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hungrybrainz's review against another edition
3.0
I remember being in high school and reading this series - I thought “WOW, how frightening…I never want to try meth” which I’m pretty sure is ultimately the point of the novel. So in that aspect - good job for deterring teens from trying hard drugs.
It is my understanding that the author wrote it about her daughter. After re-reading it as an adult (and now a parent myself) I find it to feel a little…insincere. Almost cheesy? As if she was milking her daughter’s struggle to publish a successful book series. Perhaps it is because I couldn’t see myself being able to write an artsy book series about my child in some of the darkest times of their life; chronicling their struggles, with fiction sprinkled in to make it “interesting”.
I enjoy YA novels, and a break from the norm - but I just couldn’t stay invested in this novel the second time around.
It is my understanding that the author wrote it about her daughter. After re-reading it as an adult (and now a parent myself) I find it to feel a little…insincere. Almost cheesy? As if she was milking her daughter’s struggle to publish a successful book series. Perhaps it is because I couldn’t see myself being able to write an artsy book series about my child in some of the darkest times of their life; chronicling their struggles, with fiction sprinkled in to make it “interesting”.
I enjoy YA novels, and a break from the norm - but I just couldn’t stay invested in this novel the second time around.
jennrocca's review against another edition
4.0
Modern day "Go Ask Alice". It was good but a serious downer.
silver_linings72's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
kellixkayy's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this in high school and I’ve read it many times since. It broke my heart and it still does when I find new pieces that I can relate to.
thesimplereader's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first Ellen Hopkins book that I've read, and I've got to say, it was impeccable! It had a great story line that teaches a lesson, but it also left you wanting more. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "compelling."
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Holy, wow.
So, I wrote a review, but it is a bit chaotic, plus I am still wondering how to word everything correctly. Hopefully, I did it all right. Dang this book was just amazing.
Meet Kristina, or Bree as her alternate persona is called, a sweet girl who is smart, a perfect daughter, hasn't done much wrong in life. Everything in her life is going pretty decent, but then she gets the chance to reconnect with her dad, and from that point... her life goes upside down and with each page my heart hurt for her.
She gets entangled in a web of drugs, pain, even more drugs, and lies. Every time you think her life couldn't get any worse, it gets worse.
I have to say I didn't always like Kristina. At times I was just annoyed with her and her attitude. I get that most of her attitude was due to the drugs. The drugs that had taken over her life, her world, her mind was shattered. But still, I wish that she had sought help. That she had talked to someone. That she had confided in someone. Instead she kept going on, she kept spiralling down further and further. At a low not even taking that one big drug, crank, but also trying out other drugs (like E) and even drinking blood from people. And sure, I can understand, she was addicted, and addiction does strange things with ones mind.
Oh, and I wasn't sure how I felt about her reactions to her sister and her being lesbian.
Her love life is a mess as well. We first start off with Adam, who, sorry, is just a terrible example and not the kind of lover you may want as a first. He is the one who introduces Kristina to drugs. Well, he and Kristina's father, who just doesn't give a damn. Oh yeah, sure, let my daughter have sex and experiment with drugs while she is visiting me, totally no problem. Urgh. Back to Adam, sure, he was hot, and he had his way with words, but eh. I just knew he was a heartbreaker. Plus any guy who makes a girl addicted is a no no to me.
Then we have Chase and Brendan. I just adored Chase, though I did wonder why he was even using drugs, he seemed to be so careful about his brain. I knew that Chase was a wonderful, sweet guy. And he was! Sure, he was an enabler (even if he was trying to make sure she didn't use too much), but he also showed he had a caring side, and you could see that he truly cared about her. She could talk to him about what happened to her, and he was so sweet that he didn't want to have sex until she was ready. Until she defeated some ghosts.
Brendan however, eww, I never trusted that dude one moment. He just radiated danger. I didn't trust him at all. I feel sorry for any girls that came before and after Kristina. I wonder how many girls he hurt.
A warning, there is a rape scene in this book. It is pretty graphic, and I was shocked to read it. Poor Kristina. :(
Of course, it doesn't just end with drugs, rape, and terrible life choices, there is also something else happening, and I was sad. But then I was also happy with Kristina's choice. I am happy to see that not everything has been messed up.
I felt sorry for the parents (well, mom and stepfather), especially the mom. She just wanted her little daughter back, and I can understand. She tried to talk, she tried to help, but nothing worked, and I just felt sad that she wasn't able to reach out. :(
Oh, and this book is in verse, normally not my preferred way of reading as it always feels like someone took a perfectly good story and just threw it in the shredder. Still, I really liked reading this book, and I will also be reading the other 2 books in the series.
