The You I've Never Known

Ellen Hopkins is a unique voice in YA. She has a masterful way of weaving the characters of her stories together in ways you would never suspect. This is no different. This is Ariel's story. She and her dad live the live of wanderers. Moving from place to place, woman to woman, sometimes living in their car. The story is that Ariel's mother had deserted the family to live with her girlfriend. This is the story Ariel carries with her. When they finally put down roots for a minute Ariel finally starts to make friends. She is questioning her sexuality and finds herself drawn to both Monica and Gabe. This is a confusing and stressful time for Ariel as she must navigate these feelings in the presence of a homophobic and volatile father. Interspersed is Maya's story. She is trying to escape from a mother who wants to drive her into Scientology. Her way out is getting pregnant by an older soldier and moving onto the base with him. She is hopeful that this is her way out. Unfortunately, Jason is not the loving and compassionate husband she was hoping for. Ariel and Maya's stories collide in ways that are both natural and unexpected. It will shatter one and give the other one long lost hope for the future. If you have read Hopkins' books you know that they are written in beautiful free verse poetry, with Maya's story told in journal entries. These books are for a mature audience and always deal with relevant current issues. So that is 3 modern, issue based books in a row for me. I may take a little break and head back into the fantasy realm for a while. Happy reading my friends.