Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
Every day people make bad decisions. Every day people have to deal with the repercussions of someone else’s bad choice. So, even if your parents aren’t drug addicts, it can be easy to relate to Fallout, because chances are at least once in your life someone has made a decision which affected you, as life does not exist in a vacuum.
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins is the final book of the Crank Trilogy. I thought it was a phenomenal end. In Fallout, the poems are not from the point of view of Kristina, but rather her children. This book is set 20 years after the end of Glass. The story alternates between Hunter, Summer, and Autumn, each child has a different father, but share Kristina as a mother.
I think by having the story be from the point of view of Kristina’s children, we get a more complete portrait of Kristina’s addiction. This time, we see how the people around her are hurt by her poor choices. I thought the three protagonists were very likable, which made reading about them quite difficult. It is hard seeing someone you care about going through so much pain, especially when it’s not their fault.
What I enjoyed was seeing the family dynamics. We see how Hunter interacts with Kristina’s mother, who legally adopted him. Autumn has her Aunt Cora and her grandfather. Summer, is a victim of the foster system. I was so heartbroken for Summer, as she had such a troubled past. Her parts absolutely made me tear up. Anyways, we see how the family comes together in Fallout. We see a bit more of Scott (Kristina’s stepdad). Scott and Hunter’s interactions are fabulous, especially when they talk man to man on the subject of cheating.
If you are looking for a hard hitting book, something that will really make you feel and connect with the human condition, you absolutely need to read the Crank series.
Disclosure: I received Fallout for review.
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April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1074 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
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Thanks so much, April…. and thanks especially for the comment about the Scott/Hunter relationship…. very complicated.
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