Double Review: Crank & Glass

Crank by Ellen Hopkins
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Glass by Ellen Hopkins
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description for Crank:

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 rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 
I was wary about Ellen Hopkins‘s books at first, as I hadn’t read any novel told in verse before. I do like poetry, it’s just that it takes me ages to analyze and really understand it, so I didn’t think this could be something I could just read to enjoy. There was no need to worry, though – the first few pages were hard to get through, but after that, I was hooked. I loved the sparse style, leaving out anything irrelevant to the story and making the reader pay close attention to every word. The writing was beautiful and captivating – hypnotic, even.

The story itself was painfully honest, frightening and fascinating. Even though what was happening was terrible, I couldn’t stop reading and finished both books quickly, despite their length.

Kristina was a completely realistic character, and so were her relationships with her family and love interests. In Crank, I could easily relate to and sympathize with her, as she was fighting the addiction and trying to do what’s best for herself and those around her. In Glass, though, I stopped sympathizing with her bit by bit, and towards the end, I really hated her. She was so selfish, becoming a ruthless dealer and criminal, and it was heartbreaking to see how she ruined not only hers but also her son’s life with her addiction. Usually, I need to be able to relate to a character in order to enjoy the book, but hating Kristina didn’t make me enjoy Glass any less – it just showed her journey and what and addiction can do to a person.
Knowing that this story was inspired by the author’s daughter’s experience makes these books even more powerful and emotional.

Needless to say, this book isn’t suitable for all ages, but l think this is an important book everyone should read eventually. The content is shocking, riveting and powerful, and the writing is just plain beautiful. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author’s books soon!