Literature: Crank By Ellen Hopkins

The most meaningful piece of literature that I have read is Crank by Ellen Hopkins. Crank is the first book in the Crank trilogy. After Crank is the sequel Glass, and finally Fallout. Crank is a beautifully written free verse poetry novel that is composed of 544 pages. The novel is about a teenager named Kristina. Kristina is a junior in highschool and has all A’s.She lives with her her mother, dad, and brother. Kristina lives a normal, happy, and carefree life until she is introduced to the drug Meth or commonly referred to as “Crank”. Kristina soon becomes addicted and can't let go of the grip that methamphetamine has on her. The story goes through the ups and downs of Kristina's addiction, often referencing to Meth as “the monster” and
referring to the person she becomes on Meth as Bree. Hopkins takes you through the journey of teenage addict who falls in love, gets seually assaulted, and is ultimately trying to find herself. Crank creates a beautiful story within the struggle of being an addict. “The monster likes to talk; he jumps into your head and opens your mouth, making it spout your deepest darkest deceptions. Making you say all the things you'd rather not say, at least not in mixed company." In this quote Kristina describes how Crank makes her feel and how it changes her judgement. This quote describes the effects of using a drug so strong on you that it can change you and your social behavior.
Crank is very meaningful because Hopkins style of writing is one of a kind. I identified with Kristina, her addiction, and her alter ego Bree. Kristina is very relatable. She is reserved, troubled, quiet, and smart. Characteristics that were in Kristina were reflected in myself. When I saw Kristina get addicted, to a certain extent I saw myself get addicted. When I saw how easy it was for her to spiral into a full blown addiction in a small amount of time, the story gained more depth. Hopkins really helps you understand the mind of an addict. You learn why they do certain things and why they express certain behaviors. You grow close to Kristina. You gain sympathy for her because you know what she's thinking and her rationale. You understand how much meth has taken over her life.
The story made me really think about people who have addictions and why they suffer so much. Crank sheds a light in how easy it is to slip away into something that fully takes over your life. Crank is very inspiring. It gave a lot of depth to a life that was ruined by meth. Crank ultimately had such of an impact on me that the decision to read the whole Crank trilogy and other books that Hopkins wrote, was an easy one. Each one of Hopkins books hold a special place in my heart. Each book allowed me to think differently of very important issues, such as homosexuality, religion, addiction, prostitution, mental illness, and ultimately love altogether. Crank will always be the most meaningful book I have read because it lead me to a different perspective on life and the dangers presented in circumstances that will change your life.