Crank/Glass/Fallout, Squared

Hi guys! It’s Amber with our first book review. I thought it would be fitting to do a 3 part series Ashley and I both enjoy for my first review. This series takes a look at a daughters drug addiction through the eyes of that child. By that sentence most of you probably already know what books I’m talking about. If you were thinking Ellen Hopkin’s Crank/Glass/Fallout series, you would be correct.

"Life was good before I met the monster. After, life was great. At least for a little while."

Pages: 537


To be honest, Crank wasn’t the first book I read from the author. Her book Burned was the first I picked up, which I will review at a different time. When I first got into Crank I was surprised how fast I swallowed it up, I was able to finish it in a day. The book was so well written that I actually felt as if I was on meth myself. Before I get into any details about the book, let me hit you with some facts about the book. The books are based off Ellen’s actually daughter even though names have been changed and some of the things “Kristina/Bree” go through are fiction only, it hits close to home that this isn’t just another “Don’t do drugs” book. Ellen only wrote the book, expecting Crank to be the only book of the series and wanted to understand why her daughter got into the drug. I give Crank 5 stars out of 5 for many reasons. Not just because of the touching story that links to the book but for the emotional connection you make with this girl you just spent a whole journy with. By the end of the book, your not hating Kristina, you just want to see her get better. It’s an emotional roller coaster worth reading. I actually think freshman in highschool should be required to read this book.

"Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got a hold of you, this monster will never let you go."



Glass is the second book in this touching series, expanding Kristina’s journy. The last time we saw Kristina she was trying to stay off the monster because she had a baby and all that drama. As expected Kristina does get back into meth but this time it’s crystal meth. It still holds that emotional connection of the first one. It took me longer than a day to read but that may have been because of how busy I was at the time. Ellen leaves you wanting more in both books but as Glass comes to a close, your almost aching for another hit…i mean book. I also give this book a 5 out of 5 since most sequals are worse than the first one and make you want to run away from the series. Ellen has a way of continuing the story without it getting boring.

"Hunter. Autumn. Summer. Different homes. Different guardians. Different last names. Different lives. But there is one person who binds them together. Kristina."


My favorite of the series has to be Fallout. Told from the point of view of 3 of Kristina’s children and how they will be affected by Kristina’s drug use in the future. All the tales about the children are told in such a way it made the hair on my arms stand up and I got chills down my back. Needless to say, I finished the book in one. The final book of the series leaves you with just as many loose ends as it answers questions. As in true Ellen fashion leaving you wanting more but sadly this is it. I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars mainly because Ellen hit every nail on the head with this book. All the emotions of the kids jump off the pages and makes it feel like you are actually apart of their lives. Also because she ended a series in such a good way. It wasn’t rushed, left you with the right amount of answers and question and let your last hit of Kristina be a perfect one.

I’m expecting another great book from Ellen in August of 2011…