This book was so incredibly emotional and deep. I’m a long-time Ellen Hopkins fan and have read some of her other prose teen books, but I was a little nervous picking this one up. I’m no longer a teen and even moving away from the “young adult” category so I thought maybe her books wouldn’t affect me as much as before. Well I was wrong.

<i>Sync</i> follows a pair of twins who are in the foster system due to an alcoholic mother. They have both been through several foster families, but this is the first time they’ve been split up. And they both in their families, and through school have to find a way to handle the cards they’re dealt.

The first 40-60% has a good pace and the story is set up well. I honestly didn’t have any issues with it, just a general sense of dread worried for these teens. But after around the halfway point, I was almost non-stop crying. Ellen Hopkins does such a good job at creating believable situations without being over-the-top. And there was also such a range of side characters: from the worst of the worst to the best of the best, and everything in-between. There was just such a good balance of having people who were intentionally bad, and also people who were just doing a job, and also people who wanted to go above and beyond for humanity - and it made the whole story feel just that much more real.

The ending had me wishing for just 30-50 more pages as it was so good. But I also didn’t feel like the story ended too abruptly. The story had a closure but I also wanted it to keep going.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

This book features ALL of the trigger warnings. It's very on par for Ellen Hopkins, who never shies away from darkness and grit. Dual POVS with a LOT happening along the way. Engaging from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This is written in verse, so if you haven't read Ellen Hopkins before, be aware. It is beautifully done and heartbreaking. Trigger warnings for SA, homelessness, and violence.

This book is about twins Storm and Lake who were separated in the foster care system. Their lives have been far from easy. Still, they both long to reconnect with the other, and feel a strong bond despite the fact that they haven't seen each other in years. It is a tough read, but it is a good one. I read it in two sittings.

I loved this book and was enthralled with the writing. I loved the character study. Would read more from the author!

Ellen Hopkins is back with her raw stories that bring to light the lives of kids that are often not talked about. In Sync, we meet twins separated in the foster system who both face challenges that no child should have to face. The book was so tough to read at times, but like all of Hopkins’s books, it is done truthfully, respectfully, and beautifully.

Hard to read but I think that gut wrenching is this authors way. Similar to my last experience with a Hopkins book, this left an ache in my chest.

This was excellent! The characters are well written and interesting. The heavy themes are discussed in a respectful and powerful way. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Ellen Hopkins, Penguin Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review.

This was such a great representation of how the foster system can be. My heart broke for Storm and Lake and never feeling like they belonged or were loved. I’m glad we got the ending that we did!

Sync is a book that is told in dual perspectives from Lake and her brother, storm. This book takes you through Lake's journey in a religious foster home and then as she is kicked out when her foster parent finds her in a compromising position with her girlfriend Parker. It also follows Storm as he is with a foster family who supports and loves him but due to an altercation as he protects his girlfriend, Storm ends up in juvenile detention and we watch his journey through there.

What I liked: I appreciate the writing style of this book and found that it made for a great audiobook. I really liked that the book goes back and forth between Lake and Storm, and we get to see what is happening in both of their lives. I also appreciated the way the author tackled some of the harder topics in this book and how certain things affect those around the person. This book covers sexual assault, suicide, addiction, family, loss, grief, homophobia, and more.

I also liked reading as Lake and Parker's relationship develops through the book and we get to see the challenges that they face because of their queerness. I also really enjoyed seeing Storm develop his relationship with his foster parents and how supportive they are of him. Through both Lake and Storm you see how their past impacts their relationships with others and how difficult it can be to trust others in their lives.

What left me wanting more: While I enjoyed the writing style of this book and liked having it go back and forth between the two perspectives, there was some things that I wasn't a fan of. The biggest thing about this book was the fact that anything that could go wrong did for both of our main characters. It seems that they had everything that happens to foster children happen to them and like they were just statistics. Now this book doesn't have to be happy and upbeat the whole time, but it would've been nice to feel that there was some hope for our main characters. While the depictions may be reality for foster children this book felt more like a display of a google search about negative stuff foster children face.

Final Verdict: Sync is a book that young adults will enjoy reading but may have to put down because of the heavy topics that are addressed throughout the book. Individuals who have enjoyed Ellen Hopkins other books will also enjoy reading this one as the writing style is similar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Trigger warnings for rape, assault, and drug abuse.

In her signature poetry style of writing, Hopkins lays out the heartbreaking lives of twins Lake and Storm. Born to an addict, the twins find themselves thrust into foster care at a y0ung age. When one foster parent misunderstands their sibling relationship, the twins are separated and rehomed. The book jumps and back forth between Lake and Storm's POV, giving insight to their current battles with being teenagers in foster care while being separated from each other.

This book covers some really deep and traumatizing events. I couldn't tell you the number of times I gasped or teared up. What I love about this book is the fortitude both characters possess, and the handful of adults who step in to help. Books like this are important because they shine light on things not everyone experiences in life, such as drug abuse, growing up in foster care, or even the aftermath of an assault. Hard topics need to be discussed.

Sync is a book about foster care written by acclaimed author Ellen Hopkins, who has no personal experience with the foster care system. As a librarian but also a foster mom, I had a unique view of this book, and I was not impressed. The writing itself is well done, but the characters have so much trauma thrown at them, it is almost laughable. Every single female in the book gets raped, some of them on the page <spoiler> including the main character </spoiler> Yes, the statistics for teens in foster care are negative. Many of them end up in juvenile detention centers or homeless, but that is not the story of all of them. Making both of our protagonists go through every negative thing that could happen to a kid in foster care is just cruel. The story has a happy ending, but only in the last ten pages or so. Most of the narrative is depressing, watching two resilient kids who deserve better in life be abused, addicted, incarcerated, prostituted, and so on. Foster kids deserve better. They deserve hope, and this does not bring it. Even the ending stops before we can see the story come to a real resolution.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish. The story was compelling and let me wanting more.

Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorite authors so I was super excited for this one! Sync follows two perspectives: Storm and Lake, brother and sister separated by the foster system. I was pulled into their story and rooting for both of them. It’s a very serious story, very similar to all of Hopkins other books. I’m rating it a 4/5.

Ellen Hopkins has always been an auto-read author for me. This story is heart breaking and intense and written in the poetic prose we are used to from Hopkins!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this!

I've been a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins since high school! Sync is a tale of two twins who were placed in the foster care system and then separated. It shows how their lives change and turn out being in and out of the system their entire lives. This story was truly heartbreaking, but also gave so much hope. Learning Lake and Storm's story made me so sad and mad at the system, but also left me with hope that there are still some truly good people in the world. I'd highly recommend this book, but also be sure to check trigger warnings.

Whoa, "Sync" by Ellen Hopkins totally caught me off guard! I wasn't expecting such a beautiful yet gut-wrenching tale of two siblings torn apart by the foster care system, desperately trying to find their way back to each other. That's the main storyline, but their journey is packed with so many highs and lows that it really shines a light on the ever-changing, often unsteady world of foster care.

Now, I'll be honest—Ellen Hopkins' writing style took a second to get used to, but it wasn't long before I was completely hooked on this riveting and emotional story. This was my first time reading Hopkins' work, but I can already tell it won't be my last.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say the ending felt a bit abrupt, which might be why this isn't a five-star read for me. But seriously, "Sync" is brilliant, and I absolutely recommend giving it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me for an eARC of this wonderful book. It would make my entire year if there happens to be an extra physical ARC copy that could be gifted to me!

Ellen Hopkins has been one of my favorite authors since I was in middle school (not to date myself but 19 years ago) and I was an instant fan after reading Crank. I have since read every single one of Ellen’s YA and Adult works. Sync was not any different.

Sync was a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I loved reading about twins Storm and Lake. Both of there stories were unique and completely captivating. I couldn’t help myself from rooting for them hardcore. I wanted them to overcome their upbringing and the things that they went through.

There was a lot of heavy hitting topics in this book, so I strongly suggest checking your trigger warnings. But that should go without saying for an Ellen Hopkins book.

These characters were multilayered and complicated. I enjoyed this because it made these characters feel real and added another level to the storyline.

I strongly recommend this book to any Ellen Hopkins lover, anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction or general fiction, and anyone who enjoys stories told in verse format.

I can promise you won’t regret diving into this story and if the entire story doesn’t convince you, I can guarantee the ending will do it!

First I would like to thank NetGalley and the PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books for the Kindle ARC of Sync in exchange for my honest review.

It has been many years since I have read a book by Ellen Hopkins and I can say I need to visit some of her other titles I have not yet experienced. Her writing style is unique to me, but works extremely well with the subjects/issues she writes about. I love reading in verse about the characters that Hopkins develops so well that I feel like I know them as well as many of my friends.

Sync is about Storm and Lake, twins who have been in the foster care system since about the age of 11 or 12. The story is told from each of their perspectives in a series of letters that they write to each other even if they can not send them because much of the time they do not know where their twin is at the moment.

The book really emphasises the ups and downs of being shuffled around in the foster care system and how all placements are not safe or good for the children/teenagers.

This book follows twins who were seperated in the foster care system. I really enjoyed this book which is written in prose form. I love reading prose writing style which does take a lot of attention in order to understand what is being said but I enjoyed this story. The only issue with the writing I had was that I wish they made the pov name bigger because I would often forgot whose pov just started and ended which would ruin the experience. This is an emotional book where these twins are trying to navigate their lives by themselves. This book does talk about sensitive topics so I recommend checking out the triggers. This book is told from Storm and Lake’s pov.

Storm is the brother and promised to take care of Lake but he ends up in juvie. Lake is in a relationship but now she and Parker must run after they were caught. I loved both their stories and seeing how they navigate their lives seperately and in different situations. I loved their development and seeing them grow. There are two main side chafacters in this book who are Jaidyn and Parker. There is romance in this book but the main focus is on the mental health, siblings finding each other and honesty.

This was a great written story that many young adults should read. Hopkins did a well job with brining this message. Sadly my experience got ruined when I would often not realize whose pov started because of how small the name would be on the chapter titles.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*