CANR

• A Sin Such as This Atria (New York, NY), 2018

• Sync - 2024 Nancy Paulsen Books, New York, NY
• What about Will - 2021 G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY
• Closer to Nowhere - 2020 G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY
• A Sin Such as This - 2018 Atria, New York, NY
• People Kill People - 2018 Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York, NY
• The You I've Never Known / Ellen Hopkins. By: Hopkins, Ellen, Published: , New York, [2017] - 2017 Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York, NY

• Ellen Hopkins website - https://ellenhopkinsbooks.com/

  BORN: March 26, 1955, in Long Beach, CA. I was adopted at birth by an older couple. Albert C. Wagner was 72 at the time; Valeria was 42. To put that into perspective, he was born in 1883 and she was born in 1912.

  GREW UP: in Palm Springs, CA, in a neighborhood with movie stars and entertainment icons, including Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Kirk Douglas and Arnold Palmer. We were, however, the “poor rich.” My father made his money in the steel industry in WWII. I remember the day he had actually earned his million. As a poor immigrant child who was most definitely a self-made man with a 6th grade education, he couldn’t have been prouder.

  LEARNED: from my father the value of hard work and honesty. From my mother, I learned a love of language and reading. She inhaled literature and read to me every day from the time I was a baby until I finally told her to quit already. She also had me reading chapter books before kindergarten.

  FOUND: my birth mother, Toni Chandler, in the year 2000. One interesting side note is that she wrote poetry her entire life. I have a half-sister, Fran, who I connected with a few years ago. She lived with my mom in Michigan, until Toni’s recent passing, and we stay in regular touch. My birth father’s identity is unknown.

  MOVED: to the Santa Ynez Valley, near Santa Barbara, my 8th grade summer. The high school is relatively small, and my parents thought it would be a more wholesome atmosphere. The valley is a “horsey” place and I did, in fact, own horses until I moved to the Tahoe area in 1985. I showed, jumped, rode gymkhana and barrel raced.

  IN SCHOOL: I was a straight A student almost all the way through school. With an excellent private school background through 8th grade, it was fairly easy to maintain those grades all the way through high school, despite a certain renegade attitude (70s rebel and all that!). I was the type who could read a chapter in a book and pass a test, even without the classroom discussion necessary for some.

  STARTED WRITING: From the time I knew how to put words on paper. I’ve always been writing something (especially poetry) ever since, although I didn’t start writing for money until around 1992.

  PUBLISHED: my first poem, a brilliant haiku (I’m pretty sure there were trees and springtime in it), when I was nine. I was always encouraged by my English teachers to write and won pretty much every creative writing contest I ever entered all the way through high school.

  GRADUATED: Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in 1973. Went on to study journalism in college (Crafton Hills College and UCSB) but dropped out to get married and start a family.

  CHILDREN: Had my first child, Jason, when I was just 21. He was born in 1976. Cristal followed two years later.

  DIVORCED: When Cristal was still a baby in diapers. My ex moved to Albuquerque. He passed away a few years ago.

  REBOUND RELATIONSHIP: Met my daughter, Kelly’s, father on the rebound. He was very much a not-nice man. The relationship was physically abusive and lasted far longer than it should have. When I finally found the courage to make a break, he kidnapped Kelly against court orders and hid her for almost three years. Finally, his own grandmother helped us get her back. That’s a long story, too long to tell here. You can find a fictionalized version in The You I’ve Never Known.

  OWNED MY OWN BUSINESS: During this time, I was the owner of Valley Video, a video store before video got big. Sold out in 1984.

  “FOREVER LOVE”: found me during this time. I met John Hopkins, and we moved to the Tahoe area in 1985. Wanting to be sure it would all work out, I insisted we wait to get married until October 19, 1991. We’ve survived good, bad, amazing, and horrible and come out stronger. He is still, and always, my best friend.

  WE MOVED: To Northern Nevada, in a rural valley between Reno and Carson City, in 1990. The house was modest, but as my career grew, so did our home. We remodeled it into something beautiful and created a hilltop oasis where we lived for thirty-three years. We thought we’d probably stay there forever, but when daughter Kelly and her family moved to Tennessee, we decide we should move closer to them, and in February 2023 we downsized, packed our bags, and bought a lovely log home on five wooded acres in Missouri.

  DURING OUR NORTHERN NV TIME: I decided to try and write for a living. I started freelancing newspaper and magazine articles. Moved from there into children’s nonfiction, publishing twenty titles before I sold my first novel. I was always trying different things—picture books, early chapter books, etc., and I wrote an entire adult novel which didn’t sell then. I also taught creative part time as an artist-in-residence; owned my own little publishing company, which did a newspaper for children; and was an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. And I did all those things simultaneously, searching for where I belonged as a writer.

  THE REAL STORY: behind Crank took place between the years 1995 and 1971. “Hunter,” aka Orion, was born in 1996. We took guardianship of him when he was just a baby and adopted him when he was not quite four years old. He is the light of our lives (as well as the biggest pain!) and a true gift. He knows the whole story, of course, but considers us his parents, and we consider him our son. He’s currently producing some conceptually stunning music.

  FAMILY REVISION: In 2013 we took guardianship of three grandchildren, who were at that time three, four and nine years old. The eldest is now nineteen and lives with his mom in Reno. Daughter Kelly has adopted the youngest. The middle guy is still with us and just started high school here in MO.

  RANDOM FACTOIDS:

  My parents were Republicans (he was a businessman, after all). But I knew from the time I did mock elections in 7th grade that I was a born Dem. Bobby Kennedy was my hero. His death, coupled with MLK’s death and the conflict in Viet Nam, forged my politics.

  And on that subject, I’m an active member of the Democratic party and served as a Nevada caucus chair in 2008. What an amazing experience! I am also an outspoken progressive activist and feminist.

  I was raised a card-carrying Lutheran. However, over the years, my beliefs have morphed into some combination of Christianity and spirituality. I do believe the energy that makes us “us” never dies and is more than just random electrical impulses in a hunk of gray matter.

  One of the things I love most about being home is gardening. I do veggies and continually modify beds of flowers and evergreens. Working in the yard is one way I unwind and counter occasional bouts of writers’ block.

  I love to cook and often bake homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. I also can fruit and vegetables. I make one killer salsa, and much of my vegetable garden is devoted to those ingredients.

  Pre-COVID, I traveled around 100 days a year, doing school and library visits, book signings and festivals, writers conferences, and other events. That slowed to a halt for a while but is picking up again. I doubt I’ll choose to travel that much, but you never know.

  Currently, I hold the not entirely enviable title of “Most Banned Author in America.” All fourteen of my young adult novels have been removed from school, and in some cases, public libraries in some parts of the country. I continue to be a strong supporter of the first amendment and soldier in the anti-book banning army.

• The Nerd Daily - https://thenerddaily.com/ellen-hopkins-sync-author-interview/

  Q&A: Ellen Hopkins, Author of ‘Sync’
  Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·August 23, 2024·3 min read

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  We chat with author Ellen Hopkins about Sync, which is a new heartbreaking young adult novel in verse about twins separated in the foster care system and the different paths their lives take.

  Hi, Ellen! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
  I’m a poet and former journalist, turned nonfiction books for kids writer, become the NY Times bestselling author of fifteen young adult novels-in-verse, two middle grade verse novels, and four novels for adult readers. After six decades in the west (split even-steven between CA and NV), packed up 33 years in one house to move to a log cabin on five acres of Missouri woods with my extended family and two spectacular German Shepherds.

  When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
  As soon as I knew how to spell. My mom instilled a love for literature and encouraged my early haikus.

  Quick lightning round! Tell us:
  The first book you ever remember reading: Uncle Wiggly Long Ears
  The one that made you want to become an author: The Godfather
  The one that you can’t stop thinking about: All the Light We Cannot See
  Your latest novel, Sync, is out August 27th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
  Heartbreaking. Heart-stopping. Surprising. Unputdownable. Hopeful.

  What can readers expect?
  Storm and Lake are twins, connected so deeply they can read each other’s thoughts—their sync. As young children, they are removed from their abusive home and placed in foster care. Sync follows them through a series of placements, one of which separates them. Storm’s anger lands him in lockup a couple of times, but he has finally found a decent “dad” and amazing girlfriend. Until . . . Lake has likewise found love with Parker, but that relationship is in danger because of their uber-religious foster parents, so the two run and wind up on the streets. Then each gets one last chance. Through it all, the twins struggle to find their way back to each other and regain their sync.

  Where did the inspiration for Sync come from?
  Over the years I’ve worked with a number of foster and aged-out foster kids. Their stories were eye-opening, and I wanted readers to come away with an understanding of a system designed to benefit them, with varied success. There are bad actors there, but also many people who genuinely want to help young people who find it hard to accept that help.

  Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
  Secondary characters often become favorites, and there are three or four supportive adult characters who readers will love. My favorite is Teddy, a homeless man who finds Lake and her girlfriend Parker living in an abandoned car, with very little money or prospects. Parker has a beautiful voice, and when Teddy hears her singing he taps on the window, offering to leave a few bucks under the windshield wiper if she sings some of his favorite songs. Eventually, the car gets towed. By then, Teddy has become something of a friend, and he takes them to live in a homeless camp, where they’re at least a little safer. He’s got quite the backstory, too.

  Can you tell our readers a bit about your approach when it came to exploring foster care and juvenile incarceration?
  As I said, I’ve worked with foster kids, and also with kids in lockup. So I’ve had some personal experience. I also spent hours watching videos of foster kids, and foster parents, sharing their stories. And to round things out, I lobbied my readers for their stories and to get the details of juvenile detention correct. It was a lot of research, and I think it shows.

  See also

  Q&A: Jennifer Saint, Author of ‘Hera’
  You’re the “most-banned” American author. As someone who is based in Australia, what’s with the book banning and why are your titles considered to be so “alarming”?
  The current book banning hysteria is a political drive aimed at crippling our public school system. They’re targeting not only books, but teachers and librarians, driving many from their careers. Books are easy targets. Mine have been labelled “sexually explicit,” and while there is some content, it is written with a young adult audience in mind. They also have LGBTQ characters, and characters of color, both of which are targeted content for removal. Apparently real life is “alarming” to these people.

  What’s next for you?
  I’m currently writing another middle grade, Finding Olivia, about an adopted 13-year-old girl seeking her identity, both external and internal.

  Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
  I’ve revisited some old favorites (mostly Stephen King, as I’m considering plunging into horror). Probably my favorite recent book was The Collectors, the Printz-winning anthology. Looking forward to Pick the Lock, which looks to be a very strange book indeed by A.S. King.

• KUER - https://www.kuer.org/education/2025-04-25/rather-than-ban-her-books-ellen-hopkins-says-utah-should-trust-in-young-people

  Rather than ban her books, Ellen Hopkins says Utah should ‘trust in young people’
  KUER 90.1 | By Martha Harris
  Published April 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM MDT
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  Author Ellen Hopkins speaks about book banning from her home in Missouri during a webinar hosted by advocacy group Let Utah Read, April 25, 2025.
  Courtesy Let Utah Read
  Author Ellen Hopkins speaks about book banning from her home in Missouri during a webinar hosted by advocacy group Let Utah Read, April 25, 2025.
  Ellen Hopkins is an award-winning author known for young adult books about challenging subjects. But she’s now earned a distinction in Utah that she wasn’t looking for. Out of the 17 books banned in public schools under a 2024 law, three of them were novels written by Hopkins.

  That makes her the second-most-banned author statewide behind Sarah J. Maas.

  Hopkins told a webinar hosted by Let Utah Read, an advocacy group, that she doesn't want her novels banned in all public schools. That’s because she set out on her novel-writing journey with young adults in mind.

  After writing non-fiction for young readers and poetry, she told them she turned to novels because of her daughter’s drug addiction.

  “I didn't know I wanted to write for young adults until I was watching my own young adult daughter go through, you know, a pretty devastating period of her life,” Hopkins said. “I wanted to change that for as many kids as I could, if I could.”

  Hopkins wrote her first novel in 2004. She describes “Crank” as fictionalized but a “very, very real look at the path to addiction for a kid that you don't ever expect to get there.”

  The novel is not banned in Utah, but it is one of the most banned books across the country, according to the American Library Association. They said the book is often targeted for being sexually explicit and depicting drug use.

  For a book to be banned statewide, three school districts have to remove a book for being “objective sensitive material,” meaning it is deemed “pornographic or indecent” as defined in state code.

  Her books that have been banned are "Fallout," the third and final book in the “Crank” series, "Tricks" and "Tilt." Respectively, “Tricks” deals with teen prostitution and "Tilt" follows three teens navigating issues like pregnancy and a romantic relationship between two young men, one of whom is HIV positive.

  Hopkins did say some of her books are not appropriate for every kid at every age because every child is different. It is up to parents to understand where their kids are intellectually and determine when they’re ready to read about certain subjects.

  Hopkins writes about these subjects because she’s committed to telling what she calls the “truth.” Having raised multiple generations of teenagers, and now her grandchildren, she said she knows what hurts teenagers and what gives them joy. Still, her books aren’t all about painful things because they also show characters coming out the other side stronger.

  “I want to bring a wider perspective to this kind of narrow space that teenagers live in,” she said of her work.

  And Hopkins feels it has made a difference in the lives of young people. Over the years, she’s heard from thousands who have thanked her for turning them away from going down certain paths or helping them to better understand what others are going through.

  Before the webinar, Hopkins said she received an email from a reader who wrote, “When I first started reading your books in eighth grade, I had no idea I was reading what was to become my own story.” After struggling with drug addiction, they said they got sober but were tempted to relapse after the death of their son. For help, they re-read “Crank.”

  “Your book reminds me of where I've been and made me stop and realize how far I've come. I've lived the story on those pages, and I realized I never want to go back today. I made the decision, I'm going to stay sober: for me, for my family, and to make my son proud of me as he watches over me,” Hopkins read from the email.

  Books, Hopkins said, are a safe space for kids to explore issues — much safer, she said, than exploring on their phones or in the real world.

  The focus on book-banning is political theater to Hopkins. She said librarians and authors are easy targets that distract society from more important issues.

  Even as a long-time author, Hopkins hasn’t been immune. With her most recent book about the foster care system, “Sync,” Hopkins was tempted to self-censor. Instead, she said she promised her readers that she would write truthfully and wanted to stick to that.

  For Utahns who want to restrict access to her books, Hopkins said they underestimate how smart children, especially teenagers, are. With high school students, they’ll be out in the world and making lots of choices for themselves in a couple of years.

  “Trust in those young people, give them the ability to make those decisions for themselves,” Hopkins said.

• Mountain Valley Living - https://mountainvalleyliving.com/2024/07/30/meet-the-author-ellen-hopkins/

  Q&A With New York Times Best Selling Author Ellen Hopkins

  By Mara Dobyns

  Ellen Hopkins is a #1 New York Times Best selling author of fourteen young adult novels, two middle grade novels, and four novels for adult readers. Writing this introduction will in no way do her work justice. She has been one of my favorite authors since I was a teenager and is well known for her first novel, Crank.

  Crank is loosely based on Ellen’s oldest daughter’s story and

  addiction struggles. It began as a personal exploration of the “why’s” behind her daughter’s decisions and what role Ellen may have played in them. By writing the story from her daughters perspective, she learned a lot, about her daughter, herself, and the nature of addiction. Ellen states on her website that she knows the road to recovery is not easy but there is help. She encourages others with loved ones struggling with addiction to learn as much as they can about how a substance works on the brain and how this can help you divorce the overwhelming emotion involved.

  Ellen has been called the bestselling living poet in the country by Media Bistro. I love the way she fearlessly captures real emotion and the heartache of it all. Her novels, often in the style of poetry verse – told through the medium of poetry rather than prose was created to give her poems some structure on the page and to allow her readers to be brought directly inside the heads and unique thoughts of her characters.

  Her latest Novel, Sync, is set to release August 27th, 2024. If you want to learn more about her, her books, or if you wish to inquire about guest appearances, please visit her delightful website here

  Q: What can you tell our readers about your upcoming release, Sync?

  A: SYNC is about twins separated by the foster care system. It follows them from the time they’re removed from their abusive mother’s care and through a series of placements. Along the way, Storm’s anger nets him time in lockup, but he also finds tentative love. When the book opens, Lake has also found love. But her girlfriend, Parker, has her own issues. The two run away from a placement and deal with life on the street. Storm and Lake struggle to find their way back to each other and into safe harbor until each is offered one last chance at both.

  Q: As a #1 New York Times best selling author of 14 young adult novels, 2 middle grade novels, and 4 novels for adult readers can you tell us which has been your favorite to write and why?

  A: Hard question, but probably People Kill People because it’s a verse/prose hybrid. The verse (some of the best poetry I’ve written!) is the voice of violence, calling the characters to pick up a gun and use it. The six characters are written in prose, and in second person. So I’m inviting readers to BECOME those six people. Quite perplexing, and I loved that.

  Q: Out of all the books you’ve written which was the most challenging and why? How did you overcome that?

  A: Glass, which is the sequel to Crank. The books were inspired by my daughter’s story of addiction, so hit very close to home. Had we been able to turn the tide where Crank ends, all our lives would have been so much better. But Glass is where we lost her for too many years, and where her dreams died. She did survive and has been clean for a few years. But there were 25 years of hell in between. I managed to write the book, which I knew was important not only to my readers, but for my own clarity. But I had to step away from the computer many, many times, and look for creative peace.

  Q: What helps you overcome creative blocks?

  A: In the short term, walking my dogs or gardening or something physical. I find working the body frees brain freeze. If it’s more long term, I try to go somewhere new or different to write. Take a laptop to the beach or mountaintop or even a hotel room.

  Q: What advice would you offer to other writers who want to achieve success as you have?

  A: First off, patience. Very few writers find instant success. You have to learn from rejection and critique. And you also have to believe in yourself and the stories you want to tell. Then write from the heart. Speak universal truths. And always start with character. Let plot evolve from there. If readers don’t care about your characters, they won’t care about your stories.

  Q: Lastly is there anything you’d specifically like to add or include?

  A: I’ll finish with, you’re never too old, or too young, to start writing.

  All it takes is a passion for the work.

• American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina (ACLU-SC) website - https://www.aclusc.org/en/news/heres-what-you-lose-when-you-ban-my-books

  Author Ellen Hopkins responds to the mass banning of her YA novels
  By Ellen Hopkins
  November 28, 2023 - 9:00am
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  Professional headshot of author Ellen Hopkins
  Ellen Hopkins is a bestselling author of 14 young adult novels including Crank, Tricks, Fallout, and Smoke.

  Today on the blog, we have a guest post by Ellen Hopkins, a bestselling author of novels for young adults. Here in South Carolina, she is the most frequently challenged and banned author in public school libraries and collections, with her books facing more than 30 challenges in 2022 alone.

  We asked Ellen if she wanted to respond to the current censorship wave. Here’s what she had to say:

  I’m Ellen Hopkins. If the name isn’t familiar, you probably haven’t been paying much attention to the book removal wave sweeping across this country. As the current most-banned American author, my young adult novels are among the dozens that have faced regular school and public library challenges. From Texas to Florida, Utah to South Carolina, and even some counties in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York, no state is immune from the war on intellectual freedom.

  The battle cries are “protect our children” and “parental rights” but often the foot soldiers don’t even have kids. Rather, they are serving a well-funded political drive to cripple public school education and stall or eliminate this country’s forward movement toward true equal rights for all its citizens. Most of the targeted books are either written by or have characters representing the LGBTQIA+ population, races other than white, and/or non-Christian religions.

  I am a mostly straight, probably white (I was adopted) Lutheran. So why my books? Some of the characters are queer, of color, and/or spiritually seeking, but the favored excuse is “sexual explicitness.” I have four novels for adult readers that could be termed steamy. My YA novels never approach that level, though they do have sexual situations, including assault and abuse, as well as young love. I write where my readers live, and teens experience those things every day. I write truthfully because I respect their intellect, curiosity, and sophistication. My goals, always, have been to bring broader perspective to their relatively narrow view. To show possible outcomes to choices they’ll likely face and help them make more informed decisions. And, for those who’ve already taken wrong turns, or had all choice stolen from them, to bring hope and give them a voice.

  I’ve largely been successful. Over the years, I’ve received literally thousands of emails and messages from readers. A sampling:

  “Crank saved my life, opened my eyes to the world I was exposing myself to and rapidly getting drowned in. And then, two years later it did the very same for my little brother . . . Thank you Ellen, you've touched our lives forever.”

  “I am a gay male, living in rural TN. When I was introduced to Seth in Tricks, I actually understood his pain . . . I just wanted to thank you for writing about him. It made me realize how many more people out there go through what I have been through and still am enduring.”

  “I think Identical was the most intense work of literature I've ever read. ... I don't know if I’ve ever cried that hard in my life. But it was okay, because although it's fictional, these things really happen and I'm not going through it by myself. Suicide is very real. Addiction is very real. Abuse is very real. But hope and faith and love are also very real. And they can often outweigh the struggles. Maybe I just want to tell you that you've given me hope and security.”

  Tricks, Identical, and Crank were among the most banned books in this country last year, despite the myriad readers who need them. It’s unthinkable that a handful of people have been allowed to remove any books from library shelves, to decide for everyone else what is or isn’t appropriate reading material. As for protecting our kids, I often say ignorance is no armor. Knowledge is their absolute best weapon, and books are among the safest spaces to gather information.

  When asked if books like mine should be readily available for teens, Travis Akers, who’s running for school board in Duval County, FL, commented that if we expect teens to drive safely, show up for work, and even have children, they are certainly capable of choosing what books to read.

  As for parental rights, parents have always had the ability to counsel their own children’s reading. But no one has the right to decide for my kids or yours what they can or can’t read. For local governments to decide otherwise is a travesty.

• Amazon -

  I was adopted at birth and raised by a great, loving older couple. I grew up in Palm Springs CA, although we summered in Napa and Lake Tahoe, to avoid those 120 degree summers. After my adopted parents died, I did find my birth mother, who lives in Michigan with my half sister.

  I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing.

  When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines.

  All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels in verse, all of which explore the more difficult situations young adults often find themselves in. Will I ever write one in prose? No doubt! But, for the moment, writing novels in verse fulfills two needs: writing poetry and writing fiction. The combination is so interesting!

• Brazos Bookstore - https://www.brazosbookstore.com/articles/features/joy-interviews-ellen-hopkins-author-closer-nowhere

  Joy Interviews Ellen Hopkins, author of CLOSER TO NOWHERE
  Article by Amy Shaughnessy

  I first met Ellen Hopkins in person about a decade ago, introduced by a mutual friend at a writer’s conference. I was very new to this industry then, my first YA novel about to come out, basically in awe of getting to talk to someone whose work I so very much admired. Here’s the thing about Ellen that her fans know: She is the real deal: passionate and intense and kind and always willing to pay it forward if she can. Many #kidlit authors are, actually, but Ellen is particularly generous with her time and friendship, and I’ve always appreciated this more than I can say. Her books pack a visceral, emotional punch and are as much the real deal as she is. It’s always a pleasure for me to chat with her, but a particular pleasure today to share our conversation about her forthcoming middle grade novel, CLOSER TO NOWHERE.

  Joy Preble: You’re always so open and transparent about the often very personal inspirations for your work. I know CLOSER TO NOWHERE is no exception. Can you speak to us about the background for CLOSER TO NOWHERE and why you were willing to mine your own family’s lives to help create the fictional Hannah and Cal and their story?

  Ellen Hopkins: Cal is very much inspired by one of the grandchildren we’ve raised. He came to us with severe PTSD, the result of early childhood trauma, and he arrived with difficult behavioral issues, including daily meltdowns. When he started fourth grade, these behaviors afforded him the title “class freak.” Therapy, counseling, and simply knowing he was safe, mitigated the issues almost completely, but by the time he reached high school, he still found it difficult to lose the label and make friends. I want young readers to understand how that kid, their own “class freak,” needs understanding and compassion, and beneath the problems, has a very big heart hungry for friends.

  JP: Definitely something we all need to open minds and hearts to. Particularly today, I know we’re all thinking that empathy is a characteristic everyone needs as much as possible. And that’s something that’s common in all your stories. But unlike the rest of your novels, which are categorized as Young Adult or Adult, CLOSER TO NOWHERE is your debut middle grade, with a younger target audience. What made you decide to tell this story with younger characters? Was the writing experience different? The character development? The ways you handled issues such as death, divorce, and abuse?

  EH: I think it’s vital to develop empathy in children at a younger age. The difference in storytelling is simply relating to the way middle grade readers view themselves, their friends, their families, and the world. Family is more important to children at this age than it is to teens, who are searching for a sense of self and adulthood. Maybe even escape. Younger kids are hungry for belonging, a sense of safety, and a stable home. Still, they experience the darker side of life and need to believe there is always hope, always light.

  JP: I like that you write from that spirit of optimism. I’ve seen discussions lately about how that shouldn’t be a goal in YA or MG, but on a personal level, I always want hope. And I’m drawn to this book in part because of that. I’m also always so drawn to your novels in verse. The spare, poetic style always elevates your stories to me in this powerful, visceral way. What draws you to write your novels in verse rather than prose?

  EH: Verse is personal and allows readers deeply into the hearts and minds of the characters. Prose tends to be more intrusive. It feels more like you’re being told a story than actually living it. Verse also distills language, brings it down to its most basic elements. There’s a definite challenge to writing a novel this way, one that I enjoy.

  JP: Well, your readers enjoy it, too! Speaking of which, your books mean so much to your fans. I know that when I was teaching high school, I told you more than once that various students had told me to tell you that your stories have saved their lives. And I’ve wondered about that ever since I’ve known you - if that kind of fan devotion takes a toll on you as a person, and how you balance your privacy against the needs of your readers.

  EH: There are times when some of the stories my readers share with me touch me deeply; other times, they shred my heart. But I feel like I have a covenant with the Creator, that I’m here to make a positive difference in those lives. The flip side is random love from readers I receive almost every day. You can never get too much love.

  JP: Absolutely agreed! Anytime, but once again, especially now when everything feels dangerous and fraught and uncertain. And since we’re now basically discussing the pandemic, the past months have been crazy and rough on all of us, so I know everyone is always interested: What have you been cooking, watching, reading, planting in your garden?

  EH: Oh, I went through the whole sourdough phase… months of sourdough bread, rolls, muffins, pancakes, pizza crusts. Then one day my starter was begging to be fed—again—and I tossed it. I do cook pretty regularly, though, and we haven’t eaten out, so I’m cooking something all the time. We’ve watched a number of older movies (circa 1970-1990) with the kids. They love them. My garden took a major hit, with a hard freeze and snow in June. But I’ve managed to successfully grow (early) chard, spinach, lettuce, peas and radishes; and (late) corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, eggplant and green beans. Just planted broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and turnips for fall.

  JP: I admire your gardening skills, and always look forward to when you post about your harvests!! And something else I look forward to, of course, is each new book! What’s coming next for Ellen Hopkins?

  EH: This week I’ll finish WHAT ABOUT WILL (working title, could change), my second middle grade, also in verse. Then I’ve got to finish revising (third revision, moving prose into verse) a YA I finished writing a couple of years ago. It’s near future, and I wish I’d already gotten out there because it has so much in it that’s currently happening now—a pandemic fever, neighborhood lockdowns, protests in the streets, etc. This last revision will move it even darker, as the last couple of years have brought certain elements into very clear focus. And then, who knows?

  JP: Wow! Definitely have that one on my TBR list! Thank you, Ellen, for such a grand conversation. We are looking forward to putting CLOSER TO NOWHERE into everyone’s hands when it hits our shelves next month!

  And for more information on the fabulous Ellen Hopkins, find her website here.

• BookPeople's Teen Press Corps - https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/ttbf-author-interview-ellen-hopkins/

  TTBF Author Interview: Ellen Hopkins
  Published by

  teenpresscorps

  on

  November 23, 2018
  TTBF Author Interview (2)

  Teen Press Corps member, Rosie, interviews People Kill People author, Ellen Hopkins

  Rosie: Your characters in your book People Kill People are very deep and complex, how do you think of those characters and their deep backstories?
  EH: That’s like where I start. Prewrite is all creating characters so this book particularly I knew I had different themes, different reasons why people might pick up a gun, so revenge, jealousy, hate, anger so then I create the character around that, that suits the theme. So I spent a lot of time learning who they are, figuring out who their family is, what their family situation is, and if they have a love interest, do they hate their love interest, whatever. So just really building character bibles as some people call it. That’s where I start.

  Rosie: Why did you think it was important to write People Kill People about gun violence? Was there a specific reason you wanted to write about that?
  EH: I probably started thinking about it with Columbine and this idea that not only of a school shooting or a mass shooting, but that a young person would be capable of that. I’m always looking at the psychology, the reasons why things happen because hopefully by figuring out the whys we can maybe make a difference and change them. I’ve had some personal experiences like Las Vegas; my niece was there, she watched a girl die right in front of her. Things like that, they hit you and it becomes a personal journey.

  Rosie: Are there any any characters in any of your books that you see aspects of yourself or others in?
  EH: There are always threads of people in them. There are threads of myself in many of my characters, there are threads of people I know, there are threads of readers that share their stories. I try not to tell anybody else’s story specifically, but often they’ll inspire a character or a story idea.

  Rosie: What is your current favorite book?
  EH: That’s a tough one. What I’m reading right now is mostly non-fiction. I’m reading a book called Fear by Bob Woodward and it’s all about kind of the Trump White House and how that happened and the background behind that. Bob Woodward was a journalist that covered Watergate and all that so he’s really excellent at that.

  Rosie: What is some advice you have for teens?
  EH: To consider your choices carefully. You guys have lots of information coming at you all the time but in a mad moment you don’t always think about the information. If you can remember that outcomes to choices, we can forgive some mistakes, but there are some things you can’t take back. Like you know you shouldn’t get in a car and drive drunk but lots of young people are going to, so if you kill your best friend you will never forget that, that will be something you will carry with you for your whole life. So just think carefully before you make less than positive decisions.

  Rosie: What are three books you think every teen should read?
  EH: This is a tough one. Speak {by Laurie Halse Anderson} I think is really important because the idea of how important it is to use your voice. This is a tough one because there are so many that are really important. I love some of the classics so I think Lord of the Flies is a book that everybody ought to read. I know everybody doesn’t like that book, but this idea that any kind could, given the wrong situation, become a savage I guess. And all of my books! But no I think contemporary fiction is a good thing. It depends on where your interests lie, but I think contemporary young adult fiction should be explored by contemporary young adults.

  Rosie: What is your biggest pet peeve?
  EH: Stoplights. I live out in the country and when I go into town it’s like, “this is two minutes of my day.” Then I go a block and it’s like, “this is another two minutes of my day.”

  Rosie: What’s your favorite word?
  EH: Wellspring. I think we should all be a wellspring for somebody who’s in need; offer what we can in the moment and maybe that is something small and maybe it’s something big, you never know.

  Rosie: What is your favorite thing about Austin?
  EH: I love that it’s a blue dot in the middle of red. I think people get the wrong idea about Texas, but I think it’s a very sensible city in the middle of some craziness.

  Rosie: Why did you decide to write People Kill People as the voice of Violence? How did you come up with that idea?
  EH: There is a poem at the beginning where it came, but it was like I think we can all be tempted into that space and I think we can all be tempted into a violent place given the right circumstances. It’s up to us to choose whether we’re going to choose to listen to that voice and I really wanted that idea that you can choose even if bad things are happening to you, you can still choose. When you’re young too, you don’t have as much perspective to realize that maybe you can get past this moment because everything is about right now. Like when you get old like me, I’ve had all these different moments so I can look back and go, “I would not do that again now.”

  Rosie: Was it hard to write People Kill People because of how much of that is happening in the world, or was that part of why you wrote it?
  EH: Both. The book was finished before Charlottesville which is interesting because I wanted to look at hate groups because they’ve been on the rise for quite a while. I knew that Tucson is a place where they really do have them. The group in the book is a real group so that’s very real. Also the cover, that was all pre-Parkland obviously, and the cover designer for whatever reason on the connect the dots he ended at 17 which was kinda weird and creepy. But Parkland, you know those things, my grown kids, they never thought about school shooters, they didn’t happen. But now you know I’m raising grandkids and they’re doing lockdown drills now and little kids have to think about it. I really think there’s a place to reach across the political divide and find a common ground that can help make all of us safer with some common sense and regulation that wouldn’t affect the 2nd Amendment, your ability to own guns, unless you are a domestic abuser or something like that and you should not own guns.

  Rosie: If you could go back in time what advice would you give your younger self?
  EH: That life isn’t all about having a partner or having a love interest in your life. I think it’s such a driving force when you’re a teenager. That you need a boyfriend or you need a girlfriend and you need a partner, and you don’t. So I think for me I would have found a way to be happier with myself without somebody else attached. I think I made some really bad decisions because of that. I fell in love with the wrong people.

  Rosie: Is there one place where you write? Is there a special place or a special thing that helps you write?
  EH: I usually write in my office because it’s a space that I’ve created that is my space. I’ve gone to the mountains, it’s a pretty peaceful space, but I also like to write on the road because I don’t have the distractions that I have at home. I don’t have to get up and wash clothes or make dinner or whatever.

  Rosie: When did you start writing? Like did you always like writing?
  EH: Yeah I was writing poetry ever since I was little. I wrote poetry all the way through high school, studied journalism in college, thought I’d be a journalist, and later I was, but then I fell in love with Mr. Wrong and got married and took a big long detour. Sometimes detours are alright though because they give you stuff to write about.

  Rosie: Is there any advice you would give teenagers who want to follow a career in journalism and writing?
  EH: You’ll be able to make a living quicker as a journalist probably, so learn to love the research because even with fiction research is important to get things right. Learn how to interview well because primary resources are really important as well. But you can also do both; you can have something creative going on the side while you’re making money.

  Rosie: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
  EH: Look for high-stress situations like airports because then you’ll see how people respond under stress. And also patience if you’re young because the first thing you write probably isn’t going to be a best-seller. Not that it never happens, but probably not because once upon a time editors could afford to spend the time working with you to build a book, but they can’t do that anymore because there are too many people that want to be there. So it’s important to build your craft so that when you turn in a book it’s well written.

