Audiobook Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

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• Publisher: HighBridge Company
• Publication date: 8/1/2008
• Format: CD
• Edition description: Unabridged
• Read by: Laura Flanagan
• Source: Borrowed digital audiobook from library

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Overview

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.

My Thoughts 

I have to admit that I am a bit put off by books written in verse, but this book had so many awesome reviews that I needed to see what it was all about. I never was much into poetry, so for a book to be written in the form of poems is quite intimidating to me. Fortunately listening to it in audiobook form makes it all blend well. Great for someone like me, but if you actually want to know where each poem begins and ends, it's best to read the actual book. The reader was fantastic and she really put the feeling into Kristina's character. This was a very intense book to listen to, but even as much as some of the things happening frustrated me, I couldn't stop. 

Kristina starts off as a good girl and things go so bad, so quickly for her. I can't say that I relate to her because I never went down any of the paths she went down, but I can definitely say that I totally felt for her at times. Bree is her alter ego, the one who isn't the perfect good girl, the one who wants to flirt with boys...and even drugs. I feel bad for her because she doesn't know how effed up her life will become just from trying to escape for a little while. She takes a totally wrong path in life and she is now lost in the struggle of coming out of it. Except she doesn't really want to. She knows that she should, but The Monster (meth) calls to her. It calls to Bree. Bree is stronger than Kristina and Kristina is getting lost. Either way, Kristina/Bree falls in love a little too easily, is quick to do things that she shouldn't, and doesn't want to try hard enough to be helped before it's too late. 

This book seriously broke my heart. It was very hard to listen to at times. I wanted to scream at Kristina and ask what the eff was wrong with her. How could she not see what she was doing? How she was falling apart? Why when she gets to her fathers and sees how much of a scumbag loser he is, why didn't she immediately call her mom to go home? What kind of father does meth with their kid? How can she think she is in love with this drug addict boy after like a week? Those are just some of the things. Once she is back home, it's surprising how easy it is for her to find the drugs she wants needs. It's so sad how each situation seems to go from bad to worse for her. I can't even describe how much I wanted to just jump into the book and give her a hug and smack her at the same time. Tell her that it's not worth it. 

This book is so raw and real. It's heartbreaking and eye opening. After reading this book I don't know any person who would want to get into this stuff and destroy their life like that. It is scary how quickly The Monster takes over. What Kristina will do to get it, what she risks, what she goes through, all of it. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is very intense. I can't say that I liked Kristina because honestly, she wasn't very likable, but I wanted to fix her so badly. I was so invested in the story because it was so sad that this seemingly wonderful girl is falling apart and destroying herself. I wanted to hate her parents for not being able to help her, but also knew that it's not their fault and that you can't help someone who doesn't want it. I think that mostly this book broke my heart because I read that this book is based on the authors own daughter. This book had to have been incredibly hard for her to write. I was just thinking how hard it would be to watch anyone, especially your own child go through that, totally helpless to do anything for them. I highly recommend this book!! 5 out of 5 stars.