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Crank
Scritto da Ellen Hopkins
Narrato da Laura Flanagan
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Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.
Azioni libro
Inizia ad ascoltareInformazioni sul libro
Crank
Scritto da Ellen Hopkins
Narrato da Laura Flanagan
Descrizione
Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.
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I can only recommend this with reservations. Some high school students will love this book, but the content is hard to read. The drug use and teenage sex (rape) is difficult content to read.
Rating: 4Crystal meth (aka - crank, aka - the monster) is a highly addictive drug and Kristina (aka - Bree), a 17-year-old based on Hopkins' daughter, is introduced to "the monster" as Bree. Once the introduction turns into an acquaintance, it's a slippery slope for Kristina - one that is as uncontrollable as speeding down an iced-covered mountain on a round sled.This was a very scary book. Several times I shouted in my mind, "WHAT!?! What are you doing?", so from that perspective - I was deeply involved and thought it was a great book. However, there were two major issues that prevented it from feeling realistic. One - the mother lets Kristina visit her estranged father and two - the "action" begins with a snap of a finger. Even at other times within the book, I felt like everything just happened so fast! Now that could be the whole point with the drug, but not prior to the drug. Needless to say, this was a very devastating, but informative look into where making poor choices can lead.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
Rating: 4I'm not sure why i waited so long to read this one. I love novels written in verse. I couldn't relate to Kristina or any of the characters, but I was sucked into the story and almost felt as though I was flying right along with them. I learned to hate Brenden, love Chase; especially at the end. For a college bound kid, he really stepped up to the plate even after he found out it wasn't his place to. The ending was very abrupt and I can't wait to start the next book to find out what happens.
An interesting exercise in poetry and the subject matter of drugs is eye-opening to adults and teens alike.
Rating: 4ellen hopkins was my first "teens with real problems" author. i love all her books and crank was the first i read. super compelling and i could not put it down.
Rating: 5I found this book exceedingly difficult to read, not only due to subject matter, but the style of writing. It is written in a series of disjointed poems. Very well done, just not for me.
Rating: 4This was about a 2.5 star for me. I understand why it is popular and the theme is important. However, some of the verse was just not for me. There were poems that were brilliant and others I found mundane. The sculpted verse felt like a gimmick on the less engaging poems.
Rating: 3Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Wow. Crank is a dark, haunting tale of girl meets meth. Written in verse, Hopkins weaves together a heart wrenching and real look at how easily one can get sucked into the world of drugs and the destruction this causes, not only to the individual herself, but to all those around her. The narration is powerful and tragic, exposing just how potent and consuming "the monster" really is.
Rating: 5Wow. Crank is a dark, haunting tale of girl meets meth. Written in verse, Hopkins weaves together a heart wrenching and real look at how easily one can get sucked into the world of drugs and the destruction this causes, not only to the individual herself, but to all those around her. The narration is powerful and tragic, exposing just how potent and consuming "the monster" really is.
Crank was written by the mother of a teen girl who fell into methamphetamine use. It was a very insightful, heart-aching, and utterly sad book. It reminded me somewhat of Nick Sheff's autobiography titled Tweak, in which he recounts his own struggles with the "monster." What was unusual for me was the fact that this book was written in verse. I can't say I've ever read a novel in verse before, so at first it didn't come naturally to me; however, it didn't take me long to get the rhythm of it. And something about the verse's simplicity, yet complicated poetic quality lent itself very well to the subject matter.Obviously this book deals directly with identity. The daughter is struggling throughout the book with her identity--who is she, how her mom and step-father feel about her, where does she belong, does her family love her, who is she besides a girl who gets straight As (is that her only value), what is love, etc. She also struggles with two seemingly separate identities: Bree, the "naughty" girl and Kristina, the responsible, good girl. The book details sensitive subject matter, such as teenage sex and pregnancy, rape, alcohol and drug use, and drug dealing.Here is a quote from the book that I think would stimulate a discussion:Choices, ChoicesLife is full of choices.We don'talways makegood ones.It seems to Kristinayou gotta be crazyto open yourwindows, invite the demons in. Breethrows rocksat the feebleglass, laughs.I gave Crank a VOYA rating of 5Q: Hard to imagine it better written, and a Popularity rating of 5P: Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it. I was on the wait list at the library for 6 weeks and still never got a copy of the book. Looking at our holdings records, it showed that we had many copies, but that most were "assumed lost" because they hadn't been returned! Other copies were weeded....so when it came down to it, we didn't have many copies left at all. I ended up having to go and buy the book.
