Boundaries

Introduced to the world of drugs through her father, Bree is born. A persona that Kristina, the main character, created to break away from her cookie-cutter life. In the book Crank by Ellen Hopkins that addresses the dark topics in self discovery, Kristina is used to having things under control, but she wanted change. Whilst visiting her father in Albuquerque, Kristina/Bree gets stuck on crystal meth as well as a boy named Adam. Back in Reno she has two more boyfriends, Brendan and Chase-- yet only one of the three treat Kristina well. Lost and confused, Chase finally gives her a fact about himself that will hopefully help Kristina in the long run. "I've set boundaries."

Kristina isn't a trouble maker. She is used to a quite settled life. But when she discovers Bree, she realizes she has no control. Bree picks and chooses when to let her persona shine through. Like when she decide to flirt with Brendan the lifeguard, or when she told her mom for the first time, "f---k you". Kristina only wanted a change from her uniform life, most likely not expecting one as drastic as Bree. Experimenting with one's identity is one thing, while letting it loose is another.

When Bree is high there is no telling what will happen or how she will feel. Kristina is lost and there is no voice of reason. In one particular poem she reads, " Before I met the Monster/ Life had a certain rhythm. An easy downhill flow.../Everything in its proper place, at its proper time." with each sentence placed in a diagonal line neatly beneath the next. The following poem reads, " But Now Nothing felt right nothing seemed proper" all scattered around the page. Not only through the context but visually the poems imply that Bree has lost Kristina. And with her she has lost her rhythm, her routine.

When Chase refuses to smoke crank instead, which makes you "soar higher", he says it's because he has set boundaries. When I read this, I thought what are boundaries? Boundaries are the thin lines that separate what we should and shouldn't do. Maybe if Bree set boundaries, then she could gain that sense of control once again, maybe she could find Kristina.

Personally, I like to know where I stand when choosing between two things. It is the most frustrating feeling when you cannot decide on things, and I would imagine it to be even more difficult when deciding who to be. It would be safer for Bree/Kristina to know when to stop with the crank, although it is an addictive drug. When boundaries are set, Bree can refrain, and slowly start to find herself-- who she really is.