Publish date: 2004
Source: Library
"Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life." (Goodreads)
I've been aware of Ellen Hopkins and her books for a long time, but for whatever reason, never picked one up. Looking back, I think I was a little afraid of reading a verse novel just because it's different from what I normally read. I decided it was finally time to try something new and all I have to say is: WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG???
So let's see, what did I like about this book? Pretty much everything, really. I was a little intimidated by the length at first, but the 537 pages flew by. I mean, yeah, the pages weren't completely filled with words like a "normal" book, but I was so invested in Kristina/Bree's story that I HAD to continue. I didn't want to care about Kristina/Bree, but I did. I hated her, I rooted for her, I felt bad for her, I wanted to smack her--it takes an amazing author to make you feel ALL the feelings like that.
I'm not sure why I hadn't read a verse novel before. I like poetry and know that these books are really popular at my school, but I still hadn't read one. I definitely want to read more now. The story flowed so well and seemed so much more powerful in this particular writing style. I loved all the different types of poetry styles Ellen Hopkins employs here too--I can definitely see myself using examples in class to show the power of repetition, for example, or how to create poetry shapes.
I need to read more verse novels! Any recommendations for more Ellen Hopkins or books by other authors?
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