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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This is one of those books everyone should read. Let's teach kids about epics with this. Wowie.
Of course, it'd make some granny clutch her pearls. Because if we never tell our kids drugs exist they'll never find them, right?
Anyway, WOW. I'm stunned. This just feels honest. Like, yeah you can party with your friends. But you can also get raped in the woods for drugs.
Of course, it'd make some granny clutch her pearls. Because if we never tell our kids drugs exist they'll never find them, right?
Anyway, WOW. I'm stunned. This just feels honest. Like, yeah you can party with your friends. But you can also get raped in the woods for drugs.
4.5 stars.
this was heartbreaking. the writing style was so interesting and intriguing and i want to read more ellen hopkins books now. i did have a few issues with this, like the several mentions of stereotypes about lesbians that were never corrected, but other than that i really liked this book.
this was heartbreaking. the writing style was so interesting and intriguing and i want to read more ellen hopkins books now. i did have a few issues with this, like the several mentions of stereotypes about lesbians that were never corrected, but other than that i really liked this book.
If there was ever a bookish anthem for "just say no" this would definitely be the title that comes to mind. I've read Ellen Hopkins before; however, I never delved into her most iconic series which details the experiences of her daughter’s descent into addiction to crystal meth. Please be mindful that this book has a plethora of content warnings ranging from drug use to rape. It's extremely heavy so take that into consideration before picking this up.
Crank all too well illustrates how easy it is for some individuals to slip into addiction. For the main character Kristina, it simply takes a visit to her father. What follows next is Kristina's journey as she attempts to reckon with her addiction and hide it from family and friends. Hopkins utilizes the emergence of an alter-ego to explain how a shy and often unconfident young woman will do anything to maintain her supply of crystal meth. This definitely wasn't an easy read for me. While a quick and easy read due to it being written in free verse, I found so many different parts of Kristina’s story to be hard to navigate. There were moments when she wanted to tell someone of her addiction but grew fearful of the response or fearful of whether she would be able to survive without using. There were moments that I felt for Kristina's mother (who would be Ellen Hopkins as this is a fictionalized re-telling of her own experiences). How do you help your own child who has seemingly slipped into this dark world? Do you deny that they would ever be capable of such a thing? How do you get them help without isolating or pushing them way? Reading this as a parent had such a different meaning for me.
While it is true that this can be read as a cautionary tale of the dangers of drug use, it is also clear that drug addiction at its core is a substance abuse disorder, a mental illness. Although Kristina is destroying herself and her family, there are so many moments when I wanted to reach into the pages of this novel and offer her a helping hand. The things experienced by a woman battling drug addiction are so clearly outlined by Hopkins that it will make a reader want to close the book and never return to its pages. There is something to be stated about a writer's ability to capture so many different emotions in a single story that is written in verse. I'm not sure if Hopkins was able to get any relief in writing this story, but I sincerely hope that she did.
Crank all too well illustrates how easy it is for some individuals to slip into addiction. For the main character Kristina, it simply takes a visit to her father. What follows next is Kristina's journey as she attempts to reckon with her addiction and hide it from family and friends. Hopkins utilizes the emergence of an alter-ego to explain how a shy and often unconfident young woman will do anything to maintain her supply of crystal meth. This definitely wasn't an easy read for me. While a quick and easy read due to it being written in free verse, I found so many different parts of Kristina’s story to be hard to navigate. There were moments when she wanted to tell someone of her addiction but grew fearful of the response or fearful of whether she would be able to survive without using. There were moments that I felt for Kristina's mother (who would be Ellen Hopkins as this is a fictionalized re-telling of her own experiences). How do you help your own child who has seemingly slipped into this dark world? Do you deny that they would ever be capable of such a thing? How do you get them help without isolating or pushing them way? Reading this as a parent had such a different meaning for me.
While it is true that this can be read as a cautionary tale of the dangers of drug use, it is also clear that drug addiction at its core is a substance abuse disorder, a mental illness. Although Kristina is destroying herself and her family, there are so many moments when I wanted to reach into the pages of this novel and offer her a helping hand. The things experienced by a woman battling drug addiction are so clearly outlined by Hopkins that it will make a reader want to close the book and never return to its pages. There is something to be stated about a writer's ability to capture so many different emotions in a single story that is written in verse. I'm not sure if Hopkins was able to get any relief in writing this story, but I sincerely hope that she did.
Trigger warning for Rape, abortion!
This story really hit home! I love that unlike many of Hopkins' other novels this just focused on one main character and I got the chance to connect with her more! This is a gut-wrenching roller coaster I cried ugly tears in the end because I felt for the MC so much!
This story really hit home! I love that unlike many of Hopkins' other novels this just focused on one main character and I got the chance to connect with her more! This is a gut-wrenching roller coaster I cried ugly tears in the end because I felt for the MC so much!
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
This was a powerful book about the stranglehold of addiction. The writing style lended itself perfectly to the subject matter. I read this in one day, did not want to put it down.
I love that this book is in poem form. It flows flawlessly with deep feelings in the words.
I don’t get any of this - most of her motivations felt vague and arbitrary and referring to meth as “the monster” throughout felt weird and like this was a made up moralizing story in DARE not like something a full-fledged character was actually living & narrating.
As a mom of teens, I appreciate what Hopkins is trying to do here-tell her daughter’s addiction story through an affecting book in verse. I imagine it has reached a lot of people (and hopefully shown teens the perils of drugs and addiction). As a 40 something woman, I just didn’t like the writing. It felt really disingenuous told by the mom AS the daughter (especially as her real daughter gave no input). I would have much preferred she tell the story as herself-the mom-looking in from the outside.