Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

This novel was… different from Ellen Hopkins’ new books. This is Hopkins’ first adult novel and you can definitely tell by the various subplots (when reading) that she has gone deep into the world of adult literature. Though Triangles is a story told through poems, like Ellen’s YA books, I don’t think that all teenagers should read it. Triangles covers a lot of sexual topics that I know most teens won’t be comfortable with. I’m comfortable with most books that have sexual content in it, but even while reading this, I felt way out of my comfort zone. So fair warning to the kid/teen crowd, you might want to rethink reading Triangles.

That aside, I really liked it. I think that Ellen Hopkins was really brave in trying out a new genre and I hope that this book will have the same amount of success that her YA books have had. This novel explores not only love and sex, but it also dives deeper into the meanings of friendship, codependence, and what it means to be happy.I liked how intertwined the lives of the three middle-aged women were. It helped me piece together the story more to really see what was going on.

Though Ellen Hopkins’ hit an area outside my comfort zone, I did like Triangles. It was written well and the story was genuinely interesting.  I don’t recommend this book if you get uncomfortable easily in novels, or if you have a problem with books that have graphic sexual content.

FTC- Publisher.