"Crank" by Ellen Hopkins

"Crank" is the Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award winner for 2009, so I just had to read it. I didn't realize beforehand that "Crank" is a story told in poems. I found this book very interesting. It tells the story of Kristina, your typical good girl, and her downfall after becoming addicted to meth. Kristina visits her father, who she hasn't seen in many years, to try to reconnect with him. On this visit, Kristina meets Adam, a gorgeous guy who introduces her to meth. During this visit to her dad's, Kristina becomes "Bree", a more daring person than Kristina ever could be. The story continues to describe Kristina's addiction and how it affects her life. The book is depressing at times, but it was a real eye-opener. Hopkins states in an author's note that the book is loosely based on the experiences her own daughter went through. I found that many poems in this book needed to be read two ways; not only left to right, but sometimes single words off to the side read top to bottom gave even more insight into Kristina's thoughts and feelings. This book was easy to read, with the poem format, and I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading the sequel, "Glass".