Crank (Crank #1)

The protagonist and narrator is Kristina Georgia Snow, a straight A high school student, who travels to Albuquerque, New Mexico for three weeks during the summer before her junior year to visit her estranged father, who she has not seen in eight years.

It is here in her father’s apartment complex that she meets Adam, known to his friends as Buddy. She calls herself Bree and they begin an intense passionate relationship, despite Adam having a girlfriend. Although Adam is sweet, sensitive and caring he is the one that introduces her to ‘Californian green’ and later crank (methamphetamine).

This is pre Walter White cooking up crystal meth in Albuquerque.

The first time Kristina tries crank she runs away and is attacked by a group of men, but luckily she is saved by Adam. After Adam’s girlfriend Lince learns of their relationship she jumps off a balcony in a suicide attempt.

After Kristina, now Bree, returns to Reno, Nevada she attracts the attention of some less than desirable boys that can supply her crank addiction. The later part of the novel depicts Kristina / Bree’s spiral out of control as the addiction takes over her life.

Although there are 537 pages the novel is written in a form of free verse poetry, which means there are only a few lines on each page, making it a quick read. It reads like Kristina’s diary.

The novel is loosely based around Hopkins’ daughter’s addiction to crystal meth. Crank is followed by two novels Glass and Fallout, which continue Kristina’s story with addiction.

So I read this book last weekend. I had gotten it from the library after seeing it on the Amazon's Most Influential YA Books list...I was also intrigued by the way it was written--in free verse. Very cool! I love the way that each page is in a different format than the others, which was very unique and interesting.
Okay, onto the actual review:
I really liked this book! To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting it to be very good, but as soon as I started this book, I had to read it all the way through! It hooked you from the very beginning, and it kept me hooked until it was over. Naturally, I was sad that it ended because I had grown to like Kristina, and I felt truly bad for her. The ending wrapped it up pretty well, but I wanted more.
And
then
I
went
on
my
library's
website!
(sorry, I just had to try typing something in Crank's format!!)
And you know what I found out?

Crank has a sequel!!!!!!
*tosses confetti*
And I'll read the sequel soon, and I can review it...
So, please go and read Crank!! It's too good to be missed!

Reader reviewed by Zac

Crank

By: Ellen Hopkins

I read the book Crank and I have to say it gets very deep and personal. Well, it is about a smart and successful young girl as an eleventh- grader in high school. Her real name is Christina but she likes to go by Bree. Okay, her mom and dad are divorced but she lives with her mom. It starts off with Britt going to spend time with her dad. When she gets his house she notices a boy that is in her opinion good-looking. His name is Adam. Everything is all good between their little relation-ship until Christina and Adam decide to go to the bowling alley. In the time period they spend time there, she goes from a girl from having all her priorities set to a cocaine addict. They refer coke to the term, the monster in the book. While in the bowling alley she finds herself doing cocaine with her boyfriend, her boyfriends ex girlfriend, and her father. Ellen Hopkins states, Something is awfully wrong in this picture. That is no doubt my favorite line of Crank.  As soon as she leaves the bowling alley, she is sexually assaulted by a group of young boys that notice she is high. They take advantage of her and rape her. Luckily Adam comes by and saves her from more of this harmful situation. After this, her life changes drastically and how she attempts to deal with these obstacles in her way of succeeding in life is for you to discover.

Now, honestly, there is some content in Crank that some viewers might find disturbing or inappropriate so I would recommend for readers that can overlook that and enjoy this great and enjoyable book. But in some way I personally feel this content is important because it shows how the monster affected her.  Other than that, its a great read and it makes you think about things. The message that I got was Dont throw your life away that you worked so hard for someone you desire or especially not for drugs, it just isnt worth it.

Review By: Zac Alfaro

Reader reviewed by Vicki

CRANK is a novel written in verse, which makes it easier to read. It is one of the better books that I have read about teenage addictions. It had me captivated from the first page. I read it in one day and I am eager to read the sequel GLASS.

**** SPOILERS****

Kristina Snow (a.k.a. Bree) is your typical teenage girl who is dealing with a lot of emotional baggage. She visits her dad for summer vacation when she is introduced to the "monster". She comes home a different person, a person who is lying to herself and her family. She is addicted and will do whatever it takes to get that fix again.

A must read for all parents and teens, and as the author states: think twice and then think again.

Reader reviewed by mearley

Some of my edgier eighth graders can't get enough of Ellen Hopkins, and after reading Crank it is clear to see why.  The story of Kristina's journey into the world of drugs is as addictive as the drugs themselves.  Eventually Kristina does see that her habits have brought her to a place she doesn't want to be and she's turned into a person she no longer recognizes.  

Told in verse, the 500 pages go by quite quickly.  I wouldn't recommend this for many middle school students (there's a scene of rape, quite a bit of bad language, and of course the glamorized drug use), but more mature students could probably handle it.  

Reader reviewed by vampreviews

ok warning to all good kids!!!!! i got in oober truble for reading this book! and now my mom checks on what im reading, and i cant read the sequil. so make sure its o.k. before you read this book!(im not kidding!) this book is about a girl who goes to her dads for a few weeks (she hasn't seen her dad in years) and gets webbed into all kinds of drugs to impress a boy who doesn't love her. and when she goes home shes all crazy. so this books basicly on her strugles, i know it sounds whiny but its good

Reader reviewed by Kris

I decided to read CRANK because i had nothing else to read nad my sister kept telling me how great the book was. CRANK is honestly one of the best books I've read, even though I generally like more "happy" books. The writing stlye is amazing and even, though it was a little hard for me at times, it made the book just that much more enjoyable.

Reader reviewed by Kaylarene

CRANK is one of the best books I have read. For someone with teenage drug problems, this would be perfect for them to relate to and try to overcome the problem. The book is about a teenage girl named Kristina trying to find herself and finds Bree. Bree is her second person i would say. Not exactly an alter ego but she tends to do things good ol' Kristina would not. When Kristina goes to see her father for a couple of weeks she meets a boy named Adam. Adam introduces her to Crank and it ends up that she can not get enough of it. Bree comes out and meets some new boys back home at her mothers named Brendan and Chase. Both also do crank and she likes both. Turns out Brendan just wanted her body but Chase truly loves her. It is an awesome book and anyone should read it.

Reader reviewed by Rachael

This is a very good book and its poetic syling is very creative. I quite enjoyed the book. I would say people between the ages of 14 and 19 would enjoy it the most.