Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publishing Date: October 5th, 2004
Rating: 5 stars
Pages: 537 pgs
ISBN: 9780689865190

Summary from GoodReads: 
Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.
Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.

My Review:
Last week was banned books week and I decided to read a book that is often banned: Crank by Ellen Hopkins.  This book is written entirely in verse and at times I am not fond of this type of writing but this book was AMAZING!  I could not put this book down and I read it all in one day.  I even went out that night and bought the next two books in the series.  This book is often banned because it has to do with a teen who becomes addicted to meth and as a result her decision making skills are often called into question.  There are drugs, sex and profanity in this book and I suppose this is the reason it has been banned.  I do agree that parents should know what their children are reading and if they feel the book is too mature at the time then that is their decision but I do not agree that an entire library should ban a book.  It is up to the person to make that decision and it should not be a unanimous decision to say that something is too mature.  Teens have all different types of experiences and books like this may help them to relate to something or someone even if it is a fictional character.  I was disturbed by this book and it kept making me think of how life could be different for me if I had gone down a different road.  I couldn't help but yell out loud at Kristina sometimes and not just at Kristina but also her father, and some of the men in her life.  I would highly recommend reading this novel and I can't wait to read her next two books in this series: Glass and Fallout.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.