From: Meg Rothstein <megrothstein>
Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:38:32 -0500

I'm interested in hearing what you think about the novels in free verse by Ellen Hopkins. Have you read them? These are "edgy teen problem" titles for sure, and have been compared (for better or worse) to Go_Ask_Alice.

A couple of months ago, I saw _Crank_ (537 chewy pages) on the NYT Bestseller list-- two years after publication. What do you make of this? Why the popularity? Word of mouth from teen to teen? Is it the structure? The plot line (kid in downward spiral, parental upset, drugs, rape, pregnancy in _Crank_, for example)?

Is it the poetry?



Here are the awards _Crank_ received: Awards: ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List (NY) Gateway Readers Award Nominee (MO) IRA Young Adults' Choices Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List NYPL "Books for the Teen Age" Pennsylvania School Librarian Association (PSLA) "Top Ten (Or So)" Young Adult Books Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults PSLA Fiction List SSLI Book Award Honor Book YALSA Teens Top Ten (TTT) Nominee

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Received on Tue 03 Apr 2007 03:38:32 PM CDT