Shelly's Book Journal

This was the third book in the "Crank" series. The first two books dealt with Kristina - and her plunge into drugs, her dance with the Monster - meth. In book 3, we see the damage - not just in who Kristina has become, but in the lives of those around her. Her three teenage children (all by different fathers) tell their stories as they stumble through their own lives.The first two Crank books were a melodic tale down a dangerous road. The prose took the reader on the dance - the dance of addiction. Book 3's rhythm is different. It's a slow dance, not a fast ride. Each of the three children are deeply affected by their mother's meth habit. Her choices have ultimately defined them. And despite their separation from her - none of them were raised by her - they seemed doomed to mistakes, to flirtations with the very things that tore their mother's life apart. The first two books definitely created an angst in me - a sorrow, a feeling a helplessness. But Fallout had it's redemptive qualities. Kristinia has already fallen, but their is still hope for her children in the love of others.As a parent I appreciate the real information that this whole series provides on the Monster - what it looks like from the outside looking in and what it looks like from the inside looking out. This series is a real story in that the author and her family have walked through this - have fought the Monster. This gives the story even more value as a learning tool for teens and parents.