Reviews

The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

lyakimov's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. This was a moving story, even more moving because it was based off of the author's personal experience. The emotions of the situation on the mother's side were so genuine, and I feel like we could have used some more of that sprinkled into the story as opposed to all of it given to us at the end. The beginning could have been a good 100-150 pages shorter, plus I didn't really like how Ariel/Casey handled her romantic relationships, she used both people she was involved with and it was never called out as wrong. It made me dislike the main character and therefore begin to like the book less.

redvelvetpenguins's review against another edition

3.0

Very slow paced in the begining, takes about 400 pages to get the point. Then the book is over at page 590. Would've loved to see more of the conclusion and not so much of the build up.

heather0927's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ecarohjackson's review against another edition

4.0

I have to admit, I am not a fan of previous Ellen Hopkins' books. I have read quite a few of them, but couldn't relate to or handle the tough subjects discussed in them. That being said, I was very skeptical to read this one, but I'm so glad I did. I found the book to be refreshing, but also a harsh reminder of some people's realities. In addition, don't pass up this book because it is written in a poetry format. I almost did, but when I started reading it, I realized that if I wanted to, I could almost ignore that part. Without giving too much away, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighthearted-meaningful read. Also, it is a pretty quick read if you are an decent reader (only took me a few hours).




*I received a ARC from Riveted and am not obligated to give a review.*

isabella1018's review against another edition

4.0

Wow wow wow wow wow. All the thoughts are still buzzing in my head and I can’t believe I didn’t see it but wow it all came together and it worked and it was heartbreaking but a coming of age story and realizing your self story which I think is important and brought an issue into my head that I never thought of before.

bookishwillowdusk's review against another edition

5.0

what a beautiful, beautiful book. I am never disappointed by Ellen Hopkins and this was just as amazing as her other books. the main character, Ariel, made me feel like I was part of her life, experiencing her choices with her. it made me feel happiness and sadness, anger and love.

raediance04's review against another edition

5.0

This was a very interesting book from the perspective of two women. We hear their stories and halfway through see how their lives connect. I was warned not to read the description for the book, despite predicting the twist on my own. I enjoyed this book and loved the way it portrayed the lives of these strong women who overcame difficult obstacles in their life. Although a possibly daunting read, this book is a pretty quick read because Ariel's perspective is written in prose.

triciaharris72's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

simplyselicia's review against another edition

3.0

I thought this was an interesting listen. There was a lot that I could identify with, some I disagreed with, but we all have different experiences. Solid characters and as engrossing for me as usual since I've always liked Ellen Hopkins. This one didn't snag me as much as previous works, but it was still good.

kaylaaromigg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0