Kraus was born June 7, 1975, in Midland, Michigan, and grew up in Fairfield, Iowa.
Career
In 2009, Kraus published his first novel, The Monster Variations. It was included on the New York Public Library’s “100 Best Stuff for Teens” list in 2010.[1]
His second novel, Rotters, was published in 2011.[2] It won the 2012
Odyssey Award[3] and the
Parents' Choice Award Gold Award,[4] and was a finalist for the
Bram Stoker Award.[5] It was also chosen as Booklist Editors’ Choice for 2012[6] and was included on the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon List 2012.[7] It was produced as an audiobook, and was subsequently included on the
American Library Association Amazing Audiobooks List 2012.[8]
In 2013 Kraus published the novel Scowler through Delacorte Books.[9] It won a 2014 Odyssey award.[3]
In October 2015 Kraus published the first half of a two-part epic called The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch. Volume 1, At the Edge of Empire, was an Entertainment Weekly "Best of 2015" title.[13] Volume 2, Empire Decayed, was released in October 2016.[14]
Kraus co-wrote the novelization of The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro, based on the popular
film of the same name.
It was announced on February 14, 2018, that Kraus would complete the unfinished novel by George A Romero entitled The Living Dead.[15] The book was released in August 2020.[16]
In 2023, Kraus released the novel 'Whalefall' through MTV Entertainment books.