Impulse

Impulse is a verse novel by Ellen Hopkins, centering around main protagonists Vanessa, Conner and Tony. All three meet at Aspen Springs, a Residential Treatment Center for minors. The whole novel follows their stay at the center for approximately one year, also serving out flashbacks from the perspective of each of the characters to show what led to their suicide attempts, and, ultimately, how they got there.

Not related to a Digital Distribution service known as Impulse that sells videogames, or the DC Comics hero named Impulse.


 * Always Second Best: Conner to his twin sister in the eyes of his parents. Also seemed he was beginning to take this view of himself compared to his sister, too...
 * Bi the Way:
 * Bittersweet Ending:
 * Complete Monster: Tony's mom, all the way. Her massive jerkfest is what made his father leave in the first place before he was born. Just for a taste, she tells her eight-year-old son . The nicest things she has done in her life seem to be stopping by for a few brief moments to pick Tony up from juvie, and kicking Tony out for no apparent reason simply because this means he won't be near her anymore. Turns out, she didn't even show the least bit of interest when she found out her son tried to kill himself.   At one point, Tony even wonders how he made it through infancy.
 * Actually, Tony mentions in the narrative that
 * Driven to Suicide: What got each of the main characters into Aspen Springs. In the end
 * Lonely Rich Kid: Conner.
 * Missing Mom: Vanessa's mother.
 * Rape As Backstory: Both  and   had very crappy examples happen to them during their childhoods.   is the rare female-male example, taken seriously.
 * Double Standard Rape (Male On Male): Subverted.
 * Rape Is Love: Becomes extremely depressing in  is the only one who views it as this. It's strongly implied that he only views it as love because he is so utterly unloved by both of his parents, particularly his mother. Even goes so far as him being jealous of   real boyfriend, and attempting a PG Murder the Hypotenuse by telling said hypotenuse about their earth-shattering love. It doesn't go so well. Also, he blames himself for her subsequent suicide, even going as far as to say that he killed someone when he finally explains it all.
 * Rape Is Ok When It Is Female On Male: Subverted.
 * Rape and Switch:  At the same time, subverted because   is, in fact, told there is absolutely NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that this trope can even happen by his therapist, and that no one knows what EXACTLY influences sexual preference.
 * Self -Harm: Vanessa.
 * Straight Gay: Tony.
 * Unable to Cry: