Crank

By: Ellen Hopkins

Narrated by: Laura Flanagan

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high-school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.

Listen to the sequel, Glass.

©2004 Ellen Hopkins (P)2008 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Hopkins writes in free-verse poems that paint painfully sharp images...detailing how powerful the "monster" can be. The poems are masterpieces of word, shape, and pacing, compelling readers on to the next chapter in Kristina's spiraling world." (School LIbrary Journal)

Such a great book!

I read this book a couple of years ago and I absolutely loved it then, so I decided to listen to it this time. I still love the story so much. My only complaint is I felt the narrator just did not suit the main character. She did a good job though. I definitely would recommend this book!

Interesting story, horrible narrating

I've read that it's a lot harder to read this book than listen. However the narration of this book was probably one of the worsts I have heard. There were times when her voice wouldn't match the sentence before; obviously recorded at a different time. And there were even times when certain words sounded like they were inserted after recording - blatantly obvious it was recorded in a different room or manner. It was distracting. The narrators voice often ended sentences with inflexion that made it sound like she was asking a question. And the different voices she used were a little harsh. If you can get past that, the story and description of what it's like to be addicted to crank is compelling. As someone who has a brother who is in recovery for crank (and heroin) it kind of gives me an inside look, all while being pretty sad. Despite all I've said about I'm considering listening to the sequel.

Great book, but not what I expected

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it just under two days. I usually hate reading, but with the format of the book I found it a lot easier to comprehend and get through it without getting bored. I was expecting it to be deeper though. I read reviews and comments on the book online and people were saying how they couldn't get halfway through the book due to how deep it was. I was perfectly fine though. Towards the end of the book I almost shed a tear, but managed to hold it together. The book is very amazing and touching and I recommend it to anyone willing to read it.

Good just not for kids

This duo was well written and eye opening. I listened to it because my 14 year old read "Crank." I do not think that these books are for that age group. I highly recommend that you listen to these books prior to allowing your kids read them. In my opinion these books are for older teens 17 and up. Nothing against these books as I said they are very good just a little too much info for kids under 17, especially "Glass."

Such a real book

Such an Amazing book ! Didn’t like the reader very much though lol wish it was a better one🤷🏼‍♀️

Gritty, real, sad, but beautiful

Overall, I loved it. Way too short, though. I'm glad there's sequels but I wish there was more to the first one. There were a lot of parts that I felt could've gone more in depth and detailed. At first the narrator's voice irritated me and way sounded way too "teenager" in an annoying way, but as I got into the story it really grew on me and made it feel more authentic, like I was in high school again with a friend telling me her story. I love the poetic writing style.

Beware of trigger warnings. I wouldn't say it glamorizes drug use because it definitely shows the dark side, but detailed descriptions of getting high could be very triggering for those in recovery. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I think people should know ahead of time that there is a pretty brutal description of a date rape.

amazing book

loved it. it was an amazing story that's real life and a lit could relate to it

A book all parents should read/listen to!

Would you try another book from Ellen Hopkins and/or Laura Flanagan?

Possibly

Which character – as performed by Laura Flanagan – was your favorite?

Kristina - My heart went out to her.

Was Crank worth the listening time?

Yes and parents should take the time!!!!

Any additional comments?

This is an amazingly true to life portrayal of a young woman giving in to peer pressure. "Crank" is a huge problem in America today and this story tells how someone can just get caught in its web. The narrator makes the story worth listening to. She makes the story real in your mind. If I had purchased the book I do not know if I would have appreciated the meaning of the book as much as the audio version. Overall, the narrator made this a must listen for all parents of teens. You have no idea what your kids may become involved in unless you involve yourself in every aspect of their lives. The father in this story is a prime example of a parent who sees his daughter as a friend instead of a daughter. Honestly he treated her more like someone he met in a bar or at a party. He does not deserve to be a parent. Not able to have children myself I can see by watching friends with kids how tempting it is to treat your kids like friends. But you need to treat them as your child. It is your job to raise them to be the best they can in this life. They will rebel now because that is just the nature of children. But in later years they will know you just had their best interests in your mind by taking on the job of being the authority figure in their lives.

Reader doesn't give good vibes

I love this book I own it in paper back how the reader did this was eh but it's a decent audio book

Slow start

It was slow but picked up... and went crazy . Can’t wait to read the other books