New York Times Bestselling Author Ellen Hopkins to Appear at Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library

Hopkins has published several New York Times bestselling novels written in free-form verse. Her key works include Crank, Identical and Burned. These novels discuss delicate teenage issues such as, psychological problems, prostitution, drug addiction and other such issues that trouble young generation of today.

In 1990, Hopkins started writing, first by freelancing for newspapers and magazines later, shifting her interest toward children’s nonfiction. She produced about twenty titles in this genre which include Orcas: High Seas Supermen and Air Devils. Eventually, she had her first novels published.

Crank, Hopkins’ debut novel, was published in 2004. It is loosely based on her adopted daughter’s addiction of crystal meth. The teenage drug addiction and sexual issues inspired Hopkins to explore these delicate subjects. The sensitivity of these issues had her book banned in many places. However, the content of the book also made it a required reading material for drug court programs and several high schools.

She published the sequel, Glass, in 2007 and the third installment, Fallout, followed three years later. Another two-novel based young adult series, Burned (2006), charts the life and emotional problems of a seventeen-year-old who grows up in a dysfunctional family with an abusive father.

Besides young adult novels, Ellen Hopkins also penned novels for her adult audience which include Triangles (2011) and Collateral (2012) and her next adult novel is due in the spring of 2015, titled Tangled.

  For more information, or to register for this program, contact the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library at (732)349-6200 or visit theoceancountylibrary.org