Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com

Knowledge is power, and although Ellen Hopkins no doubt would have preferred to not have lived the nightmare of her daughter's dance with Meth and other drugs, she has chosen to share her experiences with others. We should be grateful she has.

FLIRTIN' WITH THE MONSTER is Ellen's non-fiction, no-nonsense account of why she chose to tell her story to the world, her choice of the fiction genre verses memoir, and her solid belief that teenagers deserve to read about real issues that affect their very real lives. We can't protect our teenagers forever, and if one adolescent can read about someone else's mistakes, and be frightened into not ever making the choices Ellen's daughter made, then she will have paved her way to heaven.

In this title, Ellen has joined forces with numerous people, and included letters written by her own family, "Kristina" included, to discuss the Monster, her writing, and the impact her two best-selling novels have had on their own and others lives. The book is testimony to the influence that a story such as this can have on a person, young or old, when the choice to try a drug that first time presents itself. And it will present itself.

As Niki Burnham so eloquently puts it in the opening chapter on role models our kids are reading about, or not allowed to read about, "...those caring parents do their teen a greater service by allowing them to read whatever they want and making it clear they're willing to discuss it with them afterward: Protecting them by preparing them."

The world is full of imperfect people with imperfect lives. Why should the books we open to our teenagers be any different? ( )

Normally, I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm sure glad I did in this case. Ellen Hopkins did a fantastic job of editing this collection of essays from multiple points of view. Several authors, including Gail Giles, weigh in on different aspects of the issues involved in CRANK and GLASS. Ellen, herself, gives more insight into the turmoil her family went through during the years "Kristina" was in the grips of the monster. But, what is probably the most interesting and beneficial to teen readers is the fact that members of the Hopkins family sound off as well. Ellen's husband, "Kristina's" sister, "Kristina," and "Hunter" all have an essay included. Their powerful words give the reader a real look at the devastation drugs have on the entire family.This book will definitely have a home on my middle school library shelf. If you know anyone that loves CRANK and GLASS, be sure to tell them about FLIRTIN' WITH THE MONSTER. ( )