Robin_Benway

Robin Benway

Robin Benway

American writer

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]

Quick Facts Alma mater, Genre ...

Early life

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

Also Known As Series (2013-214)

Plot

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

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 (2017)

Plot

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

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

Reception

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)

Plot

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

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

Also Known As Series

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

Standalones

  • 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

  1. [1]
    Stevenson, Deborah (2017-09-19). "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. [2]
    "FAR FROM THE TREE by Robin Benway". Kirkus Reviews. August 2, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  3. [3]
    "Jesmyn Ward, Frank Bidart, Masha Gessen And Robin Benway Win National Book Awards". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  4. [4]
    "Author Robin Benway Was Rejected From Every MFA Program She Applied To — Now She's A National Book Award Finalist". Bustle. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  5. [5]
    "Robin Benway Biography". Seventeen. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  6. [6]
    Bars 27, Mars (2014-10-15). "Sleuth or Dare by Robin Benway - review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-15.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. [7]
    "Also Known As by Robin Benway". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  8. [8]
    Benway, Robin. "Also Known As". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  9. [9]
    "Far from the Tree by Robin Benway". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  10. [10]
    Robin, BENWAY. "Far from the Tree". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  11. [11]
    Brianna (2023-03-07). "'The Wicked Ones' Review: Cinderella's Stepsister Take Center Stage in This Dark Prequel". Nerds and Beyond. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  12. [12]
    THE WICKED ONES | Kirkus Reviews.
  13. [13]
    Robin, Benway. "The Wicked Ones". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  14. [14]
    LaCour, Nina (2022-06-21). "In This Y.A. Novel, the Grief Comes Before the Tragedy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
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