Red

           Red edited by Amy Goldwasser is a book of essays written by teenage girls. These essays give you a feel for how teenage girls think, and how their lives are. I found this book really interesting and actually enjoyed it. I always raced my way through one essay, to get to the next one because they were just so good.
           The creativity and language of each essay is what really captivated me. I felt like I was in the mind of each girl, and a part of their life. In one essay "The Fourth Floor" by Kathryn Pavia, her language is so beautiful and you feel like you're really there in that very moment. When she says "The elevator thumped rhythmically as the numbers lit up, counting down three... two... one..." I felt like I was in the elevator. I could hear the "beep, beep, beep" in my head, and the smooth feeling of riding. Another thing she says in this is "The cafeteria was quiet except for the hum of coolers and heat lamps, some muffled footsteps, and bits of conversation seeping in from beyond the sliding doors." For this line, I actually closed my eyes for a second. And I was able to hear and picture it. However, it was then cut off by the sound of my Maltese, Spike's barking.
           I thought it was really cool to get in the mind of other teenage girls. It's crazy to see how similar our lives are, and that we're not alone. We face a lot of the same things, and it's great to see how others cope, or deal with these situations. People don't only learn from their mistakes, but others as well. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or something unfortunate for someone to learn not to do it.
           I learned a lot from these girls. I wouldn't say that they've made a huge difference in my life, or I am influenced by them, but they've changed certain things I do. Boys, girls, family, drama are a part of every one's life. The way you handle it is what matters, though. You can get involved, mad, or sad. But what changes your opinion or the way these things interfere with your life all depends on what you do with it. These girls showed me that it's okay to be nervous, scared, feel alone, etc. Because you're not the only one that feels that way.

Crank

            Crank by Ellen Hopkins is about a girl named Kristina, (also know as Bree) who was dragged down by the "monster", Crank. Crank is a street/slang term for crystal meth. On the first page of crank, Kristina says,
                              
                                Life was good
                                before I
                                met
                                                                  the monster.
                                After,
                                life
                                                                  was great.
                                At
                                least
                                                                  for a little while.

This is a very meaningful poem in this book because it shows us the journey of crank. Life is good before the monster comes along, but then it's great. But only for a little while. While reading crank, I was actually disturbed by a lot of what was happening. I couldn't believe the effect it can have on a person's mind, family, and body. It takes them to a whole other planet, where nothing matters, except knowing when they're going to get high again. So does lack of confidence and love lead you to foolish, destructive things?

             Kristina was never a very confident person. She always felt like the odd, ugly one. Until she reached high school, and boys actually started to give her attention; and girls wanted to be her friend. Kristina loved the new reaction she got from guys and girls. They thought she was beautiful, confident, and a leader. But on the inside she was just lonely, insecure, and wanted to be loved. Kristina never wanted to go back to how things used to be, so she made up Bree. Bree is everything she ever wanted to be, and represented the new her. Bree was fun, carefree, and someone everyone wanted to be friends with. Unlike Kristina. She became so infatuated with Bree, she forgot who she really was. She wasn't confident in herself, so she was very vulnerable and became involved with crank.
           
             Kristina's mom and dad are divorced. So she always longed for a guy to give her the love she missed from her father. However, she chose all the wrong guys. Brendan, is a guy she met, who she did crank with. He eventually winded up raping her. This shows how addicts surround themselves with the wrong people while doing drugs. They're not in the right state of mind, and don't really care about who they're around. Until something tragic like getting raped happens. Even that wasn't enough to scare Kristina into stop doing drugs.

             This book really changed my opinion on addicts and drugs. Addicts are people that have a problem. They can't control their addiction without professional help. They become a friend of the monster. At first, they think the monster's their best friend. That it'll always be there to cheer you up. But sooner or later, they find out that the monster is only dragging them down the path of self destruction. But the monster is clever. He catches you and puts you in a trap before you can realize this, and for most people by the time they do it's already too late. I always said that I would never try drugs ever in my life, and after reading crank it made me realize that doing so is probably one of the best decisions I could ever make.