In the realistic fiction book Crank by Ellen Hopkins, the life of main character Kristina is profiled as a terrible drug begins to take over her life. The topic of this book is closely related to the author's life. Hopkins' daughter became addicted to crank and it was a tremendous struggle for their whole family, according to the "About the Author" page at the beginning of this book.
Based on the topics discussed throughout the story, this book appears to be aimed at a teenagers from the age of 14+. The events and thoughts that the main character Kristina goes through and experiences can easily be relatable to many teens today. Obviously (by reading the title) this book is mainly focused on drugs and one issue based on this is experimentation that many teens want to go through during their youth.
" 'You don't smoke do you? I took a small puff. Struggled like hell not to cough. (pg.75)... It had been a tempstuous week, snared by emotions rubbing me so raw I hurt at night... So when he asked about getting high, I didn't think, I agreed. We smoked some good California green (pg.85)... "' 'Okay, little girl. Ready to party?' Mom expected me home in ten days. Of course I was sure. Like magic, a mirror and razor blade appeared. I watched him pour powder, yellowish white.(pg.88)."These three quotes from sections throughout the book are very important in explaining how Kristina slowly gets closer and closer to the drug that ruins her life. If it isn't clear she first tries a cigarette, weed, and then "the Monster" , crank. Also, I realized that every time she experiments with a new drug, it is under the influence of the boy Adam she met while visiting her dad in Albuquerque. These two issues of "young love" and divorced parents are also a major part of some teenagers lives. Kristina felt very safe with Adam and they both loved eachother so she trusted him and began her experimentation with him. However, when her visit is over and she goes back home to her mom, her and Adam break up and she rarely hears from her dad. She begins rebelling at home, meeting different boys, continuing her use of crank sneaking out of the house, etc. This is also relatable to many teenagers lives because while not every teen does crank or drugs (thankfully) we all go through a stage where we feel like rebelling against our parents at least some point in our lives. Because of all of the events that take place in the main characters life, i believe that the author's targeted audience for this book are teenagers.
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