▁a ▁home . ▁ ▁Whit ney ▁Lang , ▁a ▁fifteen - year - old ▁girl ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁sh adows ▁of ▁her ▁older ▁sister ▁and ▁de als ▁with ▁being ▁add icted ▁to ▁dru gs ▁and ▁searching ▁for ▁affection . ▁G inger ▁Cord ell , ▁a ▁six teen - year - old ▁girl , ▁lives ▁with ▁her ▁five ▁sib lings , ▁mother , ▁and ▁grand m other ▁who ▁ra ises ▁them . ▁ ▁C ody ▁Ben nett , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁protagon ists ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁has ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁taking ▁care ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁after ▁his ▁step - father ▁dies . ▁ ▁Style ▁ ▁Kar in ' s ▁Book ▁No ok ▁compl iment ed ▁the ▁author ' s ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁by ▁saying ▁" E ll en ▁Hop kins , ▁once ▁again , ▁comes ▁through ▁for ▁her ▁readers ▁with ▁this ▁spell binding ▁novel - in - verse ." ▁Additionally , ▁Kirk us ▁adds ▁that ▁" H op kins ' s ▁p ith y ▁free ▁verse ▁reve als ▁sh ards ▁of ▁em otion ▁and ▁quick ▁g lim ps es ▁of ▁physical ▁details . ▁It ▁doesn ' t ▁matter ▁that ▁the ▁first - person ▁voices ▁bl ur , ▁because ▁the ▁stories ▁are ▁distinct ▁and ▁un m ist ak able ." ▁ ▁Th eme ▁ ▁One ▁rev iewer ▁explained ▁that ▁"[ Tr icks ] ▁shows ▁the ▁bad ▁dec isions ▁te en agers ▁make ." ▁Kirk us ▁also ▁added ▁that ▁Tr icks ▁is ▁about ▁"[ g ] raph ic ▁sex , ▁ra pe , ▁dru