Crank by Ellen Hopkins is one of the scariest books I think I've ever read. It's about a young girl who gets involved with 'The Monster'. Meth is, in my opinion, one of the scariest drugs currently on the market. It's insanely addicting and incredibly damaging. One of the reasons meth is so addicting is that the chemicals used to create this Frankensteinish drug completely obliterate and destroy the pleasure center of your brain, which means that meth becomes the only way you are able to experience pleasure.
Ellen Hopkins is an incredibly powerful writer. It's written in verse and the starkness of the prose is where half the impact lies. Hopkins doesn't need many words, but it's clear each word is chosen carefully for its impact. This book grabs you and never lets go. We follow Kristina, the good girl, through her decent into darkness at the hands of the monster. We watch as her life falls to pieces around her while she believes she's still in control and she only does it to have enough energy to keep going, but really, she can stop. It's like, no big deal. It's heart breaking to watch as it destroys her and brings her family members low with her.
I'm intentionally not going to say much about the plot beyond the obvious meth addiction, because I feel there is more of an effect, a stronger impact if you don't know what's coming beforehand. I respect that Hopkins doesn't pull her punches, and she doesn't sugar coat the truth at all. It is one of the reasons she is so frequently banned, but it is also why her books are able to reach so many people. When Hopkins is talking about Kristina's experiences with the drugs, her highs are high and her lows are low. Too many books skirt around the truth, they try to convince you to stay away from drugs by lying about how good they feel the first few times, and then turning around are trying to hide how detrimental the side effects are, because they don't feel like our young people can handle it. Hopkins does none of that. She tells it like it is and makes no apologies for it.
Reading this (and Glass) reminded me of the Idaho Meth Project. The images at the top and bottom of this post are part of this effort to educate our children about the dangers and horrors of meth. Idaho state is one of the top states in both meth production and teenage meth use, and around 50% of our inmates are there as a result of meth. They created the Idaho Meth Project to educate and dissuade, and studies are showing that it's working. Reading Crank and Glass reminded me of these ads. It's horrifying because it's real. I recommend checking out the site, that I've linked above and viewing some of the other ads they've produced. There are print ads, radio ads and televisions ads and all are horrifying. This project has been picked up by other states like Montana and Colorado and it's working. Meth usage is dropping. Books like Crank and Glass are just as effective in my mind, because they help to educate us on the true dangers of meth and what really happens when you involve yourself with the monster.
