"Collateral" by Ellen Hopkins

Is it even fair to review anything by Ellen Hopkins at this point?  Yes, I am going to love it!  And yes, I loved Collateral!  Ashley never intended to fall in love with a Marine, but when she met Cole her life changed.  Told from Ashley's point of view (with the occasional poem written by Cole) the novel jumps back and forth from present day to events in Ashley's past.  I found this method to be very interesting.  We never got to see Cole's point of view, just how Ashley remembers events both with and without Cole present (possible sequel idea- Cole's POV?).  In a way it was strange to read one of Hopkins' books that only has one character point of view (haven't seen that since Glass) but it was nice too especially considering that she used the method of jumping back and forth in time to tell the story.

I've noticed that there seem to be more and more military related books being released (and this makes sense, given that it is a very real scenario for so many Americans at this time) but this is the first one that has really grabbed my attention.  I don't want to reveal anything, but I did like how Hopkins structured the story and how it resolved (and I would have to say, this is one of the happier endings I have seen come out of Hopkins).  I wouldn't say that anything in this novel particularly shocked or surprised me but I never felt like the story felt boring either.  It was a very engaging read that I certainly would like to read again one day.  So if you are a fan of novels in verse or interested in the military related genre, pick this book up- it is worth your time!




Happy Reading!
-Melly