The You I've Never Known

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—Ariel and her father, an abusive, homophobic alcoholic, never stay in one place very long. Miraculously, though, they have spent Ariel's entire junior year in Sonora, CA, and she hopes that, for once, they can stick around. Here, she has finally experienced a bit of stability and made friends. She has also begun to explore her sexuality with both new guy Gabe and Monica, her "queer Mexican American" best friend. Ariel keeps her feelings for Monica from her father, who never lets her forget that her mother left them when Ariel was two to "run off with her lesbian lover." The teen longs to break free from her father's control and be herself—whoever that is. Seventeen-year-old Maya, a Texan whose cold and abusive mother is increasingly involved in Scientology, seeks escape, too, and she finds it when she meets Jason, 10 years her senior; gets pregnant; and marries. But Jason has an escape plan of his own, one that will bring Ariel's and Maya's stories together in a startling way. Themes of identity, family, and truth are interrogated as readers slowly learn more about Ariel and Maya. Writing in verse (Ariel's tale) and prose (Maya's), Hopkins uses skillful pacing and carefully chosen words to conceal the most important truth of the novel. The reveal arrives just as readers may be putting the pieces together themselves. VERDICT A sharp, gripping read sure to please Hopkins's legions of fans.—Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN Read more Review **STARRED REVIEW** “Hopkins creates a satisfying and moving story, and her carefully structured poems ensure that each word and phrase is savored.” , Publishers Weekly, starred review"With trademark compassion, multidimensional characters, realistic teen behavior, and a slew of issues sympathetically explored, Hopkins has another winner here.", Booklist“A powerful, memorable and honest look at how two girls navigate their troubled home lives. Ellen Hopkins once again reminds us why she’s in a class all to herself—the gorgeous prose, the painfully authentic characters and their struggle to find where to fit in and how to be loved. No surprise . . . this book is beautiful and unforgettable!”, Justine Magazine“Maya and Ariel's connection is among Hopkins' best. A page-turning exploration of independence, powerlessness, and secrets, with groundbreaking representation of bisexuality and queerness.”, Kirkus Reviews“Writing in verse (Ariel’s tale) and prose (Maya’s), Hopkins uses skillful pacing and carefully chosen words to conceal the most important truth of the novel. The reveal arrives just as readers may be putting the pieces together themselves. VERDICT A sharp, gripping read sure to please Hopkins’s legions of fans.” , SLJ**STARRED REVIEW** “Delving into issues of teen pregnancy, scientology, bisexuality, same-sex marriage, family, and determination, this book is as substantial as it is beautifully written. Hopkins’s fans will love the newest edition to her published works, a must for contemporary young adult collections.” , VOYA, starred revew Read more About the Author Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fourteen young adult novels, as well as the adult novels Triangles, Collateral, and Love Lies Beneath. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she has founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Visit her at EllenHopkins.com and on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsLit. Read more Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The You I’ve Never Known I Can’t Remember Every place Dad and I have called home. When I was real little, the two of us sometimes lived in our car. Those memories are in motion. Always moving. I don’t think I minded it so much then, though mixed in with happy recollections are snippets of intense fear. I didn’t dare ask why one stretch of sky wasn’t good enough to settle under. My dad likes to say he came into this world infected with wanderlust. He claims I’m lucky, that at one day till I turn seventeen I’ve seen way more places than most folks see in an entire lifetime. I’m sure he’s right on the most basic level, and while I can’t dig up snapshots of North Dakota, West Virginia, or Nebraska, how could I ever forget watching Old Faithful spouting way up into the bold amethyst Yellowstone sky, or the granddaddy alligator ambling along beside our car on a stretch of Everglade roadway? I’ve inhaled heavenly sweet plumeria perfume, dodging pedicab traffic in the craziness of Waikiki. I’ve picnicked in the shadows of redwoods older than the rumored son of God; nudged up against the edge of the Grand Canyon as a pair of eagles played tag in the warm air currents; seen Atlantic whales spy-hop; bodysurfed in the Pacific; and picked spring- inspired Death Valley wildflowers. I’ve listened to Niagara Falls percussion, the haunting song of courting loons. So I guess my dad is right. I’m luckier than a whole lot of people. Read more