  Rosie: What has been your favorite place to travel?
  EH: Australia. Since it’s a continent, not just a country, we’ve been there three times and we’ve been three different places and it’s all very different. They like Americans, they speak English, and because there is so much to see there. There’s all kinds of different things to do there. I love it. And also it takes a long time to get there so that’s why you need to stay for a few weeks when you go.

  Rosie: If you were an ice cream flavor, what flavor would you be?
  EH: Probably peppermint candy because when you bite into it it’s like “ooohh.” It’s not necessarily my favorite but that’s probably what I’d be.

  people kill people
  People Kill People is on sale now!

• Pine Reads Review - https://www.pinereadsreview.com/blog/interview-with-ellen-hopkins/

  Interview with Ellen Hopkins
  February 17, 2017 PRR Staff 0 Comments

  About the Author: Ellen Hopkins is well known for multiple NYT Best Selling Novels such as Crank, a true story based on her daughter, Cristal’s battle with drugs, Burned, Impulse, Perfect, and Tilt to name a few. She currently resides in Carson City, Nevada where she remains active on her Facebook fan page often sharing exploits on her travels, updates on her writing, interesting articles, and advertising where she will be for book signings or readings.

  Ellen Hopkin’s latest young adult novel, The You I’ve Never Known,
  was released on January 24th, 2017, and follows the lives of two teenage
  girls, Ariel and Maya. The novel was influenced by Hopkin’s own
  daughters’ kidnapping. Hopkin’s novels are always personal and her
  connection to her character’s feelings, motives, and stories is
  undeniable and illustrates a true dedication to writing.

  You can catch Ellen Hopkins at the 2017 Tucson Festival of Books that is
  taking place on the University of Arizona’s campus on March
  11th-12th. Ellen Hopkins has multiple events including “What’s
  Trending in YA” and “Writing a Novel in Verse: A Workshop for
  Adults and Teens”. You do not want to miss out!

  TucsonTales is hoping to catch up with Ellen Hopkins during her visit to
  campus meanwhile please enjoy this interview from last fall.

  Follow Ellen Hopkins on the following platforms:

  Link
  Twitter
  Facebook
  A huge thank you to Ellen Hopkins for taking the time to do an interview via email with us! Check out her various children’s books ranging from fiction to nonfiction!
  Michele Rizzo: How did you become involved in the publishing world, what made you decide to write your first book?
  Ellen Hopkins: Actually, I came in through journalism. I was a freelance writer for a number of years. Some of the articles I wrote interested me and I wanted to expand them into nonfiction books for children. Before I started publishing fiction, I published twenty nonfiction books for kids. My first novel, CRANK, was inspired by my own daughter’s story of meth addiction.

  MR: How is the process of getting your books published now different from when you published your first book?
  EH: I’ve actually been with the same publisher, Simon & Schuster, the entire time, so there really isn’t a difference other than I sold my first three to S&S without an agent, which I now have. She handles the business end, which gives me an added layer of security regarding contracts, payments, etc.

  MR: Why did you choose to write for young adults as opposed to any other audience?
  EH: I didn’t really choose it, it chose me. I’d written for an adult market with my freelancing, and the nonfiction was mostly for middle grade readers, so younger. I also once thought I’d write picture books, but it’s not my skillset. CRANK was about a teenager who took a very wrong turn, so I knew it had to be YA. That’s the audience it needed to reach. Then I discovered a certain talent for YA, and an interest in that audience.

  MR: Recently you began to write for adults, how is that different from your young adult novels?
  EH: The main difference is YA is all about discovery. Teens are learning who they are and what they want to be going forward. Adult is more about reflection, judging today by what has already happened. Plus, in adult you’re not limited by age. The common perception in publishing is that YA characters have to be 18 or younger, though I’ve stretched that a little in a couple of books.

  MR: Do you have any advice for young adults looking or interested in going into publishing or writing as a career?
  EH: Patience. The first novel you finish likely won’t be your best. Keep working on craft and keep experiencing life because every new experience you have, every new place you visit, every new person you meet, will all deepen your stories. That, and write courageously. Don’t write for the market. Write the stories you can’t NOT tell and don’t self-censor.

• Mother Daughter Book Club - https://motherdaughterbookclub.com/2017/05/interview-with-ellen-hopkins-author-of-the-you-ive-never-known/

  Interview With Ellen Hopkins, Author of The You I’ve Never Known
  Posted on May 9, 2017 by Cindy Hudson

  That’s me on the left with author Ellen Hopkins at Powell’s bookstore in Portland.

  Ellen Hopkins is the award-winning writer of several books for young adults, including Crank, Burned, Impulse, and Identical. Recently, I had the chance to sit down and talk with her about her latest book, The You I’ve Never Known, how she started writing for young adults, and why she thinks it’s so important to write about difficult topics. She also opened up about some of her personal experiences that have inspired her writing.

  Find out more at her website, ellenhopkins.com.

  When we met, I asked Ellen to sign a copy of The You I’ve Never Known to give away at MotherDaughterBookClub.com. That copy will go to one reader who comments here about why they read books that challenge them in some way. Just leave your comment by midnight (PDT), May 23, 2017. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Denise on winning.)

  MDBC: How did you start writing for young adults?

  EH: I published 20 nonfiction books mostly for middle school in history, science and biography. When my daughter got hooked on meth it was an experience that obviously affected the whole family.

  She went to prison and I started writing Crank for me, trying to figure out why. Which is why I chose to write first person from her point of view. To try to get into her head some, to walk where she was walking. And then through the writing process it became clear that this was a story that needed to be told to young adults. It is a cautionary tale, and I hope people who read it see it that way.

  After that I talked to so many kids, and then I started connecting online with them and they would tell me stories. It became a passion for me to become a voice for them.

  MDBC: You cover a lot of difficult topics in the books you write. Why do you think it’s so important to do that?

  EH: For kids it’s all about discovery. They’re looking for who they are. In this book specifically, (The You I’ve Never Known) she’s looking for who she is. She’s desperately trying to find out who she is and there are a lot of kids like that.

  Kids are looking for love and acceptance and direction. Writing YA allows you to give them direction without them feeling like they’re being preached to.

  MDBC: Why are your books important for moms and daughters to read together.

  EH: I think both sides can develop insight. First of all, I think for parents to understand that this is real. This is what school is like, this is what the back seat of a car is like. It helps parents remember who they were as teenagers too, and maybe can open up that kind of dialogue.

  Also I think if mothers and daughters read books together the kids will feel more open to expressing their own pain. Often times kids think their moms don’t care or their moms are too busy. I’ve had moms read my books and tell their daughters stories about their own adolescence that maybe they wouldn’t have opened up and mentioned.

  MDBC: What do you find particularly compelling about telling a story in verse and prose, like The You I’ve Never Known?

  EH: Verse is immersive. It puts you so deeply inside characters because you’re allowed monologues. There’s a lot to comprehend, and the white space allows you to pause when you need to, and you can think about it, especially if it’s a heavy passage or a hard scene.

  MDBC: I was also struck by the complexity of the issues. There’s something going on with Ariel and her dad but layered on top of that she’s questioning her sexuality. What made you want to add a layer of complexity to what already was a complex story?

  EH: In my life every time I get myself figured out in one way something else happens, and for kids that’s happening all the time. When you’re young you don’t even realize what sexuality means or the power of it or how to compartmentalize that part of yourself around everything else.

  Nowadays there’s so much discussion among teens about sexuality and what is right. There’s a lot of acceptance towards being gay. There’s this idea that gender and sexual identity don’t have to be set in stone. I think trying to bring some kind of enlightenment to that so people can see if that’s you that’s okay too, you don’t have to decide you are one thing or another. Maybe you’ll move on and you will decide, but I think probably a lot of young people experiment.

  Also Ariel’s been told that her mother is a lesbian and she’s been told that’s why her mother left her, so when she was starting to get attracted to another girl she knew her father would never accept that.

  MDBC: You had a similar experience in your own life with an ex-husband, is that correct?

  EH: He was an abuser who I stayed with way too long. Three weeks after we finally divorced, against court orders he took our daughter out of daycare. I lost her for three years. I didn’t know where she was; I didn’t know if she was okay.

  Things in this story are different, because I always try to give characters who reflect things in my real life a little distance.

  MDBC: Tell me about your nonprofit group.

  EH: It’s called Ventana Sierra (Find it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VentanaSierra/) Our goal is to help foster kids or kids who are at risk get the resources they need to start college.

  MDBC: Is there anything else you’d like to say to moms and daughters who are reading together?

