Ban This! Crank

Banned Book Week is September 30th to October 6th, and since I am participating in Donna's event to help bring awareness to this ridiculousness that some dork began, oh, I don't know ages ago I'll  post one challenged book everyday in no particular order until the event ends.

I'm ending this week off with one of my favorite books. 
Ellen's prose made this book emotionally engaging, and although the subject matter was hard to read, it was honest and gritty and true to life.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Reason: Challenged for ‘inappropriate content.’ In fact, Ellen herself was ‘banned from speaking at an Oklahoma middle school because of the appropriateness of her subject matter.’

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank.
 

Soon, her grades plummet, her relationships with family and friends deteriorate, and she needs more and more of the monster just to get through the day. Kristina hits her lowest point when she is raped by one of her drug dealers and becomes pregnant as a result. Her decision to keep the baby slows her drug use, but doesn't stop it, and the author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that Kristina/Bree may never be free from her addiction.