Rating: 4My VOYA codes: 4Q, 5PActual VOYA: 4Q 4P J SIt took me a while to get into the rhythm of reading this book with every page's text laid out differently. Eventually it became interesting to read the stanzas in different ways and see multiple meanings by reading outlying words with the main groups, and then only with the other outlying words. That said, however, novels-in-verse are not my format of choice.I had selected Crank because it was highly acclaimed by a librarian I had previously worked with, and it seemed like it had gone through a phase of being really popular at one point. It seems like a poetic version of "Go Ask Alice."From my knowledge of drug use/abuse, this sounds pretty realistic - and it's based off of the true story of the author's daughter. Hopkins also reportedly receives a lot of feedback from readers attesting to how similar this story is to their own. I had difficulty understanding how some people like Kristina/Bree and her father were so heavily affected by drugs, however, when others like Chase managed to live semi-normal lives and get into college and were able to say "no" and almost take responsibility for their actions.For teens who are in the midst or on the precipice of dark times, Crank is relevant in several ways; it demonstrates events, feelings, and thought processes of a high school junior who has fallen from grace. Teens who have fought with depression, family, drugs, or even just struggled with reading would probably enjoy or identify with Kristina/Bree's account.
Rating: 24Q4P. I loved Crank and I was devastated by it, in the way that some books worm your way in and rearrange your brain. I listened to it, which I think is probably a much different experience than reading it. But I loved hearing the verse spoken aloud. Crank is the story of Kristina, a 16 year old who's life changes drastically after going to visit her junkie father for 3 weeks one summer. She meets a boy, tries meth and falls in love. Both with the boy and "the monster." She discovers, or invents, a personality or persona that she never knew existed. Kristina takes a backseat to Bree, who doesn't make the best decisions. Bree loves to flirt wit boys and get down with the monster. When Kristina returns home, Bree doesn't won't be stifled and Kristina's life spirals quickly out of control. I would have given Crank a 5Q, but there were a few things I thought were off. I'm not sure any respectable teenager this side of 1985 would refer to a line as a toot. I could be wrong, but it seems kind of like a modern teen saying something is far-out (which actually, Kristina does at one point). I also thought that Kristina's family had way to many "annual events." After the first couple It started reading like a tired device meant contrast old Kristina with new Kristina/Bree. The book ended abruptly, and in my opinion, powerfully. The reader isn't sure if Kristina will ever break free from the monster, which I suppose is realistic. Meth is scary hard to quit. There are two follow up novels in the series, so I suppose we find out whether Kristina ever shakes the monster. After reading Crank, I found out that it was semi-autobiographical. Ellen Hopkins' daughter struggled with meth addiction. I think this makes the scenes with Kristina's mother especially touching. When Kristina wonders if everything would have been different if her mother had reached out to her, it's hard not to think that maybe Hopkins wonders the same thing.
Rating: 4This book was so... wow. It was very powerful to me. It was so unsettling to be able to see from the perspective of someone who has a drug addiction. It definitely impacted me, and I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. This book just proves drug addiction can happen to anyone. It was very realistic, and I'm going to say anyone who reads it will probably want to swear off drugs for good.I love how much Kristina changed during the whole entire book. And Ellen Hopkins didn't just give the main character an easy solution/easy recovery; she was still struggling. This is an ongoing process that needs work and effort. I honestly don't think I had any problems with this book. I was captivated the whole time.
Rating: 4This book was absolutely amazing. It's a classic, its the type of book that you can read several times and fall in love with it completely all over again. From the first time I read it, it captivated me. It takes you into this innocent girls life who plays with the monster and lets it consume her. Ellen Hopkins is an absolute genius, she incorporates poetry and imagery into these books in a way that is indescribable. Truly I recommend this book to anyone, somehow we can all relate to it.
Rating: 5A wonderful, reality-checking book. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5I only knew a little about this book and had no idea it was written in prose. I'm not sure I would have picked it up if I'd known, but after a little fumbling, I got into the swing of it and was able to get into the story.I read it in one afternoon, it flew by and was hard to put down.The story was compelling and interesting. The relationships between the characters was somewhat forced and slightly artificial. It was difficult to tell if this was due to the writer's focus being elsewhere, using prose throughout or if it was a function of the drugs themselves.I also couldn't help but be affected by the author's not that the story was based on her daughter's experiences.
Rating: 3A tale of adolescent temptation to try drugs and other disreputable activities, Crank is written in a first person, lyrical sense that is reminiscent of the book Go Ask Alice. Although not among my favorites, it was a worthwhile read despite some disgusting details and atrocious behaviors. It shows the damage of drugs and the consequences that follow, and how easily some weak-willed teens cannot just say no.
Rating: 4
Wow, this book is dark but it really does seem to give an inside look at what drug addiction actually feels like and the lengths it can take a person from who they used to be. Hard to listen to, but I feel like I understand some things after reading this that I didn't before.
Rating: 5If you have the option to, I highly recommend reading the book vs the audio. The style of the writing gives the words so much more impact. It’s written in prose, some of the words are off to the side and create separate sentences. For example, if you listen to the introduction, you’ll hear it all together, but when you read it, you read everything...and then can see “I am the face in the mirror only not. I swerved recklessly picked up speed to madness.”
Rating: 3Summary: When teenaged Kristina visits her estranged father, she is introduced to crank. Everything goes downhill from there.My thoughts: I’m generally a fan of Ellen Hopkins books, and this one was good, but not as good as I expected. Maybe it’s just that I was younger when I read earlier Hopkins books? But this one didn’t seem as heart-wrenching and there were not surprises about what happened to Kristina when she started her downward spiral. Still a good book if you’re interested in teen realism, but nothing to write home about.
Rating: 4Way too dark for my tastes
Rating: 2I love books written in poems.
They are easy to read because each poems feels like a new chapter. You can just speed through it. I couldn't put it down.
I have a thing for books about teens with drug problems. I don't know what it is about them that draws me to them so much. I loved this book.
Although I do just want to punch her in the face half the time. Stupid Kristina.
Rating: 4They are easy to read because each poems feels like a new chapter. You can just speed through it. I couldn't put it down.
I have a thing for books about teens with drug problems. I don't know what it is about them that draws me to them so much. I loved this book.
Although I do just want to punch her in the face half the time. Stupid Kristina.
(This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).
Okay, so yesterday I went to my local library to get a library card since I just moved back here. Anyway, I decided to check out their YA section (which was amazing by the way). I came across Crank by Ellen Hopkins which I've only wanted to read since forever!!! It was such a good book!!
Kristina is a high school junior that has everything going for her. She's a family girl, has great friends, and makes good grades. She would never do drugs. However, a trip to visit her father changes everything. Whilst visiting her father, she changes into Bree, the sexy brave girl who is up for anything including drugs. Everything changes for Kristina during that visit. No longer is Kristina a straight edge girl, she is now addicted to crank.
The title of this book is quite straightforward. Crank is an excellent title for this book because it lets you know exactly what's going on. Crank is definitely the main plot line in this story.
Okay, you all know how I am with my covers. I'm really picky about covers for books, so you probably won't believe me when I say that I actually like this cover. Yes, strange I know but there's something about how simplistic it is that makes me like it. It's a straightforward book, so a straightforward cover is a great choice for this book. Crank written in lines in what appears to be some sort of drug really suits this book.
