I finished reading Crank by Ellen Hopkins the other day. Overall, I think that it was a powerful book, through examining Kristina/Bree's transformation of good girl, to bff's with the monster.
I think Crank can be a good book to read (at an appropriate time with parental awareness) for teens, possibly as a precautionary measure. However, it makes me wonder if that age group would really understand what Kristina was going through (without having a connection to her actions)-- there is so much happening in her life. It definitely takes a mature audience to read this text.
At times, I felt anxious and didn't want to know what was going to happen. I would be angry with Kristina's decisions. I would close the book and return to it later, sometimes hoping the situation would change if I walked away for a while. I wanted to hope that she would really turn it around and kick the monster, for good. I felt sorry for her.
Through Kristina/Bree's challenges and transformation, we end the 'story'; I still don't know how to react. This struggle that she has been through, we really see how easy it can be for a drug to literally change a person's life. Turn into another being. Do things one normally wouldn't do. With all this time she was in trouble, and felt she couldn't talk to her parents. What if she did? How would it have affected her situation? Kristina/Bree was out of control and would do anything she had to stay high.
In the sense she felt she couldn't talk to her parents, I know this is something I could connect to, and I'm sure others as teens did, too. I always felt as if I couldn't really talk to them, or couldn't help me, or especially in Kristina's case, receiving a GUFN (grounded until further notice).
With everything that happens throughout these stories, it is hard not to feel for and/or with Kristina/Bree. This book was written as a powerful read and may or may not recommend it to others, depending on the reader.
My favorite thing about this book was the set-up of the text during each 'chapter'. It put meaning behind the writing, and made for interesting connections. I also enjoyed re-reading the passages, but through different patterns, attempting to discover new meanings and ways of interpreting her words.
This is a great reflection on how you responded while reading as well as noting the ways in which you changed your reading process due to both the content and the form of the book. It is clear that you were fully engaging with this text.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree Ellen Hopkins' works are difficult reads due to the subject matter, they are stories worth reading as they represent risky behaviors and unsafe situations that teens find themselves faced with. Every year Ellen has come to TBF, she often has a handful of teens who tell her how her books saved their lives -- or made them decide to choose a different path.