Crank
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 978-0-689-86519-0
537 pages
Simon Pulse, 2004
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
While visiting her estranged father, gifted high school junior Kristina becomes hooked on crystal meth. Her life soon spirals out of control.
Plot Summary
Good girl Kristina hasn't seen her father in eight years; during her parents' divorce, her mother fought for sole custody, declaring his numerous addictions made him an unfit parent. A judge orders her to visit him, so Kristina flies from Reno to Albuquerque for a three-week visit. Annoyed by her mother's self-obsession and remarriage, Kristina looks forward to being reunited with her daddy, but from the moment she's reunited with him at the airport, it's clear that her dreams won't measure up to the reality. Hanging around at her father's squalid apartment, Kristina meets a boy named Adam. Impulsively, she introduces herself as Bree. Though Adam already has a girlfriend, they're immediately attracted to one another. Adam introduces Bree to crystal meth--also known as crank or the monster. Her father, also a crank user, snorts up with them. Bree loves the high. However, things end badly when Adam's girlfriend sees them kissing and jumps off a balcony, ending up in a coma.
When it's time for Bree to return home, Adam promises to love her forever. She flies home high. Her mother almost senses something is wrong, but her family is so caught up in their own lives that no one notices the huge changes in Kristina. Emboldened by her newfound confidence as Bree, she becomes bored with her old friends and starts hitting on new boys at school, including Chase, the school's bad boy, and Brendan, a beautiful lifeguard. Both Chase and Brendan are crank users, and as Bree looks around the world with new eyes, she notices crank use everywhere, including on the cheerleading squad. For awhile it seems she might quit, but after Adam dumps her and Brendan shows his true colors, she turns to crank for comfort. Then she can't stop chasing the monster. She's lost all her old friends, she's failing school, and her family starts to notice something is wrong, not to mention the fact that she's almost drained her entire savings. Can Bree ever return to Kristina, whose life was more boring but safe and secure? Will the monster ever release its hold on her life?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Crank is written in free verse. The story is told through a series of poems. Hopkins plays a lot with form in these poems; in one, words on the verso line up in neat columns, showing the order Kristina's life had before crank. Words on the recto are scattered all over the page, making it hard to read and showing the chaos of Bree's life on crank. In another, as Kristina longs for the comfort of home, the words take the shape of a house.
Hopkins wrote the novel about her own daughter's experiences with crystal meth addiction. Before the story starts, she tells the readers about the story's origins, which may make readers take the story to heart more than they would if they figured it was just another cautionary tale. Hopkins explores exactly why Kristina started to use drugs and why it was so appealing. While Kristina's life looks perfect on the surface, in reality, she has resented her mother for her remarriage and her focus on herself and a burgeoning writing career. She also blames her mother for her estrangement from her father. Though even she has to admit that her mother was probably right to excise him from their lives completely, enough tension exists in their relationship that she is unable to confide in her mother once things start to go bad in her life. Her stepfather is actually an excellent parent, the first one to suspect Kristina is in trouble, but Kristina resents his very presence in her life.
Hopkins is effective at showing why the drug is so appealing to Bree at first and how it sucks her into a completely different life experience. She meets new friends both good and bad--Brendan turns out to be truly evil, while Chase is a sensitive soul. The new experiences she has at first are exciting and dangerous, but by the time she realizes how much she has given up, it is too late to turn back. At that point, her addiction has completely taken hold, and she needs the drug just to function; it's completely deadened her emotions and she's unable to feel anything unless she's high.
It's an engrossing read; I stayed up late to finish it and can't wait to pick up the sequel. While the book ends on a slightly hopeful note, I have a feeling that Bree will soon be back in the grip of the monster.
Additional Books in the Series
Glass (2007) tells the continuing story of Bree/Kristina. A third book, Fallout, is due in 2010.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her contoversial novels, which are all written in free-verse. Crank and its two sequels are based on the true experiences of her daughter, a crystal meth addict. Her other books include Burned, reviewed elsewhere in this blog, about a girl raised in an abusive Mormon household, and Impulse, about three teens whose paths cross while they're in a psychiatric hospital.
Curriculum Ties
This book is probably too controversial to be included in any school curriculum, but if it were able to be used, it could be used in a health class to engage kids in honest dialog about drug use.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain Kristina's transformation into Bree--her personality change and her drug use, and the influence each has on the other.
2. Talk about the three boys in Kristina's life: Adam, Chase and Brendan. Explain why she is attracted to each, and what their flaws are.
3. Talk about Kristina's family life. Why does she fall into drugs so easily? Why doesn't anyone notice how drastically she has changed?
Reading/Interest Level
This book's subject matter make it appropriate for high school students and adults.
Challenge Issues
The whole book is a challenge issue: from its primary subject matter (teen drug addiction), to the things it leads to (unsanitary tattoos, sex, rape, teen pregnancy, and general deliquency). There are also strong swear words, and Kristina/Bree's sister is a lesbian.
Should the book be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book to be able to properly defend it; if that is not possible, s/he should read as many professional reviews as possible about the book and read descriptions of the potentially controversial content on a site like Common Sense Media. The librarian should also be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy.
To defend the book, the librarian could point to the book's fairly positive reviews, its overwhelming popularity, and its awards (such as being named an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers and an ALA Popular Paperback). The librarian could also point to statistics about teen drug use, including teen meth use, as proof that the topic is quite relevant to students and explain that Hopkins meant the book as an honest portrayal of the drug that would help teens decide against using it.
Selection Criteria
I chose to read Burned because of its inclusion in section 10's presentation on controversial literature. I enjoyed that book, and while reading reviews of that novel, everyone mentioned the overwhelming popularity of Hopkins's first novel, Crank. This inspired me to read the book.
Showing posts with label controversial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controversial. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
Burned
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 1-4169-0354-2
531 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
Raised in a strict, conservative Mormon household with an abusive father, Pattyn begins to question all her previously held beliefs about love and God.
Plot Summary
Pattyn is the oldest of seven daughters in a strict Mormon household. Her abusive father wants a boy and expects little other from his wife than to churn out babies, so most of the childrearing and household duties fall to Pattyn. A librarian at her high school takes a special interest in Pattyn and introduces her to the wider world through literature. After reading some racy classics, Pattyn has a sexual dream involving one of her classmates. She's been taught that all sexual activity before marriage is a sin, but decides she can't be held accountable for her dreams; she tries to discuss this matter with the church, but she's frustrated by the lack of answers, as well as its misogyny. Though the church leadership knows that her alcoholic father beats his wife regularly, they do not intervene. Frustrated, Pattyn starts dating a non-Mormon boy from school. When her father finds out, he forbids her to see him again. Pattyn punches the boy's new girlfriend in the nose and then accidentally throws her backpack through a window in the library. Her father banishes her to live with his estranged sister from the summer.
Pattyn's world changes dramatically at Aunt J's ranch. She learns some disturbing truths about her father from Aunt J, but she also develops a sense of worth and self-confidence she never had before. She also meets a boy, Ethan, with whom she falls deeply in love. But what will happen when she has to go back home at the summer? And what will happen if her father finds out she's dating another non-Mormon?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Burned is written in verse form. Each page is like its own little poem. Hopkins plays freely with the form of these poems; some sprawled across the page, some are written in couplets. Because of this, we get a very strong sense of Pattyn's interior life. The verse almost gives the reader a stream-of-consciousness effect, but with a heightened sense of emotions. The chapters where Pattyn's father eventually starts beating her are almost too painful to bear.
I found Pattyn's growth throughout the novel quite moving. Her relationship with Ethan is a tender first love, and Hopkins gives it the respect it deserves. For older readers, it will conjure of memories of their first intense summer love, but Pattyn insists theirs is a "forever love" and wise old Aunt J. tends to agree. The relationship between Pattyn and Aunt J. is also well-drawn. We get a sense of Aunt J., what a survivor she is and how much she has already been through... but she teaches Pattyn to soldier on and never stop believing in herself or in love.
The ending of the book, which is quite controversial, came up a little short to me. Though I believe Hopkins intended to show the rage Pattyn felt when everything she cares about is torn away from her--and the incidents that got her sent to live with Aunt J. show us that she is indeed capable of great rage--I also do not think that the Pattyn who loved and was loved by Aunt J. would resort to such violence.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her free-verse novels. She touches upon many controversial topics in her work. The Crank series is about a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crystal meth, while Tricks is about teenage prostitution.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of religion (especially religious corruption), abuse, and violence.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about Pattyn and her family life: her lazy mother, her abusive father, and her gaggle of younger sisters. Why is going to Aunt J's so liberating for her?
2. Talk about how Pattyn starts questioning the religious beliefs she was raised with -- especially its culture of misogyny and its lack of intellectual curiosity.
3. Talk about Pattyn and Ethan's relationship. Is it true love?
Reading Interest/Level
The themes and format of this book make it appropriate for high school students and above.
Challenge Issues
This book has a number of challenge issues: teenage sexuality, teenage drinking, abuse, and school violence to name a few. To defend it against challenges, the librarian should be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy and explain how Burned fits those criteria. S/he should ideally read the book, but if unable to, should read reviews to familiarize with its content and critical worth. S/he could point out the books many positive reviews and its many awards as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Burned was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It was also a National Book Award nominee.
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 1-4169-0354-2
531 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
Raised in a strict, conservative Mormon household with an abusive father, Pattyn begins to question all her previously held beliefs about love and God.
Plot Summary
Pattyn is the oldest of seven daughters in a strict Mormon household. Her abusive father wants a boy and expects little other from his wife than to churn out babies, so most of the childrearing and household duties fall to Pattyn. A librarian at her high school takes a special interest in Pattyn and introduces her to the wider world through literature. After reading some racy classics, Pattyn has a sexual dream involving one of her classmates. She's been taught that all sexual activity before marriage is a sin, but decides she can't be held accountable for her dreams; she tries to discuss this matter with the church, but she's frustrated by the lack of answers, as well as its misogyny. Though the church leadership knows that her alcoholic father beats his wife regularly, they do not intervene. Frustrated, Pattyn starts dating a non-Mormon boy from school. When her father finds out, he forbids her to see him again. Pattyn punches the boy's new girlfriend in the nose and then accidentally throws her backpack through a window in the library. Her father banishes her to live with his estranged sister from the summer.
Pattyn's world changes dramatically at Aunt J's ranch. She learns some disturbing truths about her father from Aunt J, but she also develops a sense of worth and self-confidence she never had before. She also meets a boy, Ethan, with whom she falls deeply in love. But what will happen when she has to go back home at the summer? And what will happen if her father finds out she's dating another non-Mormon?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Burned is written in verse form. Each page is like its own little poem. Hopkins plays freely with the form of these poems; some sprawled across the page, some are written in couplets. Because of this, we get a very strong sense of Pattyn's interior life. The verse almost gives the reader a stream-of-consciousness effect, but with a heightened sense of emotions. The chapters where Pattyn's father eventually starts beating her are almost too painful to bear.
I found Pattyn's growth throughout the novel quite moving. Her relationship with Ethan is a tender first love, and Hopkins gives it the respect it deserves. For older readers, it will conjure of memories of their first intense summer love, but Pattyn insists theirs is a "forever love" and wise old Aunt J. tends to agree. The relationship between Pattyn and Aunt J. is also well-drawn. We get a sense of Aunt J., what a survivor she is and how much she has already been through... but she teaches Pattyn to soldier on and never stop believing in herself or in love.
The ending of the book, which is quite controversial, came up a little short to me. Though I believe Hopkins intended to show the rage Pattyn felt when everything she cares about is torn away from her--and the incidents that got her sent to live with Aunt J. show us that she is indeed capable of great rage--I also do not think that the Pattyn who loved and was loved by Aunt J. would resort to such violence.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her free-verse novels. She touches upon many controversial topics in her work. The Crank series is about a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crystal meth, while Tricks is about teenage prostitution.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of religion (especially religious corruption), abuse, and violence.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about Pattyn and her family life: her lazy mother, her abusive father, and her gaggle of younger sisters. Why is going to Aunt J's so liberating for her?
