November 02, 2011

Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Triangles
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Pages: 544
Source: Hardcover/Library

In this first adult novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the unforgettable Crank trilogy, three female friends face midlife crises in a no holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life. 

Ellen Hopkins has made her mark as the wildly popular author of several novels for young adults—every one of them a New York Times bestseller, and every one a hard-hitting exploration of tough-to-tackle topics. Now, in Triangles, Hopkins brings her storytelling mastery and fearlessness to take on the challenges of adult dramas.

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.

Review: Please keep in mind this is an adult novel. As I said in my review policy I do read one once in a while so this would be that once in a while. So if your under 18 and would prefer not to keep reading then please do so. Now on to the review.

Omg! Wow! Ok, I wanna start with Marissa. I felt so bad for her. She was dealing with her son being gay and any worries that come with that (like who he's dating etc) and on top of that her terminally ill baby girl. Meanwhile her husband seemed to care less about any of it. I felt so bad for her. She struggled so much with being a good mom, taking care of her kids and trying to hold everything together when everything around her was just falling apart. I wouldn't be able to imagine being in her shoes! I'd struggle twice as hard as she did if I was her. I admire her so much because she tried so hard to be strong and her strength at certain points was amazing! Also, at the end when her marriage seemed to just completely fall apart she still tried to give her husband a chance to fix it even though she was heartbroken. I honestly wouldn't have if I was in her shoes after what he did.

Andrea... first of all, being a single mom. That's always hard. I also admire her for being such a good mom to Harley even though she was struggling with the fact that she could never find a guy that would stay. Even when she was down about that she was still an amazing mom and that is very admirable. She also tried to be the best sister and friend she could be. It must have been hard on Andrea in some ways also knowing that your niece is terminally ill. It was also hard for her to be a good friend to Holly. Holly did so many things that Andrea highly disapproved of but she still tried to be a good friend. Wow! Also, she had to deal with many ex's. That in itself is a pain.

Holly... I'm mixed on her. She got bored and unhappy in her marriage. In some ways I understand why she went out and did things outside her marriage but then again I also think it was seriously bad. I understand her going out looking for what she wasn't getting at home because she was that unhappy and bored. On the flip side, if I was her and I had an amazing guy like Jace I would never have done any of that. He supported her and their kids, tried really hard to make Holly happy, was a good husband and dad but nothing ever seemed to please her. I wouldn't have done anything like what Holly did to Jace. I would kill for a relationship that could last as long as theirs did and be with a guy that still wanted to be with me after that long. Also, Holly was adopted, so I felt for her when she reached out with the help of her daughter to find her parents. Even though Jace didn't support it I did because if I was adopted I would want to do the same thing.

Overall I thought it was a great book!