Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Book review #66
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Rating: Five stars


Summary:

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.

I have always heard wonderful things about Ellen Hopkin's books, but they never seemed like my cup of tea. After some peer pressure, I decide to cave in and see what all the hype was about. One sitting and two hours or so later I had devoured every word. Crank was extremely addicting and although painful and honest, it was one of the most fascinating books I have read in a very long time. 

To be honest, I don't know much about drugs and their effects. Of course I know the typical stereotypes and such, but Crank brought drugs into a whole other perspective. I really got to understand what crystal meth does to a person and how much it changes a person's life. 

Kristina was an easy, likable main character. The story begins unveiling her shy, normal persona and the course she takes after meeting a rebellious boy while visiting her unstable father. There Kristina is introduced to the world of meth. Also introduced his her violent, spontaneous alter ego- Bree. Her journey is quite horrifying and painful to read about, but none other than intriguing. I loved how you got to see both sides of Kristina, making her relationships and interests more realistic. 

I am a fan of verse novels and I have to admit Ellen Hopkins does it exceptionally well. Her writing was beautiful and will leave you hooked. The words were poetic and so descriptive, it really captivates the reader. The poems are spaced and structured, giving the words an even deeper meaning. 

Crank is not an easy book to read, but I am glad to have given it a chance. It's raw and shocking, exploring very important issue. Crank will make you think and see the world from a different view. I'm eager to get my hands on her follow up books!