Reviews

The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

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

lizgre's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.75

jmurphy922's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

0.75

ttrinityy's review against another edition

3.0

the true definition of mid. i think that the “twist” (i.e. ariel = kidnapped) shouldn’t have been revealed in the books summary because it took away any mystery from the book. plus the ending kind of fell flat but oh well! you live and you learn

tealeafbooks's review against another edition

2.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it had a lot of depth, but I was turned away by some unrealistic dialogue (and at least one typo--"you" instead of "your") and the inclusion of 9/11, Scientology, and horses. So many important issues were dealt with, but some issues received a serious handling while others felt excessive (dropped in, but not fully examined).

I couldn't decide whether to give this a 3/5 or 2/5, but I'm going with 2/5. Consider it a high 2.

This book is worth reading. I think I was 14 when I read my last Ellen Hopkins book, and it's interesting to read work by her. The way she uses different poetic forms and italics makes her stories move in fascinating ways.

rachel_tb's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

alongreader's review against another edition

3.0

A difficult one to rate. I didn't like Ariel's romantic choices, in that she was seeing two people at once and not telling them about each other. I liked the rest of her character, though, and I liked the style of the book. But, like another reviewer, I kept waiting for something described in the blurb to happen. It didn't happen until page 400. That's a long time to be waiting.

Not an awful book, but not a great one either.


Abuse?

I'm not abused.
Am I?

Dad's only hit me
a few times.
Open-handed.

And only when I
deser-
Wait.

I really was thinking
deserved it.

But that's not right.
I never deserved it.
Never deserved his
ugly words, either.
Not to mention
what happened tonight.

Oh my God.
I'm a mess.

kice7788's review against another edition

5.0

loved this book! there were some things I was confused about but not thinking about those the book was great! I wish the ending kept going but I understand why she ended it where she did. not my favorite from her but written so extremely well.

shewwimonster's review against another edition

2.0

There's a lot to unpack here. The writing style kept me at a distance in this one...I don't think the verse was necessary, and I don't think Ariel's entire story being in verse added to it. Parts of it, sure, but the entire book was overkill. And while I understood why the journal sections from Maya were there, I also don't think they were necessary and they felt cumbersome to read. I didn't even read the section at the end...just skimmed it.

I think I just wanted more. For a story that's so involved and has so much going on, I felt like what we were actually given could've happened in about half the length. Everything ended up too simple.