Ellen Hopkins did an excellent job with the world building in Crank. Every scene in this book comes alive no matter if it's taking place during a good moment or a bad one. The settings aren't really described that much which really suits the feeling of the book. However, the surroundings in the book seemed to really transport me to wherever Kristina was.
The pacing is this book really took me by surprise. The first 2 or 3 pages started off slow, and I thought I had made a big mistake in borrowing this book. After the first 2 or 3 pages, the pacing really picked up. It flowed so well. If I hadn't started reading it so late, I would've finished it all in one setting.
There's not much dialogue between the characters due to the book being written mostly in verse. The way the book is written is really done well. The words used work together beautifully. There are a few swear words but not many. I think I counted maybe two or three.
Kristina is a very well developed character. All of her actions and thoughts seem to be consistent with a 16 year old girl. Her reactions to her experiences also seem consistent with her age. I liked Kristina because, although she is a drug addict, I felt that she had a sort of vulnerable quality about her. The supporting characters encountered in the book are also very well developed. They each have their own unique personality.
Keep in mind that this isn't a very long book. It looks like it would be a long book with over 500 pages, but it's written in verse so almost all the pages don't use the whole page. It took me about 2 hours more or less to finish this book. Also, please don't be put off of this book because it's written in verse. I've never been a fan of verse until this book. It's so easy to lose yourself in it and finish it in one sitting.
I definitely loved this book, and I am going back to my library ASAP to get the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out more about Kristina and her life.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14 due to the themes and language used.
Rating: 5Okay, so yesterday I went to my local library to get a library card since I just moved back here. Anyway, I decided to check out their YA section (which was amazing by the way). I came across Crank by Ellen Hopkins which I've only wanted to read since forever!!! It was such a good book!!
Kristina is a high school junior that has everything going for her. She's a family girl, has great friends, and makes good grades. She would never do drugs. However, a trip to visit her father changes everything. Whilst visiting her father, she changes into Bree, the sexy brave girl who is up for anything including drugs. Everything changes for Kristina during that visit. No longer is Kristina a straight edge girl, she is now addicted to crank.
The title of this book is quite straightforward. Crank is an excellent title for this book because it lets you know exactly what's going on. Crank is definitely the main plot line in this story.
Okay, you all know how I am with my covers. I'm really picky about covers for books, so you probably won't believe me when I say that I actually like this cover. Yes, strange I know but there's something about how simplistic it is that makes me like it. It's a straightforward book, so a straightforward cover is a great choice for this book. Crank written in lines in what appears to be some sort of drug really suits this book.
Ellen Hopkins did an excellent job with the world building in Crank. Every scene in this book comes alive no matter if it's taking place during a good moment or a bad one. The settings aren't really described that much which really suits the feeling of the book. However, the surroundings in the book seemed to really transport me to wherever Kristina was.
The pacing is this book really took me by surprise. The first 2 or 3 pages started off slow, and I thought I had made a big mistake in borrowing this book. After the first 2 or 3 pages, the pacing really picked up. It flowed so well. If I hadn't started reading it so late, I would've finished it all in one setting.
There's not much dialogue between the characters due to the book being written mostly in verse. The way the book is written is really done well. The words used work together beautifully. There are a few swear words but not many. I think I counted maybe two or three.
Kristina is a very well developed character. All of her actions and thoughts seem to be consistent with a 16 year old girl. Her reactions to her experiences also seem consistent with her age. I liked Kristina because, although she is a drug addict, I felt that she had a sort of vulnerable quality about her. The supporting characters encountered in the book are also very well developed. They each have their own unique personality.
Keep in mind that this isn't a very long book. It looks like it would be a long book with over 500 pages, but it's written in verse so almost all the pages don't use the whole page. It took me about 2 hours more or less to finish this book. Also, please don't be put off of this book because it's written in verse. I've never been a fan of verse until this book. It's so easy to lose yourself in it and finish it in one sitting.
I definitely loved this book, and I am going back to my library ASAP to get the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out more about Kristina and her life.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 14 due to the themes and language used.
Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorites! So good! Ive read several of her books then found them all on here and decided to start over from the beginning! Beautifully narrated!!
Rating: 5This book written is in prose which I thought would be hard to read, but it isn't. The story is about a perfect teenage daughter who goes to visit her estranged father and comes back addicted to cocaine. The story covers less than 3 months of the girl's life; during those 3 months, she changes so much due tot he drugs. While I read the book, it scared me so much since I have teenage children... Drugs and sex are the main focus of the book, so for teens only.
Rating: 5A tale of adolescent temptation to try drugs and other disreputable activities, Crank is written in a first person, lyrical sense that is reminiscent of the book Go Ask Alice. Although not among my favorites, it was a worthwhile read despite some disgusting details and atrocious behaviors. It shows the damage of drugs and the consequences that follow, and how easily some weak-willed teens cannot just say no.
Rating: 4VOYA Ratings: 4Q, 4PLike its title suggests, this book by Ellen Hopkins gets into your system and won't let go until the very end. Compelling and rich with moments of poetic beauty, Crank follows the story of a young girl as she struggles and fails to balance her life between two personas; the quiet and responsible Kristina that she always thought she has known and her sexual active, meth using, and highly self-destructive alter ego, Bree.Each step of the way, she travels further and further from herself, descending into a new and exciting but frightening world of deception, rebellion, drugs, and sex... but mostly drugs. Her rational and choices read like a textbook upon the subject of addiction and each step is - for her - a sometimes frightening but ultimately necessary choice which leads her to 'the monster'.Compelling from the first page, this story never feels preachy or heavy-handed but rather, it weaves an authentic and relatable story from the perspective of a girl that could be anyone. At each bad decision, I cringed for Kristina yet I saw how each step was necessary in her mind. All the way through and up to conclusion of the book I worried for her and hoped that she would come to her senses, knowing that things don't always work out.
Rating: 4First Posted on bellesbeautifulbooks.blospot.comGoing into Crank, I knew two things.It was written in verse (!!!!), and that would be very interesting to get into.It was about meth.I expected a groundbreaking book about the danger of drugs. It was not that. I loved the writing style, and the way Hopkins described everything. I was not very fond of the way Ellen Hopkins made the drug seem. When I go into something having to do with drugs, I want to know that after reading/ watching it, I will NEVER want to get anywhere near the drugs. When Watching Breaking Bad I knew that meth was the worst thing ever, and that I would NEVER even be tempted into trying it. With this book, Kristina made meth seem like some super-drug that made you feel fantastic. It made crank seem like it was worth trying. I did enjoy reading this book, but I wanted it to make meth seem like it is as bad as it actually is. I know that I shouldn't have been, but I was always rooting for Bree to win over her parents, friends, and family. It was very bad, but I always do that. If they are the main character, chances are that I will be hoping that they win even if the character is a horrible person. I did not like Bree/Kristina, but I always wanted her to be able to do what she wanted. The overall story arc was not very great, and Kristina didn't really change after here first encounter with crank. Don't get me wrong, I liked reading this book, but the plot was not everything I wanted it to be. I adored the writing. The book was very long, but it went by really quick because none of the pages are completely filled like most books. Since it is written in verse, it took between 5-30 seconds for me to read each page. Also, the story never dragged on and became dull; I had fun reading this all the way through.I am definitely planning on finishing this series, and look forward to see where this story goes in the future books. I can't wait to get more of Hopkin's writing!
