Rumble by Ellen Hopkins
Rumble by Ellen Hopkins. Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York City, 2014.
ISBN: 978-1442482845
Summary
Written in verse, Rumble is the
story of Matthew Turner. Matt's younger brother, Luke, just committed suicide
after one of his friends embarrassed and outed him to his school. Matt blames himself for not being there for
Luke, as well as his supposed ‘friend,’ who started the bullying. Matt’s family is also falling apart: not
speaking to each other and not taking the loss of Luke too well.
Family, friends, and classmates are
all telling Matt it will get better. But hearing that is almost as worse as
hearing “God has a plan.” An atheist, Matt doesn’t believe in any sort of god,
or that everything happens for a reason. How can anyone explain that what
happened to Luke was good or right? As he lashes out against the idea of
religion, Matt’s girlfriend, Hayden, grows concerned. She’s a strong, born
again Christian who never understood why Matt doesn’t believe in anything. But
despite this huge difference, Matt and Hayden love each other and respect each
other for the most part—until Hayden’s father speaks out against gays in their community, and
challenges library books dealing with gay and lesbian content.
Critical Evaluation
While there are many subject themes
going on in this novel—religion, bullying, the loss of a sibling—Hopkins manages
to give enough attention to each of them. The characters themselves also juggle
this multitude of themes well, with no stereotypical or flat beliefs to be found.
Despite his initial anger at the beginning of the novel, Matt is believable and
vulnerable throughout his grieving process. While his brother’s suicide is a
main focus of the novel, its themes go beyond grief and loss. One of the
strongest themes is religion, and how Matt, Hayden, and Matt’s parent’s view
religion and God. The frank discussions
and emotions toward organized religion and faith make this novel stand out from
other similar titles. And while Matt doesn’t sway in his values nor has a ‘come
to religion’ moment, he does have an understanding that even he cannot explain everything
out there.
The subject content and strong
language makes Rumble a better read for older teens. With plenty of hot button
issues and beautiful verse, Rumble is perfect for Hopkins fans, old and new.
Reader’s Annotation
After his brother commits suicide,
Matt struggles with his grief and lack of faith for something better.
About the Author
“I
was adopted at birth and raised by a great, loving older couple. I grew up in
Palm Springs CA, although we summered in Napa and Lake Tahoe, to avoid those
120 degree summers. After my adopted parents died, I did find my birth mother,
who lives in Michigan with my half sister.
I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing.
When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels.”
I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing.
When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels.”
(Ellen Hopkins. Retrieved October 30th 2014 from http://www.amazon.com/Ellen-Hopkins/e/B001H6OOSA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1)
Genres
Verse
Contemporary
LGBTQ
Religion
Curriculum Ties
Poetry/English
Booktalking Ideas
1: Why did Matt blame himself so much for Luke’s death and
his family falling apart?
2: The religious aspect of the plot: how it changed the
story.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+
Grades 9+
Challenge Issues
Religious Content
Language
Mentions of suicide and violence
Sexual situations
Defense File
1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection
Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to
read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a
“Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.
2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without
judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.
3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide
information and background on challenge material’s author and title.
Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.
PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy:
http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy
PPLD’s Collection Development Policy:
http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy
Why included?
I included Rumble because Ellen Hopkins is a favorite
YA author in our district. I also liked the different plot aspects and how the
book was written in verse.
