When I was in MS school during the early nineties, the dominating drug abuse read was "Go Ask Alice." However, "Alice" never resonated with me which could have been that it was written from a 1970's pov and that I was strongly opposed, like many others, to its authenticity. "Alice's" story felt contrived; a cautionary tale that was more preachy and wary than insightful. These first person narratives facing drug addictions remain an easy sell to teens and I'm pleased that there also exists a real and gritty tale that can compete with "Alice" and her distant diary confessions. With Crank, This is a tale of Kristina Georgia Snow and her aggresive under-the-influence personality Bree and their/her struggle to shake loose of the monster.

Before I discuss the story, perhaps you should be aware of Ellen's street cred to give you a taste for her honesty. Author's Note: "While this work is fiction, it is loosely based on a very true story - my daughter's. The monster did touch her life, and the lives of her family. My family. It is hard to watch someone you love fall so deeply under the spell of a substance that turns him or her into a stranger. Someone you don't even want to know...If this story speaks to you, I have accomplished what I set out to do. Crank is, indeed, a monster - one that is tough to leave behind once you invite it into your life. Think twice. Then think again."

Ellen offers a genuine voice through the development of her characters. Crank begins with a short intro contrasting Kristina and Bree. The former is respectable, bright, and is highly academic, while Bree's shady qualities are of a fearless and headstrong addict. Bree makes her debut during Kristina's visit with the father she hasn't seen in years. Disappointed to discover that her dad is everything her mother warned her about - immaturity stocked with a carefree and irresponsible attitude, roach infested apartment, empty fridge aside from the small selection of moldy foods, and an addiction to alcohol and drugs - Kristina hungrily accepts the attention from the boy next door Adam, who more accurately resembles the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. During her brief two-week stay with pop, Kristina gets hooked on drugs. She then returns home to juggle her school and familial obligations in addition to her recent and unexpected drug addiction.

Related in free verse poetry, Ellen's words physically stagger and form shapes on the page to emphasize her meaning or create multiple dialogues. I also appreciated her perspectives on teen angst:

On Bree

I suppose

she's always been

there, vague as a soft

copper pulse of moonlight

through blossoming seacost

fog.

I wonder

when I first noticed

her, slipping in and out

of my pores, hide-and-seek

spider in fieldstone, red-bellied

phantom.

I summon

Bree when dreams

no longer satisfy, when

gentle clouds of monotony

smother thunder, when Kristina

cries.

I remember

the night I first

let her go, opened the

smeared glass, one thin pane,

cellophane between rules and sin,

freed.

Glass, the sequel to Crank, is due out in August 2007.

Also check out Ellen's other novels: Burned and Impluse.