Crank by Ellen HopkinsSeries: Crank #1
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Bought
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Rating:
This is a story about a monster. Not a dragon or a mythological beast, but a very real, very destructive monster--crystal meth--that takes hold of seventeen-year-old Kristina Snow and transforms her into her reckless alter-ego Bree. Based on her own daughter's addiction to crystal meth, Ellen Hopkins' novel-in-verse is a vivid, transfixing look into teenage drug use. Told in Kristina's voice, it provides a realistic portrayal of the tortured logic of an addict.
I appreciate what Ellen Hopkins is doing here, I really do. Raising awareness for drug abuse and mental illness is A+ and she should carry on doing what she’s doing. That said, I didn’t enjoy this book for one sole reason: the writing. I’d never read a book written in verse before, but I figured Ellen Hopkins would have been a great starting point. I didn’t like it. I really struggled to get sucked into the story and to feel anything at all for the characters. Crank was a quick read because sometimes there were barely any words on a page, but I didn’t fly through it because I loved it.
I’m almost tempted to carry on with this series out of curiosity over what happens next, but I’m not sure I can bring myself to do it. Maybe I need practise with such books? If I read more books that are written in verse, maybe I’ll get used to the writing style? I’m not sure. But I’m disappointed.