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Series · young_adult

Impulse

by Ellen Hopkins

The Impulse series by Ellen Hopkins has 2 known books (2 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Impulse (2007).

Books
2 known books (2 novels)
Published
2
First published
2007
Status
completed
Shelved under
Young Adult
Start here: Impulse (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Impulse
Impulse (2007)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Impulse

    Novel
    Ellen Hopkins's 2007 verse novel Impulse, at 672 pages, tells the intertwined story of three teenagers who meet at the psychiatric hospital Aspen Springs -- Vanessa, a cutter; Tony, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse; and Conner, a golden boy hiding a darker home life -- from all three perspectives.
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  2. Perfect

    Novel
    Perfect, its 622-page companion novel published in 2011, steps outside the hospital to follow Conner's twin sister Cara and three friends, each chasing an impossible idea of perfection that's quietly destroying them.
    View book

Key facts about the Impulse series

Our list has 2 books in the Impulse series. Since all 2 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Impulse, since it opens the publication order in 2007. Perfect is book 2, from 2011.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2007 and 2011, while their length runs from 622 to 672 pages. That is a run of 4 years.

Ellen Hopkins has 21 books on our list. Additionally, they write Crank, Burned and Tricks, plus 1 more series. We shelve the books under young_adult.

About the Impulse series

Three teenagers meet at Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital, each after a suicide attempt: Vanessa, a cutter; Tony, sexually abused as a child; and Conner, a seemingly perfect golden boy hiding a darker home life. Impulse tells their intertwined story in verse from all three perspectives. Perfect, the companion novel, steps outside the hospital to follow Conner's twin sister Cara and three of her friends, each chasing an impossible idea of perfection that's quietly destroying them.

The two books share the same family (Cara is Conner's twin) and thematic focus -- the gap between how a teenager appears and what they're actually carrying -- while following largely different casts, making Perfect readable as a companion rather than a strict continuation of Impulse's plot.

Frequently asked questions

Is Perfect a direct sequel to Impulse?

Not exactly -- it's a companion novel following a different, mostly new cast, connected through Cara, the twin sister of Impulse's Conner.

How many books are in the Impulse series?

Two: Impulse (2007) and Perfect (2011).

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