Crank / Ellen Hopkins / 537 pages

Written in verse, Crank loosely tells the tale of Ellen Hopkin's own daughter who became addicted to meth.  It is shocking to watch how quickly and easily an intelligent, beloved, and successful 16 year old girl slides down the path to destruction.  Hopkins tells it like it is and while the story is brutal and candid, many high school students have told the author how her book saved them from taking that first step.  After hearing Hopkins speak about her books and her family, this may be a book that every parent of a teen needs to read and think about.  Ellen, as the parent, does not let herself off the hook.   In spite of the hefty 537 pages, you can read this in a couple of hours especially if you want to save your children.