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*

Sync by Ellen Hopkins is such a unique YA novel. It is written in a series of letters written in prose between twin siblings Lake and Storm who have been split up and put into foster care . This story is very dark in nature but also so incredibly real and gritty. Emotional and tragic in every way. I could not put the book down and ended up reading it in one day.

4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Young Readers for this eARC copy of Sync in exchange for my honest review.

I love Ellen Hopkin's writing style and Sync was no different. Sync follows the story of twin teenagers who were separated in the foster system. It shows the good and the bad of the foster system and took me on a roller coaster of emotions. Especially towards the end of the book. Storm and Lake were great characters to follow and I loved the relationship they had with each other even though they weren't able to always be together. I think there was great character development from the main characters and look forward to reading more from Ellen Hopkins in the future.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes reading in prose, and would like to read a fast pace and emotional story.

Happy release day for Sync by Ellen Hopkins! I'm very thankful to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for sending me a free copy in exchange for a honest review.

Sync follows two twins who have been separated for the last five years due to the foster system. The story is told in dual pov in Hopkin's traditional story telling via prose. The writing was excellent and the characters were well developed.

Please read the below trigger warnings and protect your mental health before reading this book.

Trigger warning:
Abuse (sexual, emotional, physical) SA, rape, suicide off page, homophobia.

Ellen Hopkins is an imperative author who helped shaped my reading. have been reading her books for almost a decade and a half. From middle school level to adult books, I have read almost all of her books. Many of her books are on the banned list. Her stories are realistic fiction and can be triggering so make sure you are in the right headspace before reading her books

4.5 Stars

When I saw that there was a new Ellen Hopkins book out I raced to find myself a copy. I’m a huge fan of hers and I have read 10, this being number 11 books from Ellen Hopkins. I would say she is one of my most read authors and one that leaves one of the biggest impacts as well. And Sync was no exception. This story follows a set of boy/ girl twins through their foster care journey. I don’t want to give anything away but I did cry more than once while reading this book. I’m actually really hoping that there is a second book because I need more of their stories, I feel unfulfilled with their lives.
You can’t help but love both Lake and Storm and you as the reader just want to to get something happy in life finally. It really shows how different things can affect people’s lives. Storm just wants to look after his sister and any female in his life, but by doing that he seems to always be in trouble and no one is feeling bad for him for standing up and doing what’s right, he does sometimes just cross the line in doing so. Lake is trying to find herself and falling in love but also trying to survive.
There are a lot of trigger warnings as all Ellen Hopkins books have. They don’t sugar coat anything.
I also love how Ellen writes everything in verse. I would absolutely recommend Sync and any of Ellen’s book to be honest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for this amazing read

It has been a long time since Ellen Hopkins has released a new book, and I was excited when I got an ARC of this one. This book is a typical brilliantly written piece that explores so many issues that teens face today. The verse novel is told in dual perspectives: Storm and Lake. They were twins who were separated in the foster system.

This one releases this week and it will be another best sellers for Hopkins!!

This book was a roller coaster of emotions, it absolutely crushed me but put me back together again. ❤️‍🩹

I couldn’t help but love the main characters Lake (sister) & Storm (brother) I felt so bad for the both of them and couldn’t stop rooting for them the whole time.

I enjoyed that the author wrote this in duel pov, it was like reading two interconnected stories at once. Their stories and what they go through is absolutely heartbreaking but the ending made me feel really hopeful for them both.

I do wish this was a little longer but at the same time I was happy with the ending. I would highly recommend this one! Especially if you enjoyed the books: “how it feels to float” or “girl in pieces”

Also- Teddy & Jim were both so sweet side characters 🥹

I am probably a bit bias because this is one of my all time favorite authors but I loved this book so very much! I love her writing style, I loved the main characters, I loved the plot. I literally have no notes.
As much as my heart aches for the twins, I’m so glad that they powered through the hand they were dealt and are learning that they can have any future they want despite the past. The ending made me tear up and not very many books do that. I’ll definitely be rereading in the foreseeable future.

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FYI: on a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars ~ Nothing at all. Chefs kiss. No notes.
*4 Stars ~ It could us some slight adjustments here and there but pretty solid overall.
*3 Stars ~ Adjustments need to be made and rewriting needs to be done. Good but could be a lot better. I read it once and don’t need to do it again.
*2 Stars ~ This book needs a lot of work. Whether it be rewriting the plot, characters, style or ending. Something or everything needs to be changed.
*1 Star ~ Dumpster fire.

Tropes/Themes: Found Family, Troubled Past, Perseverance Over Difficulties

Sync is a story of two twins as they navigate life in the foster system after being removed from an abusive mother. Lake and Storm have always been close and even through the distance they still find themselves connected to each other.

I remember first reading Ellen Hopkins in middle school and into high school. I loved her books and loved how she wrote in verse. It is said that writing in verse can help younger readers build confidence in reading as they read book quicker.

The themes in Ellen Hopkins’ books are on a darker side but there is also so much hope and triumph in them and Sync is no exception. The book leaves you wanting to read more about Lake and Storm. You root for them to find their happy ending and to find their way back to each other. If you are a fan of her other books this one doesn’t disappoint. If you have never read one of her books before this is a good one to start your journey.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the #gifted copy of Sync! PenguinTeenPartner #SyncBook

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟓★

This was my first time reading a book by Ellen Hopkins, and let me tell you: this book was so powerful but so emotional. I am in awe of how this book was written and it’s one I will not forget. It’s in dual perspectives through unsent letters and also written in verse. While it’s over 400 pages long, it’s the type of book that you can read quickly because once you start, you find it hard to stop. I was so invested in Storm and Lake, seventeen year old twins and their story. This book was very difficult to read at times, so please check the content warnings. But it is such a powerful read and I loved how it’s not your typical YA book. I will definitely be reading more books by Ellen Hopkins after this one! This book was truly brilliant!

Posted on Goodreads on August 23, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around August 24, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 27, 2024
**-will post on designated date

“Believe me, inside a stranger’s head
Is no place you want to be.”

Seventeen-year-old twins Storm and Lake, always inseparable, face new struggles after being torn from each other and placed in different homes. Storm, now in a supportive placement, finds hope in his girlfriend Jaidyn, but, when Jaidyn is assaulted, Storm’s retaliation lands him in lockup. Lake, meanwhile, is in a precarious relationship with Parker and living on the streets after running away from strict foster parents. Only their shared connection, their ‘sync,’ gives them any indication about the other's condition. Through unsent letters to one another, Ellen Hopkins latest novel in verse explores their journey through the foster system and their desperate quest to reunite.

Vivid, harrowing, but ultimately life-affirming, Ellen Hopkins’ Sync might be her best work yet. This careful portrait of the foster care system is Hopkins at her most lucid, offering readers a window into a world that everyone may not be overly familiar with, but that hundreds of thousands of children and young adults experience every day. At times, I found myself resistant to continue reading such a relentlessly upsetting story. That knee-jerk reaction made me contemplate, and I realized that the cycle of homelessness, violence, and (in Storm’s case) incarceration is actually best examined through Hopkins’ free verse style. Her books tend to have young characters with the emotional intelligence of a much older person, but, in this case, I think it helps to clarify the horrors. Storm and Lake’s experiences are unfortunately common, and the subjectivity of free verse softens the blow for the reader, letting them experience the twins struggle within the safety of the page. The main reason I think this is Hopkins’ best is because of its message. As the title suggests, Storm and Lake's special connection shows that even in this vicious cycle, they are tethered together. There is hope. The ending punctuates their connection in a masterful and satisfying way. I highly recommend this read for those who are looking for something raw and real.