"Crank" It Up

The book/ book review I chose to talk about for my fifth blog is called, “Crank” and was written by Ellen Hopkins. I found this particular book review on commonsensemedia.org. “Crank” was the first book Ellen Hopkins wrote in this particular, what I like to call “Drug Awareness” series. This particular book, along with others in her series, comes partly come from the fact that her own daughter with through a drug abuse problem. Ellen Hopkins has also written other books such as, “ “Burned”, “Impulse”, “Identical”, “Glass”, “Tricks”, and “Fallout”. The books written by Ellen Hopkins are written in a poetry style, which I feel much easier to read. While I personally have only read “Crank” and “Glass”, I have been told that all books Ellen Hopkins are supposed to be, while sad at the same time, “good reads” and informational at the same time.

The book “Crank” is based on a teenage girl named Kristina. Kristina is the narrator in the story, Kristina has suffered from drug problems and her main addiction that is talked about is to the drug Methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is referred to “the monster” in the reading. Along with just the problem of Methamphetamine, she also is going through things such as; “she smokes cigarettes, does ecstasy, and smokes marijuana”, throughout the book, it also discussed how she went through being raped and an unplanned pregnancy. Along with these problems, there is also the everyday bad influence like her so-called “friend”, “Bree”. Through me reading the other book written by Ellen Hopkins, “Glass” I also read that Kristina had another child along with this that had to be taken away from her because of being “unfit” due primarily to her addictions.

Throughout the book review, it discusses the importance of parents being positive influences to prevent things such as drug addiction. It discusses “what parents should know”. This book very well could make no sense, along with being too much of a “mature read” for children, but if parents are able to sit down and read it, they can gain the importance of it and be able to pass valuable messages along to their children. There were a number of comments below the book review, and it was agreed that while it is a good book all in all, it is definitely something that should be monitored as far as who reads it. There are the situations such as sexual interactions, profanity, drug abuse, etc. that can be harmful for someone to read if they are not mentally “ready” for it. It was said that children should be taught about certain drug situations such as this before being told about or reading the book themselves at some point. The book review also specifically talks about the different characteristics of the book such as; educational value, positive messages, positive role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking, drugs, & smoking. Along with these it also gives other links to where you can find out more information on the book.

In reference to the book: according to common sense media, “Crank” is “first in controversial verse poetry series about addiction.”

Even though this book didn’t necessarily take place in the South East region of the United States, is a very well known social problem all throughout the United States, along with other areas. I feel this particular book has benefited my blog because not only is it a book (series, etc.) that I am familiar with, but also gives even more knowledge and information pertaining to the social problem my group is focused on, drug abuse with children (meaning teenagers such as Kristina as well). This book is definitely one I suggest to anyone to read who is interested in this type of problem, again even in my own views should be restricted to people that are mature enough and able to take in the information properly.