Crank by Ellen Hopkins (537 pages)
This novel, written entirely in poems, details the life of seventeen-year-old Kristina Shaw. The reader picks up Kristina’s story as she leaves her home to visit her estranged father. She hasn’t seen him in 8 years, and he’s not exactly the role model any teen needs. He works nights at the local bowling alley and spends his free time smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. Soon, Kristina meets Adam, the neighborhood bad boy, and he introduces her to meth, also known as “The Monster.” From then on, her life is never the same. Her grades fall, her love life is filled with unsavory characters, and she takes on a new name and persona - Bree. As Bree, she is fearless and out of control, letting The Monster lead her deeper and deeper into darkness. This is the first of several poetic novels by Hopkins that details drug abuse in teens. (For mature readers)
Miss Simer’s Rating: ***1/2