The author did an amazing job describing Kristina's spiral downwards. How the drugs made her do things, how she got totally addicted, how she couldn't stop, how the monster kept knocking and not letting her go. I am no expert on drugs of course, but I am basing this on the few autobiographies I read about people who were addicts. How they got addicted, how they fought, struggled, and fell downward.
In my copy we even get a word by the author on why she wrote Crank, what her reasoning was. I am happy it was added, it gave the book something extra, it made it more personal.
All in all, this is one book I would highly recommend!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
So, I wrote a review, but it is a bit chaotic, plus I am still wondering how to word everything correctly. Hopefully, I did it all right. Dang this book was just amazing.
Meet Kristina, or Bree as her alternate persona is called, a sweet girl who is smart, a perfect daughter, hasn't done much wrong in life. Everything in her life is going pretty decent, but then she gets the chance to reconnect with her dad, and from that point... her life goes upside down and with each page my heart hurt for her.
She gets entangled in a web of drugs, pain, even more drugs, and lies. Every time you think her life couldn't get any worse, it gets worse.
I have to say I didn't always like Kristina. At times I was just annoyed with her and her attitude. I get that most of her attitude was due to the drugs. The drugs that had taken over her life, her world, her mind was shattered. But still, I wish that she had sought help. That she had talked to someone. That she had confided in someone. Instead she kept going on, she kept spiralling down further and further. At a low not even taking that one big drug, crank, but also trying out other drugs (like E) and even drinking blood from people. And sure, I can understand, she was addicted, and addiction does strange things with ones mind.
Oh, and I wasn't sure how I felt about her reactions to her sister and her being lesbian.
Her love life is a mess as well. We first start off with Adam, who, sorry, is just a terrible example and not the kind of lover you may want as a first. He is the one who introduces Kristina to drugs. Well, he and Kristina's father, who just doesn't give a damn. Oh yeah, sure, let my daughter have sex and experiment with drugs while she is visiting me, totally no problem. Urgh. Back to Adam, sure, he was hot, and he had his way with words, but eh. I just knew he was a heartbreaker. Plus any guy who makes a girl addicted is a no no to me.
Then we have Chase and Brendan. I just adored Chase, though I did wonder why he was even using drugs, he seemed to be so careful about his brain. I knew that Chase was a wonderful, sweet guy. And he was! Sure, he was an enabler (even if he was trying to make sure she didn't use too much), but he also showed he had a caring side, and you could see that he truly cared about her. She could talk to him about what happened to her, and he was so sweet that he didn't want to have sex until she was ready. Until she defeated some ghosts.
Brendan however, eww, I never trusted that dude one moment. He just radiated danger. I didn't trust him at all. I feel sorry for any girls that came before and after Kristina. I wonder how many girls he hurt.
A warning, there is a rape scene in this book. It is pretty graphic, and I was shocked to read it. Poor Kristina. :(
Of course, it doesn't just end with drugs, rape, and terrible life choices, there is also something else happening, and I was sad. But then I was also happy with Kristina's choice. I am happy to see that not everything has been messed up.
I felt sorry for the parents (well, mom and stepfather), especially the mom. She just wanted her little daughter back, and I can understand. She tried to talk, she tried to help, but nothing worked, and I just felt sad that she wasn't able to reach out. :(
Oh, and this book is in verse, normally not my preferred way of reading as it always feels like someone took a perfectly good story and just threw it in the shredder. Still, I really liked reading this book, and I will also be reading the other 2 books in the series.
The author did an amazing job describing Kristina's spiral downwards. How the drugs made her do things, how she got totally addicted, how she couldn't stop, how the monster kept knocking and not letting her go. I am no expert on drugs of course, but I am basing this on the few autobiographies I read about people who were addicts. How they got addicted, how they fought, struggled, and fell downward.
In my copy we even get a word by the author on why she wrote Crank, what her reasoning was. I am happy it was added, it gave the book something extra, it made it more personal.
All in all, this is one book I would highly recommend!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
swaggy_maggie44's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
allieskat17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ellen Hopkins truly opens up in this story partially based on her daughter and family’s experience. In this book we follow Kristina on her court mandated visit to her father where she first gets introduced to a different world. She begins to abuse meth and slowly made some very bad decisions that led to being raped and a child
exlibrisabigaillee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
While I enjoyed reading this book, parts of it felt rushed, unbelievable, and/or preachy. It definitely feels like a product of its time, and reading it 20 years later feels a bit...out of touch.