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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I was honestly kind of disappointed in this book. Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorite authors, so I was sure I would like this book. I never felt connected to Kristina in the way I did with the characters in her other books. I also felt like the story had too many repetitive aspects to be its own unique book (rape, traveling to a relative's for the summer, falling in love over the summer, etc.)
Just spent four hours rereading this book. I love Ellen Hopkins. Sometimes the layout bothers me though.
Kristina is the perfect daughter. That is until she visits her absentee father, meets a boy who introduces her to crank, and becomes addicted. When she returns home, she struggles to try juggle the newfound Bree who is makes connections to other users and Kristina.
My daughter sometimes enjoys these depressing books told in verse, so I thought I would test this one out after it came up on a free January read list. Not sure how I felt about this book... it was depressing and told a powerful message, but left a bad taste in my mouth overall.
It's a good read that I discovered in high school, but I never quite got over how it's based on the author's daughter's experiences. It's less the drugs and more the sexual content that was squick for me after learning that
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. Just, wow. I read this book in a little over a day - I couldn't put it down. I'd seen Crank on the shelves of bookstores for years, but hadn't picked it up until now, and I regret that I missed out on it for so long. Hopkins captures the descent into drug abuse perfectly, in beautiful lyricism. The entire book is in verse, which lends itself to the frantic need that protagonist Kristina has for crystal meth, "the monster." I've never experienced novel or film that so vividly depicts addiction; upon finishing Crank, I felt as if I were the person who'd had the addiction, and not Kristina.
Hopkins pushes the envelope, and isn't afraid to tackle issues other than drug addiction: rape, cutting, and dysfunctional relationships all appear in this first installment in the Crank series. Luckily, I had Glass on hand, so I was able to continue reading Kristina's story immediately after finishing Crank.
Hopkins pushes the envelope, and isn't afraid to tackle issues other than drug addiction: rape, cutting, and dysfunctional relationships all appear in this first installment in the Crank series. Luckily, I had Glass on hand, so I was able to continue reading Kristina's story immediately after finishing Crank.
4.5 stars. It was very easy to get into this story, something I was hesitant about, because it is a novel in verse. The words are powerful, and the stripped-down feel of the text made the emotions and events stand out. My only dislike is the abrupt end to the book, but I am excited to read the next in the series, and to read more by Ellen Hopkins. I think this book is a great look at meth addiction and what it can do to even the most unsuspecting, mild-mannered girl. It's a fictional re-telling of Hopkins' own daughter's experience with meth.
I initially thought I'd really enjoy the format of this book, written in sculpted verse. While I did find that refreshing in a way, the actual story was problematic for me. It is presented as a true story of the author and her daughter ... a few problems - how did she know what her daughter went through? Why is the mom presented as so amazing when I imagine she had her own flaws? And research then told me the daughter never seemed to give permission for this story? I dunno ... Felt off.
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First published October 1, 2004
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Literary awards: Soaring Eagle Book Award 2008, Deutscher Jugendilteraturpreis Nominee for Jugenbuch 2011, Lincoln Award 2009, Goldener Lufti 2012, Green Mountain Book Award 2009, Gateway Readers Award 2007
__________
The story of a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crank, a form of methamphetamine. The novel follows Kristina's downward spiral as she attempts to feed her addiction and deal with the consequences of the bad decisions that she has made. (Source: bookrags.com)
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Why was this banned? explicit sexual activities; sexual battery; profanity; and drug abuse.
I'll start with the obvious: Drug abuse. Duh. That's the reason for the book. Not sure why we are banning stories that show the negative effects of drug use.
Profanity. Not so much. 20 in the total book. Meh.
Sexual activities, sexual battery. Yes, there are descriptions of such. While it's tough to read about sexual assault, I am not sure we need to not let teenagers know it happens and what happens when it happens.
The sexual descriptions were there, though did not feel gratuitous for the most part.
___________
First published October 1, 2004
__________
Literary awards: Soaring Eagle Book Award 2008, Deutscher Jugendilteraturpreis Nominee for Jugenbuch 2011, Lincoln Award 2009, Goldener Lufti 2012, Green Mountain Book Award 2009, Gateway Readers Award 2007
__________
The story of a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crank, a form of methamphetamine. The novel follows Kristina's downward spiral as she attempts to feed her addiction and deal with the consequences of the bad decisions that she has made. (Source: bookrags.com)
__________
Why was this banned? explicit sexual activities; sexual battery; profanity; and drug abuse.
I'll start with the obvious: Drug abuse. Duh. That's the reason for the book. Not sure why we are banning stories that show the negative effects of drug use.
Profanity. Not so much. 20 in the total book. Meh.
Sexual activities, sexual battery. Yes, there are descriptions of such. While it's tough to read about sexual assault, I am not sure we need to not let teenagers know it happens and what happens when it happens.
The sexual descriptions were there, though did not feel gratuitous for the most part.