Crank---Chan

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                When most readers open a novel, the characters in the story are who we become as we read.  I get into the characters head because I am reading their stream of consciousness, and their response to the things received in the characters environment and surrounding. I read to escape into a different life and world and Crank by Ellen Hopkins brought me into dark. The reality of living in a fallen world is that innocent people are invited to darkness and in this case Katrina was invited by the monster. As creatures of free will, she took that bait and is now in an everlasting battle, but the darkness in her life continues to win.
            When I was in high school teachers always said, “We are preparing you for the real world”. The thing they don’t want to face is that when the students exit school doors, they are in the real world. Teens face challenges that are life threatening and if their parents don’t warn them, then teachers have a responsibility to. Sadly, the tough issues are not in the realm of comfort for teachers to talk about. With books like Crank, it could bridge that discomfort between the teacher and student, and open an important discussion about addiction, rape, drugs, and sex.
            It’s important to note that the names Kristina and Bree have nothing similar or are in comparison. “Bree shrugged, Kristina silently screamed at the angry green pocket of pus (195)”. Hopkins does this on purpose to draw the line between the life before meth and the life after meth. It is drastically different, and the ironic thing is that it’s all happening in one person. 
           The constant battle of what is good and wrong seems to drive this character crazy to where she becomes numb. She didn’t know who to listen to internally. “and this person named Bree, growing stronger inside me, convincing me to be someone I never dreamed I’d want to be(253)”. This gives students an opportunity to realize that all it takes is that one individual to change your life rather good or bad. Kristina never imagined a life with meth-until she met someone who gave her the opportunity to see how life would be with meth. That one person who she never thought she would be is now consuming her, vanishing Kristina.
           It’s a crucial concept for the readers to understand how choices and decisions can make or break you. And as teenagers dealing with many (hormonal) temptations, it’s great Hopkins compresses those temptations  to the extreme in Crank.
           

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