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"That's what he said
Follow me, and find
The meaning of love
In my bed.

I followed,

Found sheets cold
As death. Neither of us
Could warm them,
Not me, not

Him.

Not a maelstrom
Of body heat so intense
It felt like fever. After
We slept, chilled.

He tossed

And turned, lost
In some obnoxious
Dream. And when we
Woke, he ordered me

Away."


*trigger warning for rape, depression.

Tricks is, in true Ellen Hopkins fashion, a tough book to read. It follows five young teenagers as they explore sex for the first time and their eventual downfall into prostitution. Each story in unique in that the characters have different motivations, feelings, sexual orientation, and views of love. This book gets progressively harder to read the further you get into it. I had to put it down a few times and focus on something more uplifting. Hopkins captures the desperation and bleakness of each situation with intense clarity.

I first read this book sound 7 years ago and rates in a four star, however I am changing my review to 5 stars. I don't think I fully understood and grasped the point of the novel.

Overall, Tricks is not for the faint of heart. It deals with teenage prostitution in harsh light and will most definitely leave you feeling disgusted.