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Ava Reid

Ava Reid (born 1995)[1] is an American author of young adult fiction and adult fiction, best known for her New York Times bestselling young adult debut A Study in Drowning.

Ava Reid
Born1996 (age 27–28)
Manhattan, New York City, United States
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
Alma materBarnard College
GenreYoung adult fiction, adult fiction
Years active2020–present
Notable worksA Study in Drowning

Early life

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Reid was born in Manhattan, New York,[2] and grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey.[3]

She attended Barnard College and has a degree in political science, in which she focused on religion and ethnonationalism.[3]

Personal life

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She has lived in Palo Alto,[4] at Columbia, Cambridge, and as of 2023, Stanford, with her academic partner.[5] Her maternal family is composed of Ukrainian Jews.[1]

Reid uses she/they pronouns.[6] She is Jewish.[3]

Career

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After graduating from Barnard, Reid entered PitchWars, a pitch contest for unagented authors, eventually securing agent representation and selling her first novel, The Wolf and the Woodsman.[1]

Influences

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Reid says her style is inspired by Gothic literature as well as works by Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Helen Oyeyemi.[7] She feels naturally more drawn to adult fantasy but wanted to try her hand at young adult.[8] Some of her favorite novels include Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which she collects copies of, and the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake, as well as Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan and The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal.[7]

The Wolf and the Woodsman

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Her debut novel, published by HarperVoyager, tells the story of a woman surrendered as blood sacrifice for their king, but survives the attack.[4]

She was inspired to write the novel after reading an anecdote about Saint Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary, who had his nephew and heir apparent’s eyes stabbed because he didn't want pagans to inherit the throne. Reid describes The Wolf and the Woodsman as a story about exclusion.[3] For this book, she was particularly inspired by Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, Leigh Bardugo, and Catherynne Valente.[2]

Reviews were mostly positive. It was a Summer/Fall 2021 Indies Introduce adult selection.[9] Kirkus Reviews called it "Compelling, complicated, and worthwhile," while also noting an overreliance on purple prose as well as muddled action scenes.[10] Publishers Weekly called it a "notable debut."[11]

Juniper and Thorn

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Set in the world of her debut novel, Juniper and Thorn was inspired by the Grimm's fairytale The Juniper Tree.[6] Due to her family's ties to Ukraine, she specifically wanted to set the novel in a fictional analog to Odesa, Ukraine, to "sweep away" cliches of Eastern Europe.[1]

It was published in June 2021.[1] Juniper and Thorn received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.[12]

A Study in Drowning

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Her third book, A Study in Drowning, was published by HarperTeen in 2023. It is a romantic dark academia young adult fantasy about two rivals who work together to uncover the mysterious legacy of an author.[7]

The novel has themes of abuse and trauma, as do all of Reid's novels, and she says it's a subject matter very important to her. In the main character Effy, she says she wrote about experiences that reflect her own. Reid says she considers being able to discuss one's own experiences in a narrative is powerful and considers that to be the central theme of the novel.[7] It's inspired by Welsh mythology.[13]

It debuted on the New York Times bestseller list on October 8, 2023, at #1.[14] It received mixed reviews. Locus Magazine called it "intriguing, intelligent, and suspenseful"[15] and it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly[16] and School Library Journal.[17]

It has also been criticized for capitalizing on "the dark academia trend" while not adding anything new to the conversation, and having no clear message, according to Michigan Daily.[18] Kirkus Reviews called the Welsh-inspired setting "impressively atmospheric", while the mythology as "feeling extraneous."[19]

Lady MacBeth

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Lady MacBeth is described as a "feminist retelling" of Shakespeare's character Lady Macbeth, to be released by Del Rey in August 2024.[4]

Reid has said Lady Macbeth is her favorite character, due to her ambition and wiles, which inspired her to explore her character in a novel of her own. She calls the novel a work of "gothic, feminist fiction".[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Berry, Michael. "Peninsula author Ava Reid puts a modern spin on the most medieval of fairytales". www.almanacnews.com. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  2. ^ a b Shukla, Nils (2021-05-26). "Interview with Ava Reid (The Wolf and the Woodsman)". Fantasy-Hive. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  3. ^ a b c d "An Indies Introduce Q&A With Ava Reid". the American Booksellers Association. 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  4. ^ a b c d "Exclusive Cover Reveal + Q&A: Ava Reid Introduces Us to Her Thrilling New Take on Lady Macbeth". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  5. ^ Sáenz, Lissete Lanuza (2023-09-19). "Ava Reid Talks A Study in Drowning And What's Next". Fangirlish. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  6. ^ a b Garrison, Anna (2023-04-25). "Author Ava Reid Talks 'Juniper & Thorn's Inspirations, Social Media as an Author, and More (EXCLUSIVE)". Distractify. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  7. ^ a b c d "Q&A: Ava Reid, Author of 'A Study In Drowning'". The Nerd Daily. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  8. ^ Dominguez, urora (2023-09-25). "Bestseller Ava Reid Talks Fantasy, Family and Tackling YA for the First Time". BookTrib. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  9. ^ "Booksellers and Authors to Present Indies Introduce Debut Titles at Bookfest". the American Booksellers Association. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  10. ^ "The Wolf and the Woodsman". Kirkus Reviews.
  11. ^ "The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  12. ^ "Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  13. ^ Oldfield, Kate (2023-09-20). "Read an exclusive extract from A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid". United By Pop. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  14. ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 8, 2023". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  15. ^ "Colleen Mondor Reviews A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid". Locus Online. 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  16. ^ "A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  17. ^ Ava, Reid. "A Study in Drowning". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  18. ^ Nagy, Camille (2023-12-17). "Ava Reid's 'A Study in Drowning' is overhyped". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  19. ^ "A Study in Drowning". Kirkus Reviews.
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