Crank

       The novel "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins, tells the story of a 17 year-old girl named Kristina Georgia Snow, who started out  very well-behaved until she went to visit her father and started using drugs.  She claimed that she had a "monster" in her head, which was persuading her to make many wrong decisions.  These decisions changed her life forever.  Crank is a book that will make readers open their eyes an realize the consequences of one's actions.  It is a book filled with information that can help a person through life, as well as  intense emotion and suspense that make it worth reading.
       One of the things that Kristina handles poorly is her use of the drug methamphetamine ("crank"). Once she goes to visit her dad, she finds out that he is addicted to the drug (as well as the fact that he has been smoking marajuana since the age of 13).  While she is in her visit, she meets a boy named Buddy, who goes by the name Adam.  It is believed that this is what makes her decide to go by the name "Bree" while she is with Adam.  She and Adam soon end up having an affair, and that leads to more affairs.  Adam is the one who introduces her to crank, and she soon realized that she could not live without it.  Now, even after she has gone home from her dad's house, she continues using the drug.  Later on in the novel, she begins smoking crank instead of snorting it, and she also started using other drugs such as weed, nicotine, and ecstasy.
               The second thing that the monster leads Kristina (/Bree) to do is have an unhealthy relationship with boys.  After she goes back to live with her mom, she is separated from Adam, so their relationship is not as strong.  Adam tells her one day that he thinks it should be okay for them to see other people, although he still loves her very much.  Kristina isn't keen on this idea, but she goes along with it anyway.  She soon finds love with not one, but two other men.  The first one is named Chase.  Chase is seen as the trouble-maker of the school.  Kristina soon learns later on in their relationship that, although he is a bad influence, he is an extremely sweet boy and cares about her a great deal.  He always has her back, through thick and thin.  Brendan, however, is entirely different.  She meets him at a family party when he is lifeguarding.  They end up going to a couple parties together and she relies on him to supply her with the drugs that she needs.  She starts to fall for him, and she thinks they have a pretty strong bond.  One night, they decide to drive up to the top of a hill and smoke some of the crank that Brendan has picked up.  After that, Kristina's head is spinning.  Brendan suggests the idea of intercourse to Kristina, and she refuses, saying she doesn't think it she's ready.  However, Brendan doesn't care.  He then proceeds to do basically rape Kristina, while she protests the whole way through.  In the end, Kristina is traumatized, heartbroken, and scarred for the rest of her life, yet she agrees when Brendan (surprisingly) offers to drive her home.  After that night, she stops associating with him, which is the right choice.  A couple months later, Kristina finds out she is pregnant as a result of what happened with Brendan.  Chase is completely supportive and insists on turning down college to help her care for the baby.  Kristina tells Chase that he should go to college, and that she will be just fine on her own.  This is a lie, due to the fact that at the end of the book, she leaves her newborn son to be taken care of by her mother and stepfather.
             Overall, this book's theme is that actions have consequences.  Kristina learned this the hard way.  She ended up abandoning her son, Hunter, and living a life controlled by a drug that she promised she would quit, but found it too difficult.  This can be related to real life experiences of teenagers all around the world.  In fact, the character of Kristina is based on the daughter of Ellen Hopkins.  This book is meant to be a warning to young people, to be careful and know what to get caught up in and what not to get caught up in, because one small mistake can be drastically life changing.