Thursday, March 10, 2011

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!

9 comments:

  1. Everyone always says these books are so raw and real...I absolutely need to read one! Thanks for the wonderful review, you've convinced me to see if my library has a copy :)

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  2. I was lucky enough to find a really cheap copy of Crank at Goodwill the other day, so of course, I had to pick it up! I've never read Ellen Hopkins, which is a bit of a book blogger fail, but I've heard so many great things about her writing. You giving Crank and Glass 5 stars makes me even more excited to read them!

    Stopped by from the Comment Exchange Program!

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  3. I have not read any of these books, mainly because there are so many now, and it seems a little daunting to get started. However, I will say that my students love these books and carry them around all the time! That, in and of itself, makes me want to read them!

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  4. I've only ever read one book written in verse before - Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder and it was amazing. I saw Crank at one of my favourite cheapie bookshops the other day and was tempted to grab it but didn't.... looks like I need to go back there and hope they still have it!

    I'm 100% sold on this now, thanks :) Both books sound like an incredibly emotional journey for both the characters and the reader. I didn't know it was inspired by real life events - kind of makes me more intrigued to read it. Brilliant review!

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  5. I haven't a read a book by Ellen Hopkins(I know. What's wrong with me, right?) and I've been meaning to since all I heard are praises for her works. Your review just makes me want to go out now and buy it.

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  6. Great review!

    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.

    That's exactly how I felt about her book Tricks - it was the first (and only) experience with Ellen Hopkins, and I was nervous about it, but it turned out to be pretty fantastic. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future!

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  7. AMAZING REVIEW!
    I want to read this book! I have it in my to-read list looong time!
    It sounds really great and you made me want this book even more!
    and I love the cover too.. it's so simple and because of it it's beautiful! :)

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  8. Ive heard awesome things about Ellen´s books. I really want to read this one, looks just... great, I love this kind of REAL books. Nice review!
    -Mariana S
    http://smartgirls-read.blogspot.com/

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  9. Great review! I haven't read any book by Ellen Hopkins but these book sound amazing!!!

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