Books like Impulse

If you liked Impulse, read Thirteen Reasons Why, I Must Betray You, or The Maze Runner — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher — shares suicide

Get it on Amazon →

Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Looking for books like Impulse by Ellen Hopkins (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of suicide, psychiatric hospitals, and mental illness. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Impulse

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Why each is a match

Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Thirteen Reasons Whygrades 9–12
Shares themes of suicide, both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12
Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list), same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Maze Runnergrades 7–12
Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Twilightgrades 9–12
Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2000s). Amazon → books like this →
Ironmangrades 9–12
Shares themes of interpersonal relations, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnesgrades 9–12
Shares themes of interpersonal relations, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Sweatgrades 11–12
Shares themes of interpersonal relations, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (11–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Face at the Edge of the Worldgrades 9–12
Shares themes of suicide, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
What it Means When a Man Falls from the Skygrades 9–10
Shares themes of interpersonal relations, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–10). Amazon → books like this →
Divergentgrades 8–12
Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Impulse for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

  • Hoodwinked by Arthur Howard · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester · grades K–3 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Hungry Hen by Richard Waring · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).
  • Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Impulse for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

  • A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of mental illness and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list.
  • Knocked Out by Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list.
  • Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of suicide and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • Albert by Donna Jo Napoli · grades 3–5 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Impulse for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin · grades 5–8 — Shares themes of mental illness and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list.
  • Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of suicide and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
  • 12 Again by Sue Corbett · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of interpersonal relations.
  • Rules by Cynthia Lord · grades 4–7 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2000s).

Books like Impulse for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

  • The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • The Lovely Bones: A Novel by Alice Sebold · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (9–12).
  • Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson · grades 7–12 — Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (7–12).
  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas · 590L — Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list) and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Impulse?
The 10 closest matches to Impulse by Ellen Hopkins on ReadingList include Thirteen Reasons Why, I Must Betray You, The Maze Runner, Twilight, and Ironman. Each is scored on shared themes (suicide, psychiatric hospitals, and mental illness), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Impulse reading-level appropriate?
Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?
Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

← Back to Impulse

Browse by another angle

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: