Crank by Ellen Hopkins: Review

Title: Crank

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Buy This Book: Book Depository / Amazon

Life was good 
before I 
met 
the monster.

After, 
life 
was great, 
At 
least 
for a little while. 

Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. 
Then, Kristina meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul & her life. (Goodreads summary.)

"Just Before The Drop
You know how you
stand and stand and stand
in line for the most
gigantic incredible roller
                                      coaster
you’ve ever dared attempt.

Anticipation swelling,
minute by minute by minute,
you choose to wait even
longer, to ride in the front
                                      car
and finally it’s your turn.

They buckle you in, lock the
safety bar with a jolting clunk!
Hook engaged, the chain jerks
you forward. You start to
                                      climb
Crank-crank-crank.

Cresting the top, time
moves into overtime
as you wait for that scant
hesitation, just before you
                                     drop

You know how you feel
at that instant? Well, that’s
exactly how it feels when you
shake hands with the
monster."

I have literally just finished Crank by Ellen Hopkins. I immediately felt the urge to come on here and post my thoughts on it. It had been recommended to me by numerous people, and I had seen it on so many top ten lists that I finally decided to give it a go. It is written entirely in verse, something I was not aware of at the time of taking the book out from the library where I work. And I must admit I felt a slight trepidation at opening it and discovering this. But don't let this put you off.

I soon got used to the verse, to how the words were spread out over the pages. How my eyes kept needing to adjust. I was completely sure I would be entirely unable to get in to the story because of how it was written. I was completely surprised to find that it seemed to draw me in more.

 Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter, a straight A student, quiet and never in any trouble. That is until she visits her father and finds the old her; the Kristina in her, disappearing. And the new, the fearless and the willing-to-try-anything-once Bree in her place. It is here she meets Adam, who draws her in to the world of crystal meth or CRANK as it is known. Kristina finds herself lost in it. Bree seems to be taking over more and more. And she will do anything she can for her next fix.

I was drawn easily in to the world of Kristina. How she felt about what she was doing, what she was feeling when she was on the drugs. And why she kept going back for more. As someone who has never had any interest in drugs & have always, quite frankly, been quite judgemental of those who are drawn in so easily to the world of drugs this was an interesting read for me. Seeing how easily she is drawn in and how easily the drugs take over who she is and what she wants.

I was unsure whether I would like this book but I would recommend it. I feel it is an intriguing and interesting read. It kept me interested from beginning to end and I really wanted to see how it ended. It is not surprising to find that this book is based on the author's daughter and her experiences with crystal meth. You can tell that that the author knows what she is talking about, that she has gone through this before, that she has dealt with someone who has been taking over by the monster themselves. 

4/5 Stars

This is written entirely in verse, which takes a little getting used to but worth the effort. It was such an interesting and unique read. I was drawn so easily into the story and Kristina's life. This book gripped me and didn't let me go till the end. A very moving book, especially when you realise it is based on the author's own daughter. A wonderful story, I definitely recommend.