from drug abuse to eating disorders. Here she focuses on faith, through the voice of cynical high-school senior Matthew Turner, whose gay younger brother was bullied into suicide. As the marriage of his alcoholic parents dissolves, Matt turns to his beautiful and very religious girlfriend, Hayden, but finds her pulling away, drawn to her church youth group's dynamic young minister. Secondary characters and plot elements bring in the hot topic of gun control, and the violent climax returns the focus to faith and spirituality. Though set in a small, rural Oregon town, Hopkins' novel taps into common themes of contemporary teen life, with dialogue and details that will speak to teens everywhere. The resolution is tidy and hurried, but Hopkins' many fans won't complain, finding catharsis and comfort in her portrayal of teens facing and surviving myriad societal problems. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Fans wait eagerly for the next Hopkins book, and this one will be no exception.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)