▁Ellen ▁Hop kins , ▁released ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁It ▁tells ▁the ▁conver ging ▁narr atives ▁of ▁five ▁trouble d ▁te en age ▁protagon ists . ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁noted ▁for ▁its ▁g rit ty ▁real ism ▁in ▁address ing ▁issues ▁of ▁sexual ▁activity ▁and ▁drug ▁use ▁for ▁a ▁young ▁adult ▁read ership . ▁This ▁book ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁b anned ▁due ▁to ▁drug ▁uses , ▁sexual ▁them es , ▁and ▁language . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁novel ▁Tr icks , ▁the ▁story ▁begins ▁with ▁five ▁te en agers , ▁all ▁res iding ▁in ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁first ▁character , ▁E den ▁Stre it , ▁lives ▁with ▁her ▁father , ▁mother , ▁and ▁younger ▁sister , ▁E ve . ▁Being ▁a ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁minister ▁also ▁comes ▁with ▁expect ations , ▁such ▁as ▁not ▁having ▁sex ▁until ▁marriage ▁and ▁marry ing ▁men ▁within ▁the ▁Christian ▁faith . ▁But ▁for ▁E den , ▁that ▁doesn ’ t ▁matter ▁with ▁Andrew , ▁her ▁boy friend . ▁Her ▁only ▁problem ▁is ▁trying ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁relationship ▁a ▁secret ▁from ▁her ▁parents . ▁The ▁second ▁character , ▁S eth ▁Par nel , ▁lives ▁with ▁his ▁father ▁after ▁his ▁mother ▁dies ▁from ▁cancer ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁ago . ▁S eth ▁strugg les ▁with ▁ident ifying ▁his ▁sexual ity ▁after ▁he ▁breaks ▁up ▁with ▁his ▁girl friend , ▁Jan et ▁W ink ler . ▁He ▁meets ▁Loren ▁and ▁is ▁cat ap ult ed ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁kind