Yes, Glass Is Banned!
ISBN: 9781416940906
Ellen Hopkins’s Glass picks up Kristina Snow’s story after the events of Crank. Despite having a baby, Kristina can’t stay away from meth. The novel traces her relapse, her increasingly dangerous associations with dealers and addicts, and her eventual loss of custody. Hopkins writes addiction with the authority of someone who watched it destroy her family (the Crank series is based on her daughter’s real experience), and the verse format mirrors the fractured cognition of someone in the grip of a substance. Glass is uglier and more hopeless than Crank, because addiction is uglier and more hopeless the second time around.
Glass was challenged 9 times in the 2024-2025 PEN America data, with bans in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee school districts. As the middle book of the Crank trilogy (between Crank and Fallout), it inherits and intensifies the controversies of the series. The objections cite drug content, sexual content, and language. Hopkins has consistently argued that her books exist to start conversations that adults are afraid to have with teenagers, conversations about addiction, abuse, and the consequences of choices that feel inevitable in the moment. Glass doesn’t glorify meth. It makes meth addiction look like what it is: a wrecking ball.
Why Was It Banned?
Where Was It Banned?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glass banned?
Yes, Glass by Ellen Hopkins has been banned or challenged in 22 documented instances across 3 states in the United States, including Colorado, Florida, Tennessee. It remains one of the most frequently challenged books in America.
Why was Glass banned?
Glass has been challenged and banned for the following reasons: Sexual Content, Drug/Alcohol Use, Language, Violence. These challenges have come from school boards, libraries, and parent groups seeking to restrict access to the book.
Where is Glass banned?
As of 2025, Glass has been banned or challenged in Colorado, Florida, Tennessee. Notable bans include Elizabeth School District (2024), Hillsborough County Public Schools (2025), Nassau County School District (2025).