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Robin Benway | |
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Alma mater | New York University, University of California at Los Angeles |
Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
Notable works | Audrey, Wait! |
Robin Benway is an author of young adult fiction from Orange County, USA, most known for her novel Far from the Tree, [1] [2] which won the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. [3]
She started her career in the publishing industry initially working as a book publicist and sales rep, coordinating events at BookSoup in Los Angeles. Feeling inspired, she quit her job and started applying to writing programs. [4]
She attended college at both New York University and the University of California at Los Angeles. [5] Benway was rejected from every Master of Fine Arts program she applied to. [4] When she wasn't accepted, she instead took a writing class at UCLA Extension taught by Rachel Cohn, where she wrote the first chapter of her eventual debut novel Audrey, Wait. [4]
The series is about a former code cracker and member of a secret association. The first novel, Also Known As, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2013, and in the Uk as Sleuth or Dare in 2014. [6]
Reviews were quite mixed. The guardian called the second book, Also Known As/Sleuth or Dare, "not one of Benway's best novels," due to its confusing story. [6] Publisher's Weekly said " readers will be sufficiently invested to see the mission through to completion." [7] School Library Journal reviewed the audiobook and recommended it for teenagers who enjoy mysteries. [8]
Far From the Tree is about three siblings who reconnect 15 years after were adopted, and thus separated. When one of them, 16-year-old Grace gives up her baby for adoption, she feels the desire to reconnect with her biological family. [4]
She drew on the relationship to her brother for inspiration. The book is also dedicated to him. [4]
The novel was met with positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews called it a "compassionate, funny, moving, compulsively readable novel." [2] It also won the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, [3] and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. [9] School Library Journal called it "Well-written and accessible." [10]
The first in a new series of fairytale retellings, The Wicked Ones is a retelling of the story of Cinderella, as experienced through the eyes of her stepsisters. It was published by Disney Press in January 2023 [11]
Kirkus Reviews called it "Psychologically astute entertainment with a bite," [12] while School Library Journal called it a "secondary purchase", but suitable for Disney fans. [13]
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