Crank

Crank
by Ellen Hopkins
Rating: Great!
Difficulty: Normal
Pages: 544

 

Synopsis

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.

Based on a real-life event and written in verse, this novel relates the disturbing story of one girl's descent into addiction.

Review

So another Ellen Hopkins book! Crank is a fast paced, well thought out novel written in verse, about a girl name Kristina thrown into the world of Meth, Tina or Crank. Her alto ego, one half of her, Bree encourages her wild ways and soon they are on a destructive never ending path into darkness. So let me just say this now Crank is awesome and it seems to me that Ellen Hopkins is incapable of writing a bad novel. You're literaly right there with Kristina and Bree in all the actions and mistakes. I had to yell and scream while i was reading this because it was just so emotional provoking! Bree cynical and sadistic ways can only be described as compltely heart wrenching. The end of the story is a little bit un-conclusive but theres Glass, the second novel to Crank, to fill that in for you. Its a really good book and something all Ellen Hopkins lovers should read!

Impulse

Impulse

by Ellen Hopkins

Rating: Incredible

Difficulty: Between Advanced and Normal

Pages:688

Synopsis

From the author of the acclaimed Crank comes a gut-wrenching story of teens in crisis. Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act of desperation — suicide. Told from three different points of view Impulse is the story of Conner, Tony and Vanessa three teens driven to the edge by their dark pasts.

Review

Impulse is one of those stories that grips you by the heart and holds on tight. Through out the whole book you are immensely aware of the characters and with everything they've done you feel terrible about the situation they're in. I think this book has a very powerful message, as do all Hopkins' book, which is trying to get through life under impossible and terrible circumstances. Conner seems to have had a perfect life- rich, handsome, and wanted by all the girls in his school, the only problem is that the one girl he does want doesn't want him back. Everything about his life is a facade, his wonderful family is actually cold and heartless and his school career is being pressured by his GPA hungry parents. His mom doesn't give afecction, his daddy doesn't care and his twin sister is just as mean as his mother. Everything his life portrays to be is actually fake- which leads him to Aspen Springs, a place for bi-polars, suicidal teens, and others conflicted of inner demons. There he meets Tony, a gay teen who spent years in a juvenile detention center at age nine all for commiting the unthinkable- murder against her mothers boyfriend who sexually abused him. After getting out of juvie he finds himself living on the streets in an effort to get away from his trashy mom and trying to forget his long forgotten dad. Only after his dad finds about his attempted suicide does he make an effort to forgive his dad about leaving him all those years ago. Both of the boys are infatuted by a seventeen year old "cutter" named Vanessa. Doomed by her mother's mental disorder, Vanessa fights the demons inside of her and her fears that she will one day too become a schizo. Already manic depressive and bi-polar Tony and Conner help her gain friendship and understanding about the world they live in and they all bond through their mysterious and gut-wrenching pasts. Ellen Hopkins is fabolous in this book and the end of this book will leave you stunned!

Identical

Identical

by Ellen Hopkins

Ratings: Incredible!

Difficulty: Between Advanced and Normal

Pages:576

Synopsis

Raeanne and Kaeleigh Gardella are the teenage daughters of two successful parents: dad Ray is a prominent judge and mom Kay is expected to win an upcoming senatorial election. The Gardella family is busy, with Kay mostly on the road campaigning and Ray working long hours. The girls have school to occupy them, but while Kaeleigh is involved in typical extracurricular activities, Raeanne spends most of her free time with her drug dealer, smoking pot, drinking and having sex. At home, both girls self-medicate, drinking from their father's bottles and emptying his pill bottles. It soon becomes apparent why: ever since a tragic car accident years ago, Ray has been sexually abusing Kaeleigh.

Review

Now i don't know if i ever said this before but one of my absolute favorite authors is Ellen Hopkins! All of her books, in which are all intensely mesmerizing and wonderfully disturbing, are written in verse. When you first see this book you're going to think-wow what have i gotten myself into? it looks huge! but in all actuality it not as long as it looks. When a book is written in verse it gives a new rhythm to whatever the auhor is writing. This author for one, knows just how to pull at my heart sttrings and leaving begging for more! I've read all of her books, who's reviews are definitly coming up, and i have to say they all capture both the heartache and happiness of these teens. Identical is one of those books that keep you guessing the whole time- told from two different points of view Raeanne andKaeleigh, the two main characters, are identical twins with opposite lifestyles. They couldn't be more different on the inside. As the book progresses it starts to reveal a shocking and terrifying secret about their homelives and their destructive family. This book is actually beyond incredible- Ellen hopkins is definitley a must read author...and that means all of her books!