Maureen Johnson

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Biography:

Maureen Johnson (born February 16, 1973) is an American author of young adult fiction. She has published fourteen novels to date including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name of the Star, Truly Devious, and Suite Scarlett. Among Johnson's works are notable collaborative efforts with her contemporaries such as Let It Snow, a holiday romance novel of interwoven stories co-written with John Green and Lauren Myracle, and a series of novellas found in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling anthologies The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, and Ghosts of the Shadow Market. Maureen Johnson is a graduate of the University of Delaware. Prior to that she attended an all-girl Catholic preparatory high school. In the short period between her undergraduate and graduate careers, Johnson worked in Philadelphia, London, and New York City. She was the literary manager of a Philadelphia theater company, a waitress in a theme restaurant, a secretary, a bartender in Piccadilly, and an occasional performer. She studied both writing and theatrical dramaturgy at Columbia University, where she received her MFA in Writing. Maureen Johnson's debut novel The Key to the Golden Firebird was first published in May 2004 by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. Centered around themes of grief and resilience and set in the suburbs of Philadelphia a year after his passing, the novel depicts three sisters of different age as they individually process and come to understand their father's death, and their paths ahead. The Key to the Golden Firebird entered the market during a resurgence of popular interest in the young adult fiction genre. In 2005, it received starred reviews from both School Library Journal and Booklist. Johnson's second published novel, The Bermudez Triangle (later reissued as On the Count of Three in 2013), debuted only five months later in October 2004. Following three high school seniors who have been best friends since childhood— Nina, Avery, and Melanie— two of whom have been dating secretly since the summer, The Bermudez Triangle explores the complexity of relationships and self-identity, from the changing nature of bonds, to the experiences of both platonic love and attraction, and the gifts and difficulties of first romances. It was selected as a Winter 2004 Book Sense Pick, as well as listed for New York Public Library's “Books for the Teen Age 2006”, and the American Library Association’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, GLTBQ list. Johnson's third novel and first series, 13 Little Blue Envelopes was published in August 2005 by HarperTeen. The story follows seventeen-year-old Virginia (Ginny) Blackstone, as she embarks on a journey throughout Europe by following a series of instructions left to her within letters from her beloved, self-proclaimed "Runaway Aunt" Peg, upon notice of her passing. While written in the style of contemporary realistic fiction that much of her earlier work is known for, Johnson herself has said she considers Ginny's adventure to be "a little bit of a fairy tale," and has cited the song "Charmed Life" by Irish artist Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy for its likeness to the spirit with which the novel was written. The Last Little Blue Envelope, the sequel to Johnson's 2005 novel, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, was later published in April 2011. In September 2006, Johnson's fourth novel Devilish was published by Razorbill, an imprint of what was then Penguin Group. Set in a preparatory school in Rhode Island where "barbed wire keeps the boys out and the ancient nuns keep the girls in," Devilish follows the travails of two senior students, Jane and Allison (Ally), as they experience seemingly supernatural upheavals within their friendship and school year, culminating in what appears to be a battle for Ally's soul. Marking Johnson's first full departure from contemporary realistic fiction, Devilish was shortlisted in 2007 for the Andre Norton Award, which celebrates excellence in YA science fiction and fantasy novel writing.