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Smithville Public Library

Book Review by Samantha F.

CRANK by Ellen Hopkins

Crank

By: Ellen Hopkins 

Reviewed by Samantha F.

      The book Crank brings a lot to the table as it is exactly what teenagers have to experience in high school. A lot of teenagers have to deal with peer pressure and drugs at least once in their high school career. Crank is a typical high school experience but it is all put into a book. It is about a girl named Kristina, who goes off to live with her dad but not only does she reconnect with her dad, she gets involved with the monster (crack). Teenagers deal with experiences just like Kristina did, you loose friends and find new things to keep your mind off of the hard times. I can relate to loosing friends due to drugs but I can not say that I have done drugs. I quit hanging out with people who did them because not only does it harm their life but it affects the loved ones in their life as well. Kristina realizes this in the book but she gets to involved and she doesn’t know when to say no. As Kristina gets more into the drug she will do anything for it and she doesn’t have the power or control to say no. Kristina was raped in the book because of the fact she didn’t have the power to get away from the drug and Brendan took advantage of that.

      This book is nonfiction although it is written in a fiction style. I believe that high school students and junior high students should read this; it has a hard impact when you know someone who is involved with these sorts of things. Ellen has also written many other books that have other peer pressuring events in them that High school students go through each and every single day.

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You can find this book and many more directed especially to teens and young adults at SPL.