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.

It's sometimes interesting to witness the result of a transition, such as the aftermath of a generation successfully trumping its predecessors. Gone are the days when goth typically consisted of black eyeliner, black t-shirt, black pants, and black boots, frequently worn despite summer's stifling heat. Nowadays you can mix-n-match all types of apparel to create: Oriental Goth//Diva Goth//Dark Fairy Goth//Cyber Goth//Kindergoth//Egyptian Goth//Vampire Goth//Punk Goth.

Jade Leigh is punk goth, an outsider with few friends, and misunderstood.

I'm not a bad person. I haven't killed anyone. I (rarely) lie. I don't kick little puppies. So why do people look at me as if the world would be a better place without me?

Jade is also at the bottom of the HS food chain and ostracized by its general population, including daily wisecrack bouts with her Trig teacher, Mr. Parton. Sent to the principal's office (once again) for exchanging rebuttals with said teacher, Jade is sentenced to accompany the principal on a field trip. To her horror Jade discovers that her nemesis, the popular and beautiful Mercedes - leader of the clones a.k.a. the "Barbies", is to share her ambiguous punishment.

This vague field trip lands both ladies in a non-descript building where they are forced to enter a virtual reality game "that will whisk teenagers inside a new life-a life that will make them appreciate and respect the one they currently lead." Within this realm Goth is the norm. *screams* Oh yes, EVERYONE is goth, that is, everyone except those few "Barbie" dressed teens. In addition to the outlandish changes in standard fashion, Jade and Mercedes have also swapped each others social status and friends. Unwillingly subjected to the swarm of fashion solicitations from the student body, Jade is now admired and adored while Mercedes battles her frustration with falling from fame. In addtion to facing their worst fears, the duo must put aside their ill will in order to work together if they are to ever exit this hell.

Although the storylines are predictable and preposterous and the plot's moral dilemmas may seem too blatant, the self-reflection created by the outrageous drama should promote positive discussion in teen book groups. Never thought being goth could be "fright." Kudos to the Internet Generation for making it even more interesting and often for adults to raise their brows.

When I saw Echo's stark red/white image of a tacked and spread-eagled rabbit centered on the cover, my eyes enlarged as I swore "Oh dear god, what is that thing? Disturbing yet tastefully done. What plot fills its pages!" And gratefully, after two days spent devouring its pages, I was gleefully rewarded with the key to this bizarre puzzle.

Justin 15 and Mark 10, two brothers home alone after school, wanting to watch their favorite tv shows but can't. At least, not 'til mom comes home and frees their tv unit from the prison that is their family's padlocked entertainment center. Apparently the parentals have strong aversions associated with watching too much television as evidenced by their second tv also restricted behind locked bedroom doors. Propelled by boredom, impatience, and frustration, the younger and more headstrong Mark jimmies his parents bedroom doors for unmonitered television access. As can be expected with siblings, the boys argue over whose tv show to watch that escalates into wrestling match for the remote. To no surprise, Justin's larger and stronger physique aides him in easily retaining control of channel surfing. However, this playful banter ends when their following actions result in a horrific accident leaving only Justin alive. (I'd tell you more about those actions, the spoilers, if I knew you better. But I wouldn't want your frustration with me to jeopardize the possibility of you not checking out this great read. I will say that I get a huge rise from teens after they hear this death spoiler.)

Next, jumpforward a year to Justin 16, hearing voices, and reliving one particular day over and over.

Excerpt:

"Wake up."

The voice reached Justin through his sleep, but it wasn't a normal voice. It was a voice in his head.

"Wake up," it said again.

It wasn't like talking to himself; it wasn't his own voice he heard. It sounded deep and slightly distorted-like on television when they're trying to disguise the person and they've blacked out the face and digitally modified the voice. But it was also strangely familiar. It was like when you're having a dream and you suddenly realize you've had this dream before, though you never actually recalled it while you were awake.

"Wake up, Justin," the voice commanded.

Justin opened his eyes.

The confusion generated by the plot and our unreliable narrator (duh, he's hearing voices) may initially cause readers to wonder which genre category this story falls into. And Morgenroth's diligence with developing the brothers polar personalities at a methodical pace may discourage readers, but hold out. The prologue is only 6 pages and I promise the payoff for this psychological thriller is definitely worth every word.

As an avid fan of Westerfeld's Midnighters series, I was one of many firestarters who created a small hub of Westerfeld "worshippers" here at our branch library after the first, The Secret Hour came to print. So I'm surprised it has taken me over two years to finally get around to reading his next engaging YA science fiction series. This title, Uglies, comes recommended not only by myself, but by others who enjoy reading YA lit (teens, as an ex-bookseller I remember this title being purchased often by teens regardless of their recognition of the author, and librarians alike located in INDEP, MO).

Our current twenty-first century civilization (aka "life as we know it") is one now taught in textbooks; old history told in the form of ghost stories to educate young "uglies" of our inferior and destructive race. Uglies, you say? Anyone under the age of 16, who has yet to have the operation (similar to those seen on Nip/Tuck) performed upon their willing selves. The result of this surgery has conditioned society to believe that being "pretty" is the next step to growing up. Besides looking gorgeous, pretties have practically anything they desire: parties, food, drinks. Longingly watching from across the river in Uglyville, this high rolling lifestyle is what most uglies crave, including our female protangonist: Tally, 15 yrs 9 months. On the day of her 16th birthday, Tally and her friend Shay are supposed to have this surgery done together. But Shay runs away and Talley is given a choice: to find and betray her friend or remain an ugly forever. What may seem like a slow start, the friendships formed and lost are essential to the remainder of the series. This world of deception and lies is endowed with plenty of action sequences and forces Tally's firecracker teen spirit to question her beliefs.

Now dear readers, when you see the name Westerfeld on shelves or in the hands of wiley teens, remember futuristic worlds, action thrillers, a well known and appreciated author in the YA lit field. In other words, as my teen group says "Westerfeld! Westerfeld! RAH! RAH! RAH!"