Robin Benway

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Robin Benway
Benway at the 2018 U.S. National Book Festival
Benway at the 2018 U.S. National Book Festival
Alma materNew York University
University of California at Los Angeles
GenreYoung Adult Fiction
Notable worksAudrey, Wait!

Robin Benway is an author of young adult fiction from Orange County, US, most known for her novel Far from the Tree,[1][2] which won the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.[3]

Early life

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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]

Career

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Also Known As series (2013-214)

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Plot

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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]

Reception

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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] Publishers 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 (2017)

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Plot

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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]

Background

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She drew on the relationship to her brother for inspiration. The book is also dedicated to him.[4]

Reception

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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 Wicked Ones (2023)

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Plot

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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]

Reception

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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]

Bibliography

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Also Known As series

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  • Also Known As (2013)[6]
  • Going Rogue (2014)

Standalones

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  • Audrey, Wait! (2008)
  • The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June (2010)
  • Emmy & Oliver (2015)
  • Far from the Tree (2017)[2]
  • A Year to the Day (2022)[14]
  • The Wicked Ones (2023)[11]

References

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  1. ^ Stevenson, Deborah (September 19, 2017). "Far from the Tree by Robin Benway (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 71 (2): 59. doi:10.1353/bcc.2017.0671. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 201713561.
  2. ^ a b c "Far from the Tree by Robin Benway". Kirkus Reviews. August 2, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Jesmyn Ward, Frank Bidart, Masha Gessen And Robin Benway Win National Book Awards". NPR.org. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Author Robin Benway Was Rejected From Every MFA Program She Applied To — Now She's A National Book Award Finalist". Bustle. November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Robin Benway Biography". Seventeen. April 17, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Bars 27, Mars (October 15, 2014). "Sleuth or Dare by Robin Benway - review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 15, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Also Known As by Robin Benway". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Benway, Robin. "Also Known As". School Library Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Far from the Tree by Robin Benway". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Benway, Robin. "Far from the Tree". School Library Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Brianna (March 7, 2023). "'The Wicked Ones' Review: Cinderella's Stepsister Take Center Stage in This Dark Prequel". Nerds and Beyond. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  12. ^ The Wicked Ones. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Robin, Benway. "The Wicked Ones". School Library Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  14. ^ LaCour, Nina (June 21, 2022). "In This Y.A. Novel, the Grief Comes Before the Tragedy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
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