Literary Devices in Crash
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Pennsylvania (a.k.a. the Poop State)When Penn Webb introduces himself to Crash, he says he's from North Dakota, the Flickertail State. He wonders what Pennsylvania is called, and Crash tells him i...
Narrator Point of View
The first sentence of the book clears up any mystery surrounding who our narrator is. "My name is John," it says. "John Coogan" (1.1). Of course, you know by now that he goes by "Crash." The narrat...
Genre
All in the FamilyStrictly speaking, Crash isn't a family drama because the central conflict is between two boys (Crash and Penn) from different families. But the storyline that gives the book its w...
Tone
Not So NiceWe're going to be honest—throughout a lot of this book, Crash isn't exactly the kind of dude we'd like to be friends with. It seems like if Crash isn't laughing at someone, he's knocki...
Writing Style
Word nerd Marcel Proust is famous for having written sentences that are hundreds of words long. Not to worry, Shmooper: this ain't that. In fact, Crash is basically the opposite, with short sentenc...
What's Up With the Title?
This one couldn't be easier, folks. The title refers to the nickname of the main character, John "Crash" Coogan, so named because he's super into football. Also, on a personal level, he's a bit of...
What's Up With the Ending?
The final chapter fast-forwards a few months to midsummer so we can see how everything worked out. Abby got her wildlife habitat or, at least, some long grass in the backyard. Scooter is still scoo...
Tough-o-Meter
(2) Sea Level If you're in the market for an easy-breezy read, Crash has got you covered. The plot jumps forward in time twice, but for the most part, it moves in a nice, straight line. And while w...
Plot Analysis
Meet the NeighborsSix-year-olds Crash Coogan and Penn Webb are neighbors. Crash is a big, mean bully, and Penn is a good-natured nerd. They don't get along, but it's not for a lack of trying (on Pe...
Trivia
Jerry Spinelli used to have a pet chinchilla named Chichi. R.I.P. (Source)He also had a pet rat named Bernadette. We admit it, we're a little bit obsessed with this guy's pet cemetery. (Source)The...
Steaminess Rating
GLadies, meet Crash Coogan, who is, in his own words, "the answer to your dreams" (23.16). His big pickup line is "I guess you could wear women's sizes, huh?" (23.8) How hot is that?Ladies? Okay, s...
Allusions
Pop Culture ReferencesBatman (5.28)Spider-Man (5.28)Monday Night Football (28.16)Perry Como (33.5)Bing Crosby (33.5)Swamp Thing (33.6)