2. Talk about how Pattyn starts questioning the religious beliefs she was raised with -- especially its culture of misogyny and its lack of intellectual curiosity.
3. Talk about Pattyn and Ethan's relationship. Is it true love?
Reading Interest/Level
The themes and format of this book make it appropriate for high school students and above.
Challenge Issues
This book has a number of challenge issues: teenage sexuality, teenage drinking, abuse, and school violence to name a few. To defend it against challenges, the librarian should be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy and explain how Burned fits those criteria. S/he should ideally read the book, but if unable to, should read reviews to familiarize with its content and critical worth. S/he could point out the books many positive reviews and its many awards as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Burned was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It was also a National Book Award nominee.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel
Breathless
Lurlene McDaniel
ISBN 978-0-385-73459-2
165 pages
Delacorte Press, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial
Reader's Annotation: Diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, high school student Travis asks his best friend, girlfriend, and sister to help him commit suicide.
Plot Summary: Travis--high school junior, diving champion, and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie--breaks his leg jumping off a rock. While being treated, the doctors discover he has advanced bone cancer. They amputate his leg and start him on chemotherapy. Now unable to dive and also too sick to go to school, his best friend Cooper, his girlfriend Darla, and his sister Emily all form a circle of support for him and try to prevent him from getting too depressed.
When it becomes clear to Travis that he isn't going to beat the cancer, he decides he wants to die on his terms. When his parents deny his request to put a DNR on his chart, he turns to his best friend Cooper for help committing suicide. Cooper is torn by Travis' request, as are Darla and Emily when they learn of it. They struggle with the act's religious and ethical implications and their desire to honor their friend's wishes.
Critical Summary:
Lurlene McDaniel tells this story by alternating narrators: Emily, Travis, Cooper, and Darla alternate chapters, telling the story from their first person view. Though this should be a moving story, McDaniel seems too determined to rush the plot along in this extremely short novel. Indeed, in the span of a page, the story progresses a year and Travis moves from being fairly healthy to terminal. There's simply not enough time for her to develop the deep characterizations that would make the reader really empathize with Travis' wish not to suffer and the other teens' struggle with the decision's moral ambiguity.
However, despite the fact that there's not even enough space in this novel to explore its main topic, McDaniel chooses to have the mother of one character be an alcoholic prostitute and the father of one character be physically and mentally abusive, presenting the reader even more emotional territory that can only be very briefly addressed. Several of the characters have strong religious beliefs--the teens live in a very religious community--and yet the issue of how their beliefs might conflict with assisted suicide is only vaguely explored. Strange, too, is the manner in which Travis wants to die: drowning in the middle of a lake. It's a dramatic and complicated last act that would cause his loved ones severe emotional distress by having to watch him struggle and suffer. As a final insult, the answer of who eventually performs the act of euthanasia is never revealed. In a more masterful work, this open-ended finale might challenge the reader, but here it just seems frustrating and unresolved.
About the Author
Lurlene McDaniel is the queen of the "crying girl" novel. Her publisher describes her books as "inspirational novels about teenagers facing life-altering situations." Most of her books feature teens who have a terminal illness, though some do feature teens healthy teens dealing with their grief after a loved one dies. McDaniel has been quite prolific since the 1980s. Her previous release before Breathless did not involve death, but rather followed a teenage boy being seduced by a female teacher.
Curriculum Ties
Because it is so short, the novel could be used in a health class or similar to prompt discussion about the issue of assisted suicide. However, the resulting discussion would probably be much more nuanced than the book itself.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Tell the story from the point of view of Travis--why he wants to die on his terms.
2. Tell the story from the point of view of Cooper--if your best friend wanted you to help him kill himself, would you?
3. Tell the story from the point of view of Emily--should she respect the wishes of her parents or her brother?
Reading Interest/Level
Though the reading level is 7th or 8th grade, the novel's subject matter makes it more appropriate for high-schoolers.
Challenge Issues
Since assisted suicide is such a controversial topic, the book could attract challenges. The librarian might deal with the challenges by pointing out that McDaniel doesn't ever take a stand on the issue and that the arguments for both sides are presented. The reader is allowed to make up his or her own mind at the end as to whether or not the unnamed teen made the right choice.
