Crank Identity

You'd be hard pressed to find a teenager who knows exactly who she is, and Kristina is no exception in Crank. With pressures from school, family, and herself assaulting her every day, the questions of what really makes up her identity and whose rules she should play by overwhelm her prior to meeting the monster.

Ultimately, Kristina chooses the rulebook of Bree, her rebellious alter ego who gives her the confidence and recklessness needed to abandon her good-girl way of life. Bree may redefine Kristina's persona, but the move to become another person probably has a lot of sources that cause her to take over.

Questions About Identity

1. Where does Bree come from? According to Kristina, does she suddenly materialize on the trip to Albuquerque or has she always been there?
2. How are Bree and Kristina alike and different? What positive and negative traits does Bree possess?
3. What is the source of Kristina's fragmented identity? What areas of her life have caused her to be unhappy with herself? Be specific.
4. Compare Kristina at the beginning of the book to Kristina at the end. What things are important to her? What are her aspirations? How does her struggle with crank change her? Are there things about her the stay the same? If so, what? If not, what does this mean about her identity?

Chew on This

While a painful experience, Kristina's drug addiction ultimately helps her to face issues in her life that have harmed her sense of identity.

Bree is a product of Kristina's anger and frustration toward her family's fragmented situation.