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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
DNF. I’m sorry but what is this. Reading some small books to get to my Goodreads goal. This book was trying sooo hard to be deep and it really wasn’t working. The verse. Actually terrible. The fact that this is a NYT bestseller is concerning lol
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first read by Ellen Hopkins and I'm a fan! My local library partnered with a local indie, Rainy Day Books to offer a copy of her newest novel Perfect so I signed up and in the meantime decided to give her first novel, Crank a try. I was skeptical due to the format - it is written in verse. I thought it would feel choppy or incomplete somehow - I was totally wrong.
In this story, loosely based on the author's own daughter, the good girl (Kristina) goes bad. The story is gripping from the start and haunting through the end. The verse adds to the realism and readers will be immersed into Kristina's world - the pressures, the fears, the frustrations along with the consequences as she chooses each individual path and makes decisions.
As a parent and a person who remembers the toughest parts of my teen years, I connected with both mom and daughter and my heart was sucked right into the storyline and settled in with the characters as I got to know them, cheered for them, cried for them, and desperately hoped for a good ending for them.
I can't wait to read the subsequent books to find where Kristina and her family land.
In this story, loosely based on the author's own daughter, the good girl (Kristina) goes bad. The story is gripping from the start and haunting through the end. The verse adds to the realism and readers will be immersed into Kristina's world - the pressures, the fears, the frustrations along with the consequences as she chooses each individual path and makes decisions.
As a parent and a person who remembers the toughest parts of my teen years, I connected with both mom and daughter and my heart was sucked right into the storyline and settled in with the characters as I got to know them, cheered for them, cried for them, and desperately hoped for a good ending for them.
I can't wait to read the subsequent books to find where Kristina and her family land.
I don't know how to rate this one. The poetic writing is interesting & draws you in, keeps you reading... but the story feels like it's lacking in depth. Depth isn't really the point here though, is it? I'm also not really the target audience so my rating of the book, if I were to rate it, might be unfair anyway. I say read it for yourself & decide. Unless drugs, sex, and their consequences in teen years make you want run. I mean, there is a reason some people wanted this book banned from the hands of young adult readers.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Free verse poetry novel. Fantastic but hard to read. Self-destructive girl, dreadful consequences.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
This was the first book that I read from Ellen Hopkins and certainly won't be the last. I really enjoyed this. As someone who has had struggles with family problems and addiction, this was a very visceral read. It definitely is not for everyone and some people I know have described it as pretty juvenile. I disagree, but I can also understand why people see it that way. It's a book about someone younger, therefore it might not resonate with those who are older or in a different mental space.
I appreciate what this book, and it's sequels do. It talks about the hard aspects. The fact that addiction can also run with the people you surround yourself with. You have to cut ties in order to really heal from addiction, I know this first hand. It talks about relapse, the difference between the "you" that uses, and the "you" that doesn't.
Do I think the book/series is 100% accurate? No, but that's because everyone's experiences are different. I think if you're interested on a pretty good viewpoint with addiction in young adult years, this is a decent read. I will say though, if you've struggled with addiction and you're around your late teens it could be a bit triggering. So just be careful, but I do think it's worth it if you can stomach some minor stuff!
I appreciate what this book, and it's sequels do. It talks about the hard aspects. The fact that addiction can also run with the people you surround yourself with. You have to cut ties in order to really heal from addiction, I know this first hand. It talks about relapse, the difference between the "you" that uses, and the "you" that doesn't.
Do I think the book/series is 100% accurate? No, but that's because everyone's experiences are different. I think if you're interested on a pretty good viewpoint with addiction in young adult years, this is a decent read. I will say though, if you've struggled with addiction and you're around your late teens it could be a bit triggering. So just be careful, but I do think it's worth it if you can stomach some minor stuff!