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.

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

[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.

[9] 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 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.

"[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.

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