Finding oneself is a process that takes time.

Finding oneself is a process that takes time. The amount of time it takes varies from person to person. In Ariel’s case, finding herself is particularly difficult given her circumstances.

It is from this search for identity by Ariel that the novel draws its name. The You I’ve Never Known is demonstrated twofold. Ariel has never known herself; and Maya has never known Ariel (Casey) because Ariel had been kidnapped. Early in the novel, Ariel has great confusion about her own identity for two reasons. First, she has spent so much time moving around with her dad that she was never able to commit to any school or social activities like most young people. Ariel and her dad moved so quickly from place to place that it was difficult to make and keep friends. It is easily...