"Rumble" by Ellen Hopkins

I have heard great things about Ellen Hopkins' books and I was also fascinated by the fact that she writes entirely in verse. Rumble was the first book of hers that I read and I now see what the fuss is all about. It is the story of a teenage boy - Matt Turner - who is faced with a lot of difficult issues. His younger brother committed a suicide, his parents, whose marriage was always rocky, are on the brink of divorce, and his girlfriend, who has stood by him through the most difficult times, is starting to draw away from him as she immerses herself in her faith, youth group activities and church work. Matt himself is entirely disillusioned when it comes to religious beliefs. He feels there is no God, or else, what God would inflict such misery on His creation?

I thought Hopkins did a great job portraying the struggles of a teenager with such universal and timeless issues as one's purpose and meaning in life, morality, faith and relationships. Matt is a great character. He is smart, sarcastic and witty. He is also ridden with guilt, doubts and anger. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to check out Hopkins' other work.