Celeste Ng
Author of the New York Times bestseller Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere
Nicola Yoon
#1 New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist
Photo Credit: David Yoon
A prominent figure in young adult fiction, Nicola Yoon is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Everything, Everything, The Sun Is Also a Star, and Instructions for Dancing. Yoon captivates readers with her diverse and relatable characters. In her talks for audiences of all ages she talks about her inspiration, the immigrant experience, and the importance of representation. Her first adult novel One of Our Kind is a thrilling and heart-pounding narrative that contains provocative social commentary at its core.
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About Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Everything, Everything, The Sun Is Also a Star, Instructions for Dancing, and a co-author of Blackout. Born in Jamaica, Yoon immigrated to Brooklyn with her family. She worked as a programmer for 20 years before publishing her first book.
Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Nicola Yoon’s debut novel Everything, Everything is a thrilling and heartbreaking story of a sheltered young girl who is allergic to the outside world, reflecting Yoon’s own personal feeling about wanting to protect her child from any danger. Everything, Everything became an instant New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson.
Her second novel, The Sun Is Also a Star, is a touching story about race, the sense of belonging, and the internal struggle between pursuing one’s dream and meeting familial expectations as the readers follow two immigrant teenagers as they fall in love and chase their futures. A New York Times Notable Book and the recipient of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award and a Walter Award Honor Book, The Sun Is Also A Star was adapted into a film in 2019, starring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton.
Yoon’s third novel, Instructions for Dancing, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America book club pick that Entertainment Weekly called “A charming, wholehearted love story that’s sure to make readers swoon.” This enthralling story explores all the promise—and heartbreak—of first love as it follows Evie, a teenager whose clairvoyance has shattered her belief in romance, and X, her ballroom dance partner with whom she shares unmistakable chemistry.
Yoon is a 2016 National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient, and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. She’s also the first Black woman to hit #1 on the New York Times Young Adult bestseller list. In her talks, she speaks on the immigrant experience, representation of diversity, especially in romance, and all things writing.
In 2020, Nicola Yoon and her husband, David Yoon, an author and illustrator, launched Joy Revolution at Random House Children’s Books, an imprint dedicated to young adult romance novels about people of color. Yoon currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.
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Praise for Nicola Yoon
Ms. Yoon was amazing!
— Fulton County Library SystemNicola Yoon was a fabulous speaker. She was professional and also personable. Nicola was a star during the Q&A when she answered all audience questions and shared feedback about her work in a meaningful way. The book signing took time because so many fans were in the audience and they all wanted the opportunity to connect, we appreciate Nicola signing for everyone and making each attendee feel so special. Her talk was educational and entertaining, it provided insight into her books and her career. This was a wonderful event, and we appreciate Nicola Yoon coming to OC Public Libraries.
— OC Public LibrariesPraise for Instructions for Dancing
If you want a story to make you laugh and cry (and maybe even try to tango), Instructions for Dancing has just the touch of magic you’re looking for.
— Apple BooksAnother stunning YA romance…
— PopSugarYoon’s latest tackles the magic of first loves with unexpected gut punches tied together with meaningful storytelling.
— BuzzFeedEvie’s, and Yoon’s, musings on life and love will be appreciated by Y.A. readers of all ages.
— New York TimesAn endearing, affecting exploration of the journey of love. Everything Yoon touches turns to gold and this cinematic supernatural romance will be no exception.
— Booklist, starred reviewA remarkable, irresistible love story that will linger long after readers turn the final page.
— Kirkus, starred reviewYoon delivers a story of love’s unpredictability and the importance of perspective that unfolds with ease and heart.
— Publishers Weekly, starred reviewA sweet, genuine love story sure to pull on the heartstrings.
— School Library Journal, starred reviewYoon delivers this captivating story of first love with beautiful prose, clever dialogue that swings between laugh-out-loud funny and wildly insightful, clear respect for the complexity and nuance of her teen characters’ perspectives and emotions—and just enough magic to make it all truly unforgettable.
— BookPage, starred reviewPraise for The Sun Is Also a Star
An exhilarating, hopeful novel exploring identity, family, the love of science and the science of love, dark matter and interconnectedness–is about seeing and being seen and the possibility of love… and it shines.
— Shelf Awareness, starred reviewMoving and suspenseful.
— Publishers Weekly, starred reviewLyrical and sweeping, full of hope, heartbreak, fate. . . and the universal beating of the human heart.
— Booklist, starred reviewFresh and compelling.
— The Horn Book, starred reviewWith appeal to cynics and romantics alike, this profound exploration of life and love tempers harsh realities with the beauty of hope in a way that is both deeply moving and satisfying.
— Kirkus, starred reviewA love story that is smart without being cynical, heartwarming without being cloying, and schmaltzy in all the best ways.
— The Bulletin, starred reviewThis wistful love story will be adored by fans of Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park.
— SLJPraise for Everything, Everything
Readers will root for the precocious Maddy as she falls hard for the boy next door . . . teens in search of a swoonworthy read will devour.
— BooklistHeartwarming and inventive.
— MashableNot only was I totally hooked . . . by the end I was totally blown away.
— Arun Rath, NPR Weekend’s All Things ConsideredNicola Yoon’s first novel will give you butterflies.
— SeventeenDeeply satisfying.
— The BulletinThis is an easy romance to get caught up in.
— Publishers WeeklyA vibrant, thrilling, and, ultimately, wholly original tale that's bound to be an instant hit.
— BustleA do-not-miss for fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell (aka everyone).
— Justine MagazineThis extraordinary first novel about love so strong it might kill us is too good to feel like a debut. Tender, creative, beautifully written, and with a great twist, Everything, Everything is one of the best books I've read this year.
— Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Leaving TimeThere's a quiet beauty about Everything, Everything that kept me captivated from start to finish. Olly and Madeline's love story stole my heart.
— Katie McGarry, author of Nowhere But HereEverything, Everything has everything . . . romance, heart, and intelligence. Nicola Yoon's book and voice stayed with me long after I finished reading.
— Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must DieWith her stunning debut, Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon has constructed an entirely unique and beautiful reading experience. Gorgeous writing meshes with original artwork to tell a love story like no other. You’ve never read a book like this.
— David Arnold, author of MosquitolandEverything, Everything is everything, everything—powerful, lovely, heart-wrenching, and so absorbing I devoured it in one sitting. It’s a wonder. The rare novel that lifts and shatters and fills you all at once.
— Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright PlacesEverything, Everything is wonderful, wonderful.
— SLJ (Starred Review)[A] fresh, moving debut.
— Entertainment WeeklyGorgeous and lyrical.
— The New York Times Book ReviewWill give you butterflies.
— SeventeenA do-not-miss for fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell (aka everyone).
— JustineYA book lovers, your newest obsession is here.
— MTV.com -
Books by Nicola Yoon
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Featured Title
One of Our Kind
“Brilliant, provocative, seminal — there aren’t enough adjectives to describe how much food for thought Yoon’s novel provided. When cultural identity is shaped by trauma, can you even imagine who you are when that trauma is excised? What is the difference between equality and equity? And how deep into the magma of racism does implicit bias go? Your book club will be discussing this one for DAYS.”
—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times best-selling author
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