  EH: To trust each other. I think young people tend to start to look at their parents as the enemy, as the person who doesn’t want them to have experiences. If you can learn to trust and develop those communication skills and to keep them open and to understand that even if something comes in that’s not what you want to hear it’s better to work through it sooner rather than later.

  And if you read together you might strike a nerve somewhere. And that works for both sides.

  MDBC: What’s next for you?

  EH: I’ve got another adult book in revision that should be out in fall (2017) or next spring. And I’m writing a YA title for 2018 that addresses gun violence.

• Fantastic Fiction -

  Ellen Hopkins
  USA flag (b.1955)

  Ellen Hopkins is a celebrated name among Young Adult novel writers. She has published several New York Times bestselling novels. Her key works include Crank, Identical and Burned. These novels discuss delicate teenage issues such as, psychological problems, prostitution, drug addiction and other such issues that trouble young generation of today.

  Born on March 26, 1955 in Long Beach, California, Ellen Louise Hopkins was adopted by Valerie and Albert C. Wagner.

  She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son.

  Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Children's Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy

  Series
  Crank
  1. Crank (2004)
  2. Glass (2007)
  3. Fallout (2010)
  thumbthumbthumb

  Burned
  1. Burned (2006)
  2. Smoke (2013)
  thumbthumb

  Impulse
  1. Impulse (2007)
  2. Perfect (2011)
  thumbthumb

  Tricks
  1. Tricks (2009)
  2. Traffick (2015)
  thumbthumb

  Triangles
  1. Triangles (2011)
  2. Tilt (2012)
  thumbthumb

  Love Lies Beneath
  1. Love Lies Beneath (2015)
  2. A Sin Such as This (2018)
  thumbthumb

  Novels
  Identical (2008)
  Collateral (2012)
  Rumble (2014)
  The You I've Never Known (2017)
  People Kill People (2018)
  Closer to Nowhere (2020)
  What About Will? (2021)
  Sanctuary Highway (2022)
  Sync (2024)
  thumbthumbthumbthumb
  thumbthumbthumbthumb
  thumb

  Collections
  Grim (2014) (with others)
  thumb

  Anthologies edited
  A New Dawn (2008)
  Flirtin' with the Monster (2009)

• Wikipedia -

  Ellen Hopkins

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  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  For American actress, see Miriam Hopkins.
  Ellen Hopkins
  Hopkins at the 2011 Texas Book Festival
  Hopkins at the 2011 Texas Book Festival
  Born March 26, 1955 (age 70)
  Long Beach, California, U.S.
  Occupation Novelist, poet
  Alma mater Santa Ynez Valley Union High School
  Crafton Hills College
  University of California, Santa Barbara
  Genre Young adult/Adult
  Years active 1990–present
  Spouse John Hopkins
  Website
  www.ellenhopkinsbooks.com
  Ellen Louise Hopkins (born March 26, 1955) is a novelist who has published several New York Times bestselling novels that are popular among the teenage and young adult audience.[1][2]

  Personal life
  Hopkins was adopted by Albert and Valeria Wagner when they were 72 and 42 respectively.[3] Her first poem was published in the Palm Springs Desert Sun when she was nine.[3] Hopkins graduated from a high school in the Santa Ynez Valley, then studied journalism at Crafton Hills College and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

  Hopkins dropped out of university before graduation to start a family and business. She had two children, Jason and Cristal. When her marriage failed, she sold her business and began freelance work. Following her divorce, she had a daughter, Kelly, with a man she considered to be a 'rebound'. He was abusive and kidnapped Kelly, keeping her in secrecy for three years. Kelly was later found by her paternal great-grandmother. Around 1991, she married John Hopkins, her current husband. They also adopted their daughter Cristal's son, Orion. In 1990, Hopkins and her family moved to northern Nevada.

  While in Nevada, she decided to write for a living. She started out freelancing newspaper and magazine articles, then moved from there into children's nonfiction.[3] Hopkins believes most of her writing talent originates from her own talent and also from her adoptive mother.[4] She also considers her fifth-grade teacher the first person to encourage her to become a professional writer.[5]

  Later in life, Hopkins found her biological mother, Toni Chandler, who was also a writer and poet.

  Education
  Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (graduated 1973)
  Crafton Hills College, UCSB
  Institute of Children's Literature[6]
  Writers groups
  1995-1997 WNCC Lone Mountain Writers Group
  1997-1999 Breakaway Writers Group
  1998-present Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; served as regional adviser for the Nevada chapter for ten years and currently sits on the Board of Advisers.
  1999-2005 Unnamed Writers; served on the board, 2005
  2001-2002 Chairman of the Board, New Writers of the Purple Sage
  2002-present Ash Canyon Poets[6]
  Career
  Hopkins began her writing career in 1990.[7] She started with nonfiction books for children, including Air Devils and Orcas: High Seas Supermen.

  Hopkins has since written several verse novels exposing teenage struggles such as drug addiction, mental illness, and prostitution, including Crank, Burned, Impulse, Identical, Glass, Tricks, Tilt, and Fallout. Glass is the sequel to Crank, and Fallout, the third and final book in the series, was released on September 14, 2010. Perfect was released on September 13, 2011, and is a companion novel to Impulse. Tilt, was released September 11, 2012, and is a companion from the point of view of the teens mentioned in Triangles. Hopkins felt they needed their own story after the release of Triangles.

  Her second adult novel, Collateral, came out in the fall of 2012. In 2013, she released the sequel to her bestselling book Burned titled Smoke. Rumble released August 2014, is about a boy questioning his faith after his brother commits suicide. In 2015, she released Love Lies Beneath, about a woman who falls in love with a sociopath, and Traffick , a sequel to her bestseller Tricks. People Kill People was released in September 2018.

  In 2006, Hopkins was recognized with a Silver Pen Award (for emerging writers) from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.[8] She was inducted as a full member into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.[9]

  Inspiration
  Hopkins's primary inspiration for her first novels (i.e., the Crank series) comes from her eldest daughter, who "was addicted to crystal methamphetamine and spent two years in prison."[10] In 2007, her daughter had been sober for five years.[10] In an interview discussing Glass and Crank, Hopkins said, "I really want both books to be an honest look at the depth and the nature of this addiction. It's not that easy to shake, and I really wanted that to be made very clear."[10] On December 31, 2014, Hopkins stated in her online journal that, “My relationship with my daughter, long tenuous, disintegrated completely.”[11] They have since been on speaking terms.

  Ellen's daughter, Cristal, who is the inspiration for the character Kristina Snow in the Crank series, is now married and is a realtor. She has a YouTube channel under the name "Cristal Thetford", where she openly addresses her experiences with drug addiction.

  Some of the themes discussed in Identical are inspired by friends of Hopkins who have suffered sexual abuse.[10]

  Censorship
  Hopkins's books have regularly been included in the American Library Association's lists of the most frequently banned and challenged books in the United States. Four of her novels were included in the list of the top 100 banned and challenged novels between 2010 and 2019: Crank (38th), Burned (83rd), Glass (86th), and Tricks (98th).[12] In 2010, Crank made the top ten list.[13]

  In 2022, five of Hopkins's novels (Crank, Fallout, Impulse, People Kill People, and Tilt) were listed among 52 books banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools."[14] Forty-two percent of removed books “feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes.”[15][14] Many of the books were removed because they were considered to contain pornographic material according to the new law, which defines porn using the following criteria:

  "The average person" would find that the material, on the whole, "appeals to prurient interest in sex"[16]
  The material "is patently offensive in the description or depiction of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse, or excretion"[16]
  The material, on the whole, "does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."[16]
  Publications
  (YA) = Young Adult
  (A) = Adult
  Crank trilogy
  Crank (2004) (YA)
  Glass (2007) (YA)
  Fallout (2010) (YA)
  Burned series
  Burned (2006) (YA)
  Smoke (2013) (YA)
  Impulse series
  Impulse (2007) (YA)
  Perfect (2011) (YA)
  Triangles and Tilt (YA Companion)
  Triangles (2011) (A)
  Tilt (2012) (YA) [companion novel]
  Tricks series
  Tricks (2009) (YA)
  Traffick (Fall 2015) (YA)
  Love Lies Beneath novels
  Love Lies Beneath (2015) (A)
  A Sin Such as This (2018) (A)
  Other novels
  Identical (2008) (YA)
  Collateral (2012) (A)
  Rumble (2014) (YA)
  The You I've Never Known (January 2017) (YA)
  People Kill People (2018) (YA)
  Closer to Nowhere (2020)
  What About Will (2021) (YA)
  Sync (2024) (YA)

HOPKINS, Ellen. Sync. 448p. Penguin/ Nancy Paulsen. Aug. 2024. Tr $20.99. ISBN 9780593463246.