If it were still challenged, the librarian should have a clear selection policy in place and be able to defend that selection policy to the challengee. The librarian could also point to the positive review the book received in SLJ.
Selection Criteria
I saw this book on the new release shelves of my library's YA section and thought it was an intriguing topic.
Lurlene McDaniel
ISBN 978-0-385-73459-2
165 pages
Delacorte Press, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial
Reader's Annotation: Diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, high school student Travis asks his best friend, girlfriend, and sister to help him commit suicide.
Plot Summary: Travis--high school junior, diving champion, and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie--breaks his leg jumping off a rock. While being treated, the doctors discover he has advanced bone cancer. They amputate his leg and start him on chemotherapy. Now unable to dive and also too sick to go to school, his best friend Cooper, his girlfriend Darla, and his sister Emily all form a circle of support for him and try to prevent him from getting too depressed.
When it becomes clear to Travis that he isn't going to beat the cancer, he decides he wants to die on his terms. When his parents deny his request to put a DNR on his chart, he turns to his best friend Cooper for help committing suicide. Cooper is torn by Travis' request, as are Darla and Emily when they learn of it. They struggle with the act's religious and ethical implications and their desire to honor their friend's wishes.
Critical Summary:
Lurlene McDaniel tells this story by alternating narrators: Emily, Travis, Cooper, and Darla alternate chapters, telling the story from their first person view. Though this should be a moving story, McDaniel seems too determined to rush the plot along in this extremely short novel. Indeed, in the span of a page, the story progresses a year and Travis moves from being fairly healthy to terminal. There's simply not enough time for her to develop the deep characterizations that would make the reader really empathize with Travis' wish not to suffer and the other teens' struggle with the decision's moral ambiguity.
However, despite the fact that there's not even enough space in this novel to explore its main topic, McDaniel chooses to have the mother of one character be an alcoholic prostitute and the father of one character be physically and mentally abusive, presenting the reader even more emotional territory that can only be very briefly addressed. Several of the characters have strong religious beliefs--the teens live in a very religious community--and yet the issue of how their beliefs might conflict with assisted suicide is only vaguely explored. Strange, too, is the manner in which Travis wants to die: drowning in the middle of a lake. It's a dramatic and complicated last act that would cause his loved ones severe emotional distress by having to watch him struggle and suffer. As a final insult, the answer of who eventually performs the act of euthanasia is never revealed. In a more masterful work, this open-ended finale might challenge the reader, but here it just seems frustrating and unresolved.
About the Author
Lurlene McDaniel is the queen of the "crying girl" novel. Her publisher describes her books as "inspirational novels about teenagers facing life-altering situations." Most of her books feature teens who have a terminal illness, though some do feature teens healthy teens dealing with their grief after a loved one dies. McDaniel has been quite prolific since the 1980s. Her previous release before Breathless did not involve death, but rather followed a teenage boy being seduced by a female teacher.
Curriculum Ties
Because it is so short, the novel could be used in a health class or similar to prompt discussion about the issue of assisted suicide. However, the resulting discussion would probably be much more nuanced than the book itself.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Tell the story from the point of view of Travis--why he wants to die on his terms.
2. Tell the story from the point of view of Cooper--if your best friend wanted you to help him kill himself, would you?
3. Tell the story from the point of view of Emily--should she respect the wishes of her parents or her brother?
Reading Interest/Level
Though the reading level is 7th or 8th grade, the novel's subject matter makes it more appropriate for high-schoolers.
Challenge Issues
Since assisted suicide is such a controversial topic, the book could attract challenges. The librarian might deal with the challenges by pointing out that McDaniel doesn't ever take a stand on the issue and that the arguments for both sides are presented. The reader is allowed to make up his or her own mind at the end as to whether or not the unnamed teen made the right choice.
If it were still challenged, the librarian should have a clear selection policy in place and be able to defend that selection policy to the challengee. The librarian could also point to the positive review the book received in SLJ.
Selection Criteria
I saw this book on the new release shelves of my library's YA section and thought it was an intriguing topic.
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