Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

13 reviews

bishopbox's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is very heavy and personal. I think it’d be wrong of me to explain my feelings without giving a little background of myself. Truthfully, I was a really boring teen who just went to school and then came home and played video games all day. No drugs. 
Reading this book was a tragic eye-opener to the things I knew happened to people at my school, but I never witnessed myself. 
This is a tragic and powerful tale. Many places are pushing to ban this book and I want to push against that. This is a very real reality that many teens go through. Crank doesn’t glamorize drugs or demonize the main character for falling into the trap. Just tells the story as the tragic awful thing that it is. And not only is it realistic and gritty, but it’s written phenomenally with beautiful poetry and prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Dementia

gondorgirl's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Rape, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Blood, Cursing, and Vomit

oddrots's review

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I am no longer a member of this book's target demographic. I used to love the lyricism of the prose, but this time 'round I found it a little annoying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Homophobia

rhiannon814r's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug use, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Blood

sandysmith's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

A powerful, well written, empactful read about teenagers falling into taking crystal meth/crank so hence the books title. However, I've never really been a fan of poetry, and the book unfortunately didn't change my mind. I can see that it's cleverly written. How it is printed is interesting, but on a few pages, it was difficult to know how to read or follow the text. I read the book as part of a book club that reads banned books several times a year. The book does show a person and their downward spiral.  I'm not a fan or agree that banning books is a good thing as I think it has the opposite effect as the lure of wanting something you cant have makes me want to read it more than if it hadn't been banned. I think that for young people, it gives them an understanding of how debilitating drug taking can be, and it certainly doesn't glorify it. So important content, but poetry is still not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abortion, and Eating disorder

imperfectnightmare's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Cursing

Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

officiallouise's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

interesting writing style but sooo incredible weird about the subject matter in some parts. has a weird thing about its depiction of lesbians too. definitely a product of the early 2000s. i don’t really think it succeeds as an anti-drug narrative at all and it’s definitely not a great assigned reading novel for its intended age group

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, and Drug use

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pregnancy and Abortion

inp9extra's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m not usually a fan of dark realistic fiction, but Crank is a beautifully written must-read for teens and parents alike. Written my a mother whose daughter was a meth addict the plot is gripping, chilling, and dangerous. The book is hard to put down as we observe a far too common and relatable collision course. 

The biggest complaint I’ve seen about this book is that the characters are unlikable, but that serves to drive the point home. The characters themselves start out normal but due to their circumstances it is easy to see why they make the decisions they make even as they lead themselves down a dark and twisted path. The fact that they come to be unlikable people reinforces a perspective of  watching someone you love destroy their life, which is the perspective the author writes from.  However, if you’re not a fan of unlikable characters, this book may not be for you. 

Please give this book a try especially if you’re in your teens and being faced with real and difficult choices. Even if you don’t like it, the uncomfortable lessons it imparts are invaluable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Eating disorder

amandalorianxo's review

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Middle / high school version of Amanda really liked this book. Re-reading this 10/ 15 ish years later and I don’t find this as engaging as I assumed I did when I was younger. The verse format felt unnecessary. There was no honest intention with this format, just grabbing at what was “popular” and or “different” for a 2010 book. In spite of the pitiful attempt at having a lesbian and gay character in this book, the quotes surrounding homosexuality were pitiful. I also found it impossible to believe that these parents of Kristina had NO IDEA their daughter was doing drugs. Shouldn’t the signs have all been there in her behavior? Also, I strongly did not like the ending. How ludicrous to think a baby would make someone’s life better - especially a 17 year old hard drug addict. Unfortunately we all know that baby is going to be addicted and someone should have sat her down and told her straight up the options / the real risks of taking care of a baby.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Vomit, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Blood

natsthecats's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Vomit, Sexual assault, Rape, Addiction, Cursing, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Abortion