Review by ladymondedream - Crank

ladymondedream 's review for:

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

2.0

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Ellen Hopkins’s Crank isn’t written for me. Years ago, I read the similar novel Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks. Crank is undoubtedly better at covering comparable material, but at 35, I’m outside of the adolescent stage to which the novel sings.

While I enjoyed the verse and the fast pace of Kristina/Bree’s stream of consciousness, the novel could have been a little subtler and the characters more developed. There were also parts that leaned into a cliché of addiction. That said, this might be just been a function of the YA genre.

I do remember what it’s like to be that age. However, now it’s more like I’m a voyeur peering through a foggy window. And that’s what reading Crank felt like: a peek at a life not fully formed.

Content Warnings