thoughts about ish
I bought Crank by Ellen Hopkins probably back in March. I’d known about it for awhile because Melany had a copy of it sitting on her bookshelf. Originally I had thought it was strange the way it had been written…. The all over the place poetry fiction was not my type of book. Then I saw Alaina reading it at work one night. She loved it; said she’s read it more than once. I figured I should give it a try since I was all about reading at the time.
All I knew was that it was about a drug addict, no one told me that it was about Meth. I met a new monster along with Kristina (Bree?). I felt what Kristina felt (I’m an emotional reader). I knew who she was and got to know Bree as she took all control of Kristina’s life. I hoped along with her mom that Kristina would give it up and stop using, hoped that chase was the one for her. And it all ended with her being tempted by the monster again. Crank had me hooked from the start. But I waited until May (after I had finished 3 other books and Othello) to venture out to Half-Priced books and look for Glass. Even though I didn’t want it yet, they had it along with my intended purchase Impulse (another Ellen Hopkins). The cover says it all, “once you’ve discovered Crank, you can never get enough…” I read Impulse first; I had to save Glass until I was absolutely ready for it to end. (Though I had done my research and knew the third book and final one was due in September.) She’s struggling to control the monster while taking care of Hunter. All you want as a read is for her to keep that control, not to fall back. But she meets a guy, Try, and completely loses the rest of her control. At first I was happy she had found a guy, and then I felt it was a little shady, and didn’t want her to get hurt. When she gets kicked out by her mom, I felt bad; thought she would change ways after losing her home and Hunter. But she had Trey, right? Then Kristina (maybe still Bree) moves in with Try’s cousin Brad, where things get even more wonky. I loved the girls and that Kristina fell in love with them too. No so much her new feelings for Brad or the incident involving Trey, Brad, and Kristina. As things begin to get worse (stealing, dealing, etc) I can’t help but to hope things turn around and get better. But it won’t. The monster has full control now. When they (Trey and Kristina) get caught, they give up some names and get some jail time. This time going to jail meant ending the book with Kristina pregnant once again. And I knew I wasn’t ready for the end. I’ve waited for months, and then I accidentally hit “buy” on my kindle and knew it was meant to be. I started reading it Saturday (week before Christmas) and only stopped to go to sleep or work and maybe watch some TV. I still finished in four days, if not for work it would have been two. Fallout really was the incredible ending I could ask for. Though written in the future, it’s an insight to Hunter, her oldest son from Brenden; to Autumn, the baby from Try who doesn’t k now any of her brothers or sister; and to Summer, who is in and out of foster homes and trying to find love for herself. Giving all three of them a voice made it that much more addicting and real. I hoped that they would all end up happy, even if not together, but once I realized Autumn would end up at the Haskins’ house I knew they would all be together. The kindle doesn’t give page number just percentages and at 97% I began to anticipate more and more of the ending, but my heart began to race and I didn’t want it to end. As all three watched Kristina apologize, they give their opinions of her, of what they see. Hunter and Summer have always been hurt by her, but Autumn doesn’t remember anything. I did cry, happy tears, but I felt the joy this family felt on their Christmas dinner night. I want more of Kristina’s story, but I’ll wait until Ellen Hopkins is ready to let me peak through the window of her life again. I’ve been on a journey and I like where it took me. Reading has brought me through new experiences time and time again, but this experience was amazing and I’m willing to go through it again. Ellen Hopkins (Marie Haskins), I thank you for letting me into some part of your daughter’s life. Happy Reading and check out other great books by Hopkins at Amazon.com or visit your local bookstore or library. And as always, I’m Jackie and I don’t know crap.
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AuthorJust a 20something trying to get by in life. Archives
April 2020
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