Tricks

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

For those of you who've already read books by Ellen Hopkins, the fact that her newest one focuses on prostitution won't surprise you. For those of you not familiar, she's tackled topics like drug use, suicide, and incest--all exposing a human side to the horrors that teenagers often face.

Tricks is no different, and is my favorite of her books so far. If you think you'd never become a prostitute, think again: she gives us five normal teenagers that, due to extraordinary circumstances, end up forcing themselves to do things they themselves never thought they'd do.

There's Eden, a dutiful preacher's daughter who makes the mistake of falling in love; and Seth, who is kicked out of his house for being gay; and Whitney, who runs off with her boyfriend because her parents ignore her; and Cody, whose family is falling apart after his stepfather dies; and Ginger, whose mother make sure her odds are stacked against her from the beginning.

This book is gritty and intense, and it'll make you feel uncomfortable at times. I'd be worried if a book about teen prostitution didn't! But the characters will stay with you for a long time after you read it. Highly recommended.