Rating: 4This semester in Dr. Austin's class, I signed up to read the poem "Manifesto" by Ellen Hopkins to the class. Since high school I have been a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins books, and Crank is one of my favorites. After reading "Manifesto", I pulled out my copy of Crank by Ellen Hopkins, and decided to look through it. Upon reading a few pages, I remembered immediately what I loved so much about Ellen Hopkin's books and I decided to re read it. I also researched Ellen Hopkins a little and found out that the main character in Crank, a young teenage girl named Kristina, is based off of Hopkin's real daughter, who has struggled with a drug addiction. Kristina is a smart, quiet, and shy junior in high school. During the summer she decides to visit her father in Albuquerque, where she meets a boy named Adam. Adam convinces Kristina to try Meth, and thus the "monster" is born. Kristina becomes addicted to meth and slowly, Kristina's life spirals out of control before her eyes. Once Kristina is back home with her mom, she is desperate for meth and trusts a boy named Brendan to supply her with Meth. Instead, Brendan betrays Kristina and rapes her. Kristina later finds out she is pregnant and although she has been dating someone, Brendan is the baby's father. The first time I read this book I was a junior in high school and somewhat naive, rereading this book has made a world of difference. I had a different perspective of Kristina, and overall I was less judgmental of her drug use. Although i do love Ellen Hopkins' verse novels, I do not feel that they are suitable for some middle and high school students.
Rating: 5The first in a series of YA novels based on one girls experience into addiction with the 'monster.'Liked: I liked that she stayed away from a lot of DOC language and her description of the journey with the monster was really good. WARNING - this will definitely trigger an addict - I found myself thinking it can't be that bad and even wondering hmmm what would that be like. --- definitely NOT good thoughts!!Disliked: Everything else. It is poorly written and extremely cliched to the point of a cheesy after school special. Also, it highlights the drunk-a-log with little meat on what helped. Ellen could tackle this aspect in the sequels but the first was so bad I don't care to go further.
Rating: 2This is an unusual book for me to review...on the one hand, I enjoyed it a lot. It was a fast, engrossing read with an unusual yet well-executed format, and I know why this author is so insanely popular with our high school patrons. But on the other hand, I didn't connect with the book on the emotional level that I expected. I didn't dislike the main character by any means, but I couldn't empathize fully with her situation, and so I read the book with a detached, almost academic perspective. It's not a fault of the story by any means...I just think my experiences were so radically different that I couldn't immerse myself fully.That being said, this is a great book, and I've used it a couple times already when talking to the high schoolers who come in looking for something to read. The story is loosely based on the author's daughter, who became addicted to crystal meth as a teenager, so there's an element of realism to the story. And for readers looking for something similar to Crank, there are plenty of both fiction & nonfiction titles that might appeal to them.The entire novel is written in free-verse, but as I explained to a hesitant patron when she heard it was more like poetry than prose, this is not your English teacher's poetry. It offers a more lyrical and descriptive perspective on a horrible situation, but it still reads like regular prose. For readers who want to take the time to analyze and savor the poetic elements, there's a lot to keep you busy. But readers who are more interested in the story will find a lot to offer here.The story itself is very gritty, raw, and realistic, and it does not shy away from difficult topics, which I respected and which YA readers really seem to respond to. It's also why Crank has ended up on many a banned book list, but please don't let me climb onto THAT particular soapbox...In terms of providing RA services at work, this is probably the most helpful book I've read so far. Besides being a high-demand book and having a lot of read-alike options, it also gives me something to talk about with the high schoolers who come to the desk. Even if they're not looking for a book like Crank, it gives us something to talk about and gives us a common point of reference.Crank is a shining example of YA literature, and even though I couldn't connect with the story the way I expected, it's one of the best books I could have read in terms of professional development.Readalikes:YA titles dealing with addiction:Smack - Melvin BurgessBeneath a Meth Moon - Jacqueline WoodsonCriminal - Terra Elan McVoyWe All Fall Down - Nic Sheff (nonfiction)Gritty, emotional nonfiction titles dealing with tough situationsA Child Called It - Dave PelzerThe Burn Journals - Brent RunyonSickened - Julia GregoryMy Bloody Life - Reymundo SanchezRealistic, gritty, emotional "tough stuff" YA novelsThirteen Reasons Why - Jay AsherOCD, the Dude, and Me - Lauren Roedy VaughnCut - Patricia McCormickSpeak - Laurie Halse AndersonYaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass - Meg MedinaJust Listen - Sarah Dessen
Rating: 4