Gr 9 Up--Twins Storm and Lake, 17, have been tossed from one foster home to the next since facing abuse from and abandonment by their parents and grandmother. They have been each other's constant, taking care of each other and tuned into each other's feelings--in sync. In a stroke of cruelty, they are currently separated and desperate for opportunities to communicate. Readers meet Storm while he is living in a kind home, his girlfriend Jaidyn nearby. He and Lake lived happily with a foster family long ago, but the years since have been cruel to him. Life is looking up, though. Like Storm, Lake is in love. She is in an uncomfortable living situation with ultra-religious foster parents, but she also has a girlfriend: Parker, the other teen in the home. Storm and Lake's stories are told through undelivered letters the two write to each other. Their captivating voices make it all the more heartbreaking when their lives start to unravel. The two are plunged to new depths, ripped from the ones they love, and thrown into systems meant to crush them. As the characters' lives come apart, readers will ache to see Storm and Lake find salvation. This one will best fit school libraries with mature readers: depictions include teen sex and events that should never happen to any child, including sexual assault and suicide. VERDICT Written in true Hopkins style, these verses pack a punch with low word count. This story is highly accessible and will be devoured by realistic fiction readers.--Jill Shepard

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Shepard, Jill. "HOPKINS, Ellen. Sync." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 8, Aug. 2024, p. 99. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806586348/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dfb41783. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Hopkins, Ellen SYNC Nancy Paulsen Books (Teen None) $19.99 8, 27 ISBN: 9780593463246

A gritty, powerful novel in verse that follows California siblings as they navigate the foster care system.

After a rough placement at age 12, twins Storm and Lake were separated by the state and haven't seen each other since. Storm has been in juvie, though he's finally settled, with a decent foster parent and a new girlfriend, Jaidyn. Lake's position living with a strict Christian family is tenuous, complicated by the fact that she's falling for her lesbian roommate, Parker. A reunion allows the 17-year-olds to reestablish "our sync"--reading each other's thoughts and body language with ease. But as quickly as they've reconnected, they're ripped apart when Storm is arrested for avenging Jaidyn's sexual assault by an ex. Lake and Parker's luck is no better; they run away and begin to deal drugs to stay afloat. The twins both hit rock bottom: Lake encounters unimaginable violence while living on the streets, and Storm is placed in a juvenile detention center yet again. Through it all, they hold on to hopes of reuniting and finding their sync again. The twins' dual perspectives are told in poignant, unflinching free verse, with natural breaks according to teenage speech patterns, and the narrative doesn't shy away from portraying the harsh realities of a broken foster care system. Though the siblings face relentless abuse and tragedy, the conclusion is ultimately hopeful, if tied up a bit too neatly. Most characters are cued white.

A wrenching and necessary read. (Verse fiction. 14-18)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Hopkins, Ellen: SYNC." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A797463063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ab81d391. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Sync

Ellen Hopkins. Penguin/Paulsen, $20.99

(448p) ISBN 978-0-5934-6324-6

Hopkins (People Kill People) employs her signature grit and compelling verse to deliver a wrenching interpretation of the foster care system. Seventeen-year-old twins Lake and Storm endured a childhood of abuse and neglect before being admitted into the California foster care system and separated from each other. Following a brief period in juvenile detention, Storm finds stability with his single foster parent as well as his girlfriend Jailyn, "who lifts the storm/ clouds and lets her light in." Meanwhile, Lake is staying with a deeply religious foster family and her fellow foster Parker, with whom she begins a secret romantic relationship. After reuniting for an afternoon, Lake and Storm are ripped apart again when their worlds simultaneously implode--Storm injures a classmate who assaulted Jailyn, and Lake's foster parents discover that she's queer. Told through letters and mental musings to each other, this haunting read weaves together instances of trauma, violence, homelessness, incarceration, and sexual assault that the siblings experience during their childhood and adolescence as they try to make their way back to each other; glimmers of kindness and love sometimes provide bright spots to their bleak reality. Characters read as white. Ages 14-up. (Aug.)

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"Sync." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 20, 20 May 2024, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799270730/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b2dd1a97. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Hopkins, Ellen WHAT ABOUT WILL Putnam (Children's None) $17.99 9, 14 ISBN: 978-0-593-10864-2

What can a good kid do when his big brother starts being a problem?

Twelve-year-old Trace Reynolds, who is White and Puerto Rican, wants to get noticed for the right reasons: good grades, Little League, pulling weeds for Mr. Cobb next door. Seventeen-year-old Will used to be the best brother, but now he's so angry. He's played football since he was a little kid and has been tackled plenty; when he gets horrifically hurt in a JV game, it's just one too many head injuries. It's been a year and a half since Will's traumatic brain injury, and he's got a hair-trigger temper. He has chronic headaches, depression, and muscle spasms that prevent him from smiling. Trace knows it's rotten for Will, but still, why did his awesome brother have to give up all his cool friends? Now he argues with their dad, hangs out with losers--and steals Trace's stuff. At least Trace has a friend in Catalina S�nchez, the new girl on Little League. Her dad's a retired major leaguer, and she has sibling problems too. Observations from Trace frame Cat as praiseworthy by virtue of her not being like the other girls, a mindset that conveys misogynistic overtones. The fears of stable, straight-arrow athlete Trace are clarified in lovely sparks of concrete poetry among Hopkins' free verse, as he learns to tell adults when he sees his beloved brother acting dangerously.

Compassionate optimism for a boy who can't control the chaos around him. (author's note) (Verse novel. 9-13)

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"Hopkins, Ellen: WHAT ABOUT WILL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675150290/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=13d6d6dd. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

What About Will

Ellen Hopkins. Putnam, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-10864-2

In effective verse, Hopkins (Closer to Nowhere) tells an honest and moving portrait of a family in flux as they navigate newfound emotional and physical distance. In Las Vegas, 12-yeat-old STEM geek and baseball pitcher Trace Reynolds, who is of Puerto Rican and French descent, has always been close to his brother Will, but 17 months after Will experiences a traumatic brain injury during a football game, which results in cranial nerve damage and a facial tic, Trace feels overlooked and unheard. Their parents have divorced following the incident, the siblings' mother has embarked on an endless tour with her band, and their father is focused on work and a new relationship. When 17-year-old Will begins acting uncharacteristically, showing symptoms of depression and uncontrollable anger after his injury, only Trace seems to notice his stealing money, lying, and, most concerningly, suddenly taking new pills. Will's affirming friendships, like that with teammate Catalina Sanchez, who is intimately familiar with the impact of substance abuse, highlight the importance of community support when navigating trauma and addiction. Hopkins tenderly portrays a younger brother learning to advocate for himself and those he loves by speaking up and asking for help. Ages 10-up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Sept.)

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"What About Will." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 31, 2 Aug. 2021, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A671342070/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=516b1548. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Hopkins, Ellen CLOSER TO NOWHERE Putnam (Children's None) $17.99 10, 6 ISBN: 978-0-593-10861-1

Sixth grade cousins learn to navigate complicated family dynamics.

Cal came to live with Hannah and her parents nearly 15 months ago. The two share a mean-spirited, alcoholic grandmother; their Italian heritage; and red hair. Hannah, a gymnast and dancer, has enjoyed stability, attention, and affection from her parents. Cal’s life has been filled with the loss of his mother at age 9 followed by a period of abuse and neglect by his now-imprisoned father. Cal suffers from PTSD and a defensive kind of vigilance while Hannah resents that Cal’s peculiar behavior makes him a target at school. Brief chapters in the first-person voices of Cal and Hannah reveal their divergent personalities. Imaginative Cal describes the world in terms of “Fact or Fiction,” his statements and answers offering sometimes wryly ambiguous observations of his experience. Practical and more certain of herself, Hannah’s poems with the header “Definition” are a jumping-off point for sharing glimpses into a more physically and emotionally privileged childhood. Hopkins’ use of free verse provides a canvas for sure-handed, brush-stroke development of the backstory and plot and emotional investment and identification with the characters. A school lockdown and shooting at the climax of the story allow Cal to demonstrate his new ability to connect with others and to see the ways that kindness can come back around.

Compassionate and compelling. (author's note) (Verse fiction. 10-14)

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"Hopkins, Ellen: CLOSER TO NOWHERE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634467327/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ee0f147b. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Closer to Nowhere

Ellen Hopkins. Putnam, $17.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-593-10861-1

In this two-voicer written in prose poems, Hopkins (People Kill People) tells the story of cousins Hannah Lincoln and Calvin Pace, both sixth graders. Following his mother's death three years prior and subsequent difficulties with his father, who struggles with drug addiction, Cal is living with Hannah's family. He likes it there, but he's been through a lot and doesn't feel completely safe, and he knows that popular gymnast Hannah isn't crazy about having a housemate who melts down at school and whose tall tales and disappearances bring chaos into her home life. She admits that things haven't been great for a while, but it's hard not to blame Cal when her parents' marriage seems to be fraying, in part because they disagree about how to handle him. Cal's an aspiring writer, and his chapters question their own accuracy ("FACT OR FICTION:/ Owls Are Bad Luck"); Hannah's sections are framed as definitions, as she tries to pin down what's what. While the headers can feel forced, Hopkins creates realistic portrayals of two kids trying to do their best even when it's not easy. Ages 10-up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)

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"Closer to Nowhere." Publishers Weekly, vol. 267, no. 32, 10 Aug. 2020, p. 52. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632758418/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=39105d09. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

HOPKINS, Ellen. People Kill People. 448p. S. & S./Margaret K. McElderry. Sept. 2018. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781481442930.

Gr 10 Up--This novel-in-verse illuminates the potentially powerful and dangerous allure of guns but ultimately lets the message overpower the story. Set in Tucson, AZ, Hopkins's latest follows six teens who have all been witness to or victim of violence in their lives. Over the course of several days, their relationships are tested and ideologies clash. Readers are warned that someone will shoot a gun and someone will die, and as tensions build, it becomes clearer that each character has an incentive for pulling the trigger. Although this novel's themes are timely, the story often comes off as sensationalized, and its characters' traumatic experiences seem forced rather than organic. The alternating verse and second person prose narrative, which switches focus among the six protagonists, makes connecting with each individual especially challenging. Were it not for direct references to age, readers might assume they were in their 20s or 30s by the way they act and speak. This characterization, combined with the story's difficult subject matter--including physical and sexual violence, explicit language, drug use, and racially motivated hatred--makes this novel best suited for a new adult audience. Hopkins has a talent for creating tension and apprehension, and the dramatic ending will no doubt leave readers talking. VERDICT Sure to be a divisive novel, both for its storytelling and themes, this offering spotlights critical social issues but misses the mark on its delivery.--Lauren Hathaway, University of British Columbia

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Hathaway, Lauren. "HOPKINS, Ellen. People Kill People." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 9, Sept. 2018, p. 120. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A553280113/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6fe46e7b. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Hopkins, Ellen PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE McElderry (Young Adult Fiction) $19.99 9, 4 ISBN: 978-1-4814-4293-0

Violence narrates a tale of intersecting lives.

A gun used in an accidental domestic shooting ends up in the hands of one of six Tucson teens whose feelings about guns and violence, immigration and racial superiority, love and sex are explored. Their urges for power--over their own lives or others'--tempt them to consider violent acts. As the day of a pro-immigration rally and counterprotest nears, readers are left guessing which character will kill and which will die, as Violence promises. Violence alternates between free verse omniscient third-person narration and switching to second-person present tense to invite readers into the mind of each major character. Silas finds a sense of belonging in a white supremacist group and is disgusted by his mother's Jewish boyfriend and father's Mexican girlfriend; Daniel is left feeling bitter when his Honduran mother is deported and his white father dies, leaving him to live with the white wife and son who were not aware of his existence; and Noelle is a depressed, white, closeted teen, suffering seizures following a tragic brush with gun violence. This structure effectively illustrates how otherwise normal people can become killers. The book avoids glamorizing gun violence and bigotry as the characters are difficult to empathize with. The final revelation, though surprising on a plot level, lacks the emotional impact that the subject matter deserves.

An interesting thought experiment. (Prose/fiction hybrid. 16-18)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Hopkins, Ellen: PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A544637951/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=97d74e44. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

The You I've Never Known

Ellen Hopkins. S&S/McElderry, $18.99 ISBN 978-1-4814-4290-9

Once again tackling difficult subject matter through elegantly crafted free verse, Hopkins (Traffick) tells the story of 17-year-old Ariel; her father, Mark; and Maya, also 17, who jumps into a relationship with an older man to escape her mother. Mark is an alcoholic drifter, prone to angry and violent outbursts. He has finally settled down long enough for Ariel to finish an entire school year in Sonora, Calif., where Ariel has allowed herself to develop real friendships and even consider the possibility of finding love. Hopkins uses spare yet poignant language to convey Ariel's simultaneous joy and fear as she begins to explore her sexuality ("the need to embrace/ this part of myself/ is escalating") while dealing with an abusive, homophobic, and controlling parent. Maya, whose chapters are written in first-person prose, intersects with Mark and Ariel's lives in an unexpected way, deepening the story's exploration of identity. Hopkins creates a satisfying and moving story, and her carefully structured poems ensure that each word and phrase is savored. Ages 14-up.

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
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"The You I've Never Known." Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 49-50, 4 Dec. 2017, p. S104. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518029901/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4ada7de4. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Hopkins, Ellen THE YOU I'VE NEVER KNOWN McElderry (Children's Fiction) $18.99 1, 24 ISBN: 978-1-4814-4290-9

One teen yearns for roots while another will do anything for a fresh start. Seventeen-year-old white Ariel has been in Sonora, California, for 15 months, and she's soaking up the stability. Her whole life, she's moved quickly from town to town as alcoholic Dad flits from woman to woman, claiming he was born "infected / with wanderlust." He abuses and gaslights her. He has a "greedy grasp" and would never allow Ariel to date a boy, let alone allow her--his white daughter--to date her best friend, Monica, a Mexican-American lesbian. Dad's racist, and to him, "queer equals vile" because Ariel's mother left them for a woman when Ariel was 2 and hasn't been heard from since. Yet Ariel's falling for both Monica and a boy named Gabe. In another thread, 17-year-old Maya, also white, plans to prevent her abusive mother from trapping her in Scientology's paramilitary training arm by getting pregnant by a 27-year-old man she meets in a bar so he'll marry her. Ariel's sections are free verse (Hopkins' specialty), their fragmentation symbolizing and mirroring the fragmentation in Ariel's history. Maya's sections are prose; the prose itself flows capably, but the variation from Hopkins' signature format doesn't contribute anything particular. Faraway characters in Hopkins books often come together, but 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. (Verse fiction. 14 & up)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Hopkins, Ellen: THE YOU I'VE NEVER KNOWN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A473652380/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7fef9e21. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

The You I've Never Known

Ellen Hopkins. S&S/McElderry, $18.99 (608p) ISBN 978-1-4814-4290-9

Once again tackling difficult subject matter through elegantly crafted free verse, Hopkins (Traffick) tells the story of 17-year-old Ariel; her father, Mark; and Maya, also 17, who jumps into a relationship with an older man to escape her mother. Mark is an alcoholic drifter, prone to angry and violent outbursts. He has finally settled down long enough for Ariel to finish an entire school year in Sonora, Calif., where Ariel has allowed herself to develop real friendships and even consider the possibility of finding love. Hopkins uses spare yet poignant language to convey Ariel's simultaneous joy and fear as she begins to explore her sexuality ("the need to embrace/ this part of myself/ is escalating") while dealing with an abusive, homophobic, and controlling parent. Maya, whose chapters are written in first-person prose, intersects with Mark and Ariel's lives in an unexpected way, deepening the story's exploration of identity. Hopkins creates a satisfying and moving story, and her carefully structured poems ensure that each word and phrase is savored. Ages 14--up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Jan.)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"The You I've Never Known." Publishers Weekly, vol. 263, no. 43, 24 Oct. 2016, p. 79. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A468771886/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=50fe9812. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Shepard, Jill. "HOPKINS, Ellen. Sync." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 8, Aug. 2024, p. 99. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806586348/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dfb41783. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Hopkins, Ellen: SYNC." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A797463063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ab81d391. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Sync." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 20, 20 May 2024, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799270730/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b2dd1a97. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Hopkins, Ellen: WHAT ABOUT WILL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675150290/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=13d6d6dd. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "What About Will." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 31, 2 Aug. 2021, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A671342070/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=516b1548. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Hopkins, Ellen: CLOSER TO NOWHERE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634467327/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ee0f147b. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Closer to Nowhere." Publishers Weekly, vol. 267, no. 32, 10 Aug. 2020, p. 52. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632758418/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=39105d09. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. Hathaway, Lauren. "HOPKINS, Ellen. People Kill People." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 9, Sept. 2018, p. 120. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A553280113/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6fe46e7b. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Hopkins, Ellen: PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A544637951/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=97d74e44. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "The You I've Never Known." Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 49-50, 4 Dec. 2017, p. S104. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518029901/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4ada7de4. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "Hopkins, Ellen: THE YOU I'VE NEVER KNOWN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A473652380/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7fef9e21. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025. "The You I've Never Known." Publishers Weekly, vol. 263, no. 43, 24 Oct. 2016, p. 79. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A468771886/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=50fe9812. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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