Ellen Hopkins's Crank is largely a book about perspective. The raw, lyrical verse of a teenaged girl battling a meth addiction and enduring the perils of growing up too fast resonates, while also showing how the descent into addiction ripples through an entire family. Crank immerses readers in Kristina’s shifting mindset, with every poetic line capturing how her perspective distorts under the influence of drugs, turning danger into temptation and consequences into afterthoughts. At the same time, it forces readers to consider addiction not just from Kristina’s viewpoint, but from the eyes of her family, who watch helplessly as she unravels. The novel challenges how we perceive control, identity, and the fine line between choice and compulsion.

Whether you've been Kristina/Bree, or you've been a member of her family, Crank evokes something deeply visceral. Ellen Hopkins crafts tale of addiction that is both brutally ugly and unexpectedly beautiful. The juxtaposition between Kristina and Bree in Crank is so impactful because it highlights the devastating transformation caused by addiction. Kristina starts as a bright, well-behaved girl, but as she adopts the persona of Bree, she descends into reckless, destructive behavior. This split identity makes her struggle feel more tangible, showing how addiction doesn't just change a person's actions—it fractures their very sense of self. 

If you're not careful when you read this book, it has the potential to damage your heart and your psyche. Major trigger warning - make sure you're in the right headspace before you pick it up, but watch how transformative this novel is on your perception of addiction.

I know it's a classic. Maybe I need to read the actual version instead of a graphic novel. 

I am all for a fast-paced book...when the characters actually have some depth and aren't just a bunch of cliches. I think the author majorly failed at creating a feel-good cozy Hallmark novel, or at least they failed at making it interesting. The only good thing about this book is that it was queer, which is one star, and it was an easy, quick read, which gives it half a star. Also a star for portraying vulnerability with nakedness and sex even at 18 - I feel a lot of young adult novels make it seem like sex and being naked is just common knowledge as soon as you're an adult. 2.5 stars is generous, though. I'm sure booktokers would eat this one up!

This book almost put me in a reading slump, and it took me longer to read than any book in quite some time. The chapters were too long, the pages too dense. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for the author, I am a crustacean...Boil me down with a good plotline, and I'm soft about the book all over again. One of the last lines in the book really did it for me. Plus with the execution of this plot, I can't stay mad at the writing style/formatting not being enjoyable for me. This book is something I would have loved to see a movie of, to be honest. 

A shockingly riveting sapphic thriller. I fear the sequel will not compare, but I'll have to give it a shot anyways because the way this story played out was chef's kiss. I loved it. I didn't expect to, I'll be honest, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

Cute