Book Review: The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

Title: The You I've Never Known
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Verse
Pages: 608
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Year Published: 2017
Format: Library Copy 

"For as long as she can remember, it's been just Ariel and Dad. Ariel's mom disappeared when she was a baby. Dad says home is wherever the two of them are, but Ariel is now seventeen and after years of new apartments, new schools and new faces, all she wants is to put down some roots. Complicating things are Monica and Gabe, both of whom have stirred a different kind of desire.

Maya's a teenager who's run from an abusive mother right into the arms of an older man she thinks she can trust. But not she's isolated with a baby on the way, and life's getting more complicated than Maya ever could have imagined.

Ariel and Maya's lives collide unexpectedly when Ariel's mother shows up out of the blue with wild accusations: Ariel wasn't abandoned. Her father kidnapped her fourteen years ago.

What is Ariel supposed to believe? Is it possible Dad's woven her entire history into a tapestry of lies? How can she choose between the mother she's been taught to mistrust and the father who has taken care of her all these years?"

My Rating: 2/5

After writing out that synopsis I'm a little confused on the point of this story. I thought that the whole idea was finding out how Maya and Ariel connected and what happened all those years ago. But the description pretty much does it justice. 
I have read other works by Ellen Hopkins in the past, mainly while I was in high school and I will say that I do love the use of verse in her stories. In other novels, it helps to capture a feeling that words might be able to describe and keep the reader hooked. In this story I just found it to be drawn out and frustrating. Overall this book was ok for me, but I'm not sure I understand the purpose other than to inform people about the issues of spousal kidnapping (it's more common than you think). 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Spoiler: The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

So let's start this off by saying that I rarely read the synopsis in a book and I'm certainly glad that I didn't in this one. After writing it out I see that any idea of mystery or wonder is totally explained in the description. I found it extremely frustrating that this is the case. I understand that the author is using her voice to describe a situation that in some ways was own voices. A terrifying tale to say the least, but this is more common than some may think. That being said, as someone who works in childcare, I understand how these things could happen.

Overall I just found this story to be too drawn out for me. I enjoyed the verse, but it didn't have the same effect on me that it has in some other books by the author. I also found that the characters were difficult to connect with. 

Characters:
Ariel/Casey: I think that her character is difficult to read from. Watching her walk on eggshells around her father and talk about her love for him was difficult to stomach, but that's the only life she remembers. Seeing her develop relationships with those around her was also good, but just not in depth as I thought that it would be. 

Jason: I do believe that he has a mental disorder. I'm not sure what, but the way he manipulates and uses Ariel/Casey against Maya is horrifying to think about. That and the way he is able to lie so convincingly made me extremely uncomfortable. I do wonder what happened to all the women he used and abused along the way.

Maya: I enjoyed her end journal entry's to be able to better understand her life with and without her daughter. The hope she lives with is amazing. 

Monica: Her character wasn't as fleshed out as I hoped it to be. At some points, she was spoken as this kick-ass girl who knew who she was and other times she almost appeared meek. 

Gabe: I liked him, but probably based on every basic guy I've ever met.

Hillary: I'm more interested in her life. Was she running away on her horse? What is she going to do now that she can't ride? Does she miss it? Like we're not going to talk about this?


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Crank

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Pages: 537

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Year Published: 2004

“Life was good

Before I met         the monster

                            After,

                            life

                                               was great,

                                              At least

                                                                for a little while.”

“Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle of her mind, her soul—her life.”

My Rating: 5/5

A couple of my friends suggested this book too me, and I’m happy that I read it. This isn’t you’re average novel, Ellen Hopkins takes her writing too the next level and is original and unique.  Using a poetic writing style, the reader is able to understand what is going on while still being slightly confused (a good confused though). I think that drugs are an important topic for everyone to read about, not just teens, and finding out what the effects on your mental, physical and emotional health is just as important, if not more. I think most kids have presentations about not doing drugs cause it will kill you, but none of that sinks in unless you see it or can visualize it. I believe that Ellen Hopkins is able to do just that. She makes the reader see all the sides and doesn’t hold back on the feelings of drugs.

THANK YOU ELLEN HOPKINS FOR A DIFFERENT AND INTRIGUING WRITING STYLE!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny ♥♪♫

Spoiler: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

As I mentioned in the book review above, I really think that Ellen Hopkins does a fantastic job of helping readers visualize the effects of drugs. All the effects. I don’t think that I ever really thought about how people got on drugs, I just thought that kids did them cause it’s what everyone else did. But in this book I think that Bree/Kristina does it so she has a connection with her father and so she doesn’t feel quite so alone. I don’t know if anyone skipped the Author’s Note but basically it says that this book is loosely based on Ellen Hopkin’s daughter. She mentions that she hopes this story speaks to you that she hopes you think, and think again. I think that since this is such a personal story for her, it made her writing better and better. I liked that she did her “research” and knew what she was talking about. All in all I fantastic novel.

Characters:

Bree/Kristina: I wasn’t sure if she belonged in two categories or one, but we’re gonna go with one. I think that there are times when all of us wish we were different, that we could be the cool kid, or that someone else. That’s exactly what Kristina does in this book, she takes on a different attitude and personality. All because of the “monster” and who she could be on it. She changes completely from the girl who just wanted to go see her father, to the girl with the multiple  boyfriends and drug problems. Seeing Kristina change through everything she goes through teaches the reader many things that I never really thought about drugs. The feeling of the high, the different ways you feel on different things, the after affects. The emotional effects, etc. I’ll admit that I almost cried when she found out she was pregnant, and not pregnant with Chase’s child. I hope that things work out for the best with her and her baby in the next book.

Adam/Buddy: I don’t really think that he’s trust worthy and I’m happy she didn’t have sex with him just cause he was there. After all, he did just go back to Lince pretty damn quick. I can’t imagine someone saying they’ll stay with you and then just buggering off with the next girl they see and saying that they love you but want to see other people. Is he confused? Or just a jerk?

Lince: I was surprised that she ended up ok at all. I couldn’t believe that she was able to walk and talk normally after that fall. Seriously insane.

Kristina’s Dad: I hate him. He’s useless and it’s probably a good thing that he left. If you think about it, Kristina wouldn’t gotten on drugs and therefore wouldn’t have ended up pregnant. Better staying out of her life, in all honesty.

Brendan: Who thought that he’d be a rapist? Be honest! I figured he was a player but a full on rapist? That was a little too much for me too take. People like him need to be locked up.

Chase: Now here’s an unlikely keeper. He’s described at first as the bad/mysterious boy so I thought that he would be problematic but if anything he was the opposite and helped look out for Kristina, even though he did have a bad effect on her drug use. He probably shouldn’t have supplied her, but he did offer to step in for Brendan and marry her. I think he’s a fantastic man, and hopefully they make it work and stay together.

Kristina’s Mom: I wish that she’d listen to her daughter more and not be so happy to take in the lies that she’s given. Scott was right about the drug problem, and she shouldn’t have been in denial about it. At least in the end she’s there for Kristina which is what really matters.

♥Moments to Remember♥:

♥Pg. 22

“Dad and I attempt small talk.

How’s your sister?

‘Gay.’”

♥Pg. 109

“I stood out like a moped at a Harley rally.”

♥Pg. 365

“Funny thing, Kristina. Before you, I believed love was making love. Waiting only makes me love you more.”

♥Pg. 520

“ ‘You sure you’re pregnant? You sure it’s mine? You’re not b-sing me?’

‘I’m sure. It’s yours. No bull. Hard to believe your balls were big enough to accomplish it, huh?’”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo