Crank

by Ellen Hopkins

Crank is a true story that is written in the form of poems. It is written by the mother of a girl named Kristina Snow. Kristina, a quiet, well-behaved, 16 year-old girl visits her father in New Mexico for the summer going into her senior year. When she goes, she falls in love with a boy named Adam and she releases a new side of herself, Bree, which is wild, crazy and daring. Adam introduces Kristina or "Bree" to crank; the monster. She feels amazing and instantly becomes dangerously addicted. By the end of the summer she has to go back to Nevada to be with her mother, step-father, lesbian sister, and little brother. She meets Brendan, a boy who is also on meth and ends up raping her. She also meets Chase, her boyfriend who is caring, and Robyn, who teaches her how to get more of "the monster" or meth. Eventually, she becomes pregnant. At fist she thinks the baby is Chase's, but then figures out that the baby is actually Brendan's, from the rape. At the end of the book she struggles with raising her new son and ending her addiction. There is a sequel that I will probably read. Crank was disturbing and depressing (especially because it's a true story about the author's daughter), but incredibly hard to put down. It is really well-written in poetry form which makes it more dramatic and suspenseful. It's a quick-read about sex, drugs, and love. I would only recommend this book if you're comfortable with reading about these topics.