Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

For my psychology class I read a book called Impulse by Ellen Hopkins. This book was about three main characters--Conner, Tony, and Vanessa--that each share a different background yet become friends. In the beginning of we learn about each characters' problems and what brings them to Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted suicide. By the end of the book--which is a period of 6 to 7 weeks of treatment--these three characters all become friends, and their lives are forever changed because of their new friendships.

Conner is a preppy athletic boy who seems to have it all: All that is except for love. His parents push him to his limits. They compare him to his tiwn sister, Cara. They expect the very best from him and there's no room for failure. Conner becomes overwhelmed and can't take it much longer. He decides to end his life by putting a gun to his chest and pulling the trigger; however, he fails in his attempt and is put into treatment at Aspen Springs where he tries to learn how to deal with his depression.

Tony has always lived without love and support. "I had nothing to lose." His mother went from man to man just so she could have a supplier at all times. One of her boyfriends sexually assaults Tony at the age of eight. He tries to inform his mother but she refuses to believe his "lies" and he is left to defend for himself. Because his mother refused to believe him he ends up killing the man which lands him in juvenile detention for about six years. After leaving the juvenile detetion facility he decides he will not live with his mother and her new boyfriend, so he lives on the streets. He becomes obsessed with drugs and does whatever he can to get more. He believes that he is gay because of his actions while living on the streets. After trying to commit suicide his father, who abandoned him at a young age, puts him into Aspen Springs. He starts to build a relationship with his father that he thought would never be possible and falls in love with a girl by the name of Vanessa.

Vanessa only feels a sense of release when she cuts. She becomes free and can stay away from the "blue." After attempting suicide, by cutting her wrist, her grandmother has sent her to Aspen Springs. She is taking medication for her depression; however, the medication is making her feel even more depressed. While in treatment she decides she will not tell her therapist that her own mother suffered from bipolar disorder (BPD) and schizophrenia. BPD is genetic; therefore, her antidepressant medication was causing her to feel even more depressed. Finally her grandmother informs her therapist about her mother and they prescribe her lithium. This drug makes her very sick at first and she doesn't want to take it; however, she sticks it out and finally feels like the "blue" is gone. At the end of the book she falls in love with Tony and knows what it's like to finally be loved.

These three characters all came from different backgrounds and had different stories. Yet they still crossed paths and became friends. I will be discussing some of the abnormal behaviors described in this book.