Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Crank

Category: Poetic Prose

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Publisher/Year: Simon Pulse / 2004

Genre: Poetry, Young Adult

Awards:

• Charlotte Award (2005)
• IRA Young Adult Choices Award (2005)
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award (2006)
• Gateway Readers Awards winner (2006-2007)

Pages: 544pp

Summary: Kristina Snow is 17 years old and lives with her mom, step dad, brother and sister. She is an all-round good kid/student. She decides to visit her dad in New Mexico that summer and gets introduced to crank: crystal methamphetamine. She becomes addicted and is a different person (Bree) when she is under its influence. She meets one boy in New Mexico, Adam: her first love. She returns home and continues to be addicted to "the Monster".Another boy she starts to date, Brendan, looks trustworthy and good, but ends up raping her. Chase is the third guy she turns to and actually has a real relationship with. She starts to fail her classes at school and befriends a girl named Robyn who also uses the Monster. At the end of the book Kristina/Bree finds out she is pregnant and thinks its Chase's baby at first. After looking at the dates more closely, she realizes the baby is Brendan's. She struggles to raise the baby, stay in school, and control her addiction with crank.

Comments: Although the subject matter is pretty dark and depressing, I really enjoyed reading this book. The poetic prose was very refreshing and added such a deepness to the text. I couldn't help but just ache at the choices Kristina made and watch how each decision made the next one so much easier, until she was spiraling out of control.

Classroom Application:
Age: 14-18 years old
This could be used when teaching

• drug awareness  
• character study
• poetic prose