"Henry has become a leading light in YA mystery." - Booklist
"April Henry’s crime dramas are consistently smart and satisfying.” - Kirkus
"A must-have for YA mystery-thriller collections." - School Library Journal
"Legendary mystery author Henry is back at it again" - Barnes & Noble blog
"Another one to add to the collection of Henry's fast-paced thrillers." - YALSA
"April Henry’s crime dramas are consistently smart and satisfying.” - Kirkus
"A must-have for YA mystery-thriller collections." - School Library Journal
"Legendary mystery author Henry is back at it again" - Barnes & Noble blog
"Another one to add to the collection of Henry's fast-paced thrillers." - YALSA
Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. I'm a New York Times bestselling author who loves Brazilian jujitsu, salty snacks, and all things scary.
Amazing student writing
In one of my recent school visits, at Liberty Hill Middle School in Kileen, Texas, I gave the students a list of words and seven minutes to start a story using ALL of the words. This is what Adelyn G. came up with in (in seven minutes!) (underlined words are from the list:
Drew Desilver overlooked the city below his office. He sat in a chair. A squeaky chair. Too squeaky. With a swivel of the chair and a tangle of searching, he found a small piece of paper lodged within the mechanism of the swivel chair. On it was the number