Crank

Last year I discovered the verse-novel writing style through a few of Sonya Sones books. Through further searching, I found out about Ellen Hopkins, and in turn, the Crank books. I was pleased what I found within the covers of this book.

I’m amazed at just how much weight this book can hold, yet compared to a normal prose novel, there is a significantly smaller word count. Hopkins takes her worse seriously and provides a heavy, dark atmosphere to Kristina’s/Bree’s narrative as she goes down a path of drugs, first loves, and more. There’s little to no happiness in this book, yet there’s a beauty in how the lines of each poem keep the reader glued with their nose in the book. I kept reading wanting more and more, even when seeing show more it was only going to get darker.

I don’t think I’d have gotten as strong of a reaction to Crank were it to be a prose novel. There’s something about the way verse allows an author to tell a story with such raw emotions and bluntness that even the most well-written of prose has a hard time doing. This is why I keep going back to verse novels, and will be continuing on with this series very soon. show less

4Q4P. I loved Crank and I was devastated by it, in the way that some books worm your way in and rearrange your brain. I listened to it, which I think is probably a much different experience than reading it. But I loved hearing the verse spoken aloud.
Crank is the story of Kristina, a 16 year old who's life changes drastically after going to visit her junkie father for 3 weeks one summer. She meets a boy, tries meth and falls in love. Both with the boy and "the monster." She discovers, or invents, a personality or persona that she never knew existed. Kristina takes a backseat to Bree, who doesn't make the best decisions. Bree loves to flirt wit boys and get down with the monster. When Kristina returns home, Bree doesn't won't be stifled show more and Kristina's life spirals quickly out of control.
I would have given Crank a 5Q, but there were a few things I thought were off. I'm not sure any respectable teenager this side of 1985 would refer to a line as a toot. I could be wrong, but it seems kind of like a modern teen saying something is far-out (which actually, Kristina does at one point). I also thought that Kristina's family had way to many "annual events." After the first couple It started reading like a tired device meant contrast old Kristina with new Kristina/Bree.
The book ended abruptly, and in my opinion, powerfully. The reader isn't sure if Kristina will ever break free from the monster, which I suppose is realistic. Meth is scary hard to quit. There are two follow up novels in the series, so I suppose we find out whether Kristina ever shakes the monster.
After reading Crank, I found out that it was semi-autobiographical. Ellen Hopkins' daughter struggled with meth addiction. I think this makes the scenes with Kristina's mother especially touching. When Kristina wonders if everything would have been different if her mother had reached out to her, it's hard not to think that maybe Hopkins wonders the same thing. show less

Once I became accustomed to the writing style, I was quickly immersed in this incredible story. I wish this book would have been available when I was a teenager. It is reminiscent of Go Ask Alice with that same strong voice that doesn't shy away from the ugly, painful, and difficult truths. The writing was stunningly compelling with countless powerful quotes and a story both poignant and insightful. The contrast of the beautiful lyrical verse and the hard ugly truth of addiction was fascinating. I'm so glad I finally took the time to read this and thank everyone who recommended this to me. I, in turn, recommend this to any teenager and parent of a pre-teen or teenager as well as to anyone who appreciates stories with this kind of honest show more emotional depth and so-called controversial subject matter. show less

This beautifully written novel in verse is juxtaposed with the ugly monster, crank, which plays the villain of the piece. Thought provoking, intense poetics are intertwined with crass, shocking, detailed descriptions of a young girl’s life spiraling out of control as she falls headlong into her addiction. The author has a gift of creating vivid imagery with just a few carefully chosen words. Also, the lyrics are cleverly arranged on the page and presented in such a way that they can be read two ways. This is hard to describe, but quite impressive. At first, I worried that the descriptions might be too much for a teen, but upon reflection, I think the realistic and powerful portrayal of addiction this books explores will provide a show more warning to teens and adults alike about just how quickly and easily things can get out of control. The raw descriptions of things like rape, suicide attempts and drug use are all very scary and jarring, but that adds to the draw of this tale. This is not a book to be read lightly, as the words themselves are carefully chosen and in order to get the full effect, the words need to be absorbed and pondered. My one complaint about the language is that at the beginning, it reads like a poem, but towards the middle, it reads more like a novel, only to return to poem again. It did seem to match the pace, so maybe it was intentional, but it sometimes felt like the author was losing steam. This book held my attention the entire way through, and left me drained, yet wanting more. I think the character and subject matter would be more than interesting for today’s young adults. show less

I have to confess Crank by Ellen Hopkins sat in my to-be-read pile for quite a long time, several years, in fact. I'm not sure why. There was something about the book that intimidated me before I ever opened it. Maybe I resisted the idea of a book about drug addiction written in a series of poems. Once I started it though, I was drawn in, seduced, addicted... I wanted more. I read more than I intended at each sitting. I wanted to know more. I felt a connection to the characters in the story. I felt the allure and the self-disgust. I cried at the consequences the addiction brought to those involved. I cheered in the hopeful moments and bemoaned the lost moments. Hopkins pushes buttons with effective character building and story telling show more that feels at once voyeuristic, enlightening, poetic, real, and addictive. show less

Crank is the harrowing tale of Kristina's, aka Bree's, introduction to, and subsequent battles with, "the monster", aka crystal meth. During a court-mandated trip to see her father, Kristina is introduced to crank and becomes addicted. After coming home, she is unable to beat the addiction. She hides it from her family and close friends, and begins engaging in other self-destructive behaviors. She meets Brendon who date-rapes her, and Chase, who really seems to care for her, but disappoints her in the end. Discovering that she is pregnant, Kristina considers abortion but decides to keep the baby, forcing her to tell her mother everything. I'd like to tell you that she rises above her addiction and turns herself around for her son, show more but...

This was my first experience reading a story told entirely in prose. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I loved it. Ellen Hopkins has such a range of style and talent that it not only told the story well, it also kept me engaged throughout. I particularly liked the comparison of before and after the monster. In the "before" passage, the words are ordered in a diagonal slant across the page. "After" the monster, or in the midst of the monster, the words are scattered on the page. This style shows rather than just tells the difference in thought process and life style on an off of meth. As for liking the story itself, I'm divided. It was amusing and interesting, but far too dark and hopeless for me to get any real enjoyment out of. Perhaps it's too idealistic of me to hope for a happier ending, but the character's obvious feelings of defeat in her fight against the "monster" turned me a little sour towards the story as a whole. For a person NOT struggling with substance dependencies, it would probably be an effective cautionary tale. But for a person try to overcome drug addiction, it's not very inspiring.

This book is appropriate for 11th and 12th grade due to themes and language. show less

4Q, 4P I think that the prose style may be off-putting to some teens and the subject matter (mainly drug addiction) is not for everyone.

A visit with her father sparks an awakening of sorts for Kristina. She discovers another more confident, sexually aware, and experimental girl, Bree, under her own skin. When Bree takes control she initiates sexual encounters, snorts meth, and participates in all manner of risky behavior. But how far down will Bree pull her? Will there be any Kristina left after she is done?

This book is a painful read but important as well. Hopkins weaves a believable story - one that shows the dark side of teenage drug addiction and the inner workings of the teenage brain. The prose style didn't take long to get used show more to and delivered the fractured personality inside Kristina's head to perfection. I would recommend this to older teens though the drug use and sexual violence would make me hesitant to suggest this to younger teens. show less