Ellen Hopkins is a thoughtful and interesting writer. They have a style with their prose poetry that can be both a pull, drawing you into the story and be a bit confusing as they will shape poems to fit the mood of the theme and/or point of the poem itself. The mayhem of the life, feeling or event Hopkins wants to show you is not easy, yet Hopkins handles it with a respect to the reader and subject.
Crank could have had more to it, which I’m sure the sequels cover, but also, it is still a creative look at the downhill fall into the world of chasing “the monster.” Or the drug meth. The characters are relatable, unlikable, sympathetic, selfish, scared and are just plain human. While based on the experiences of Hopkins and her daughter, this is a fictional account of what happens when a family is touched by this drug and the addiction that will follow.
The version I read has a book club/discussion guide, previews to other books by Hopkins, and a small section on the real story of Hopkins, her family and their struggles, and story of a person hooked on a deadly drug.
This is, as said, not an easy read, there is graphic imagery of the taking of drugs, the high/trip taken, and the sexuality that comes from that high. There are triggers for rape, attempted rape, and possible suicide attempt. This book is downright ugly, with some beautiful langue to give it life. Ages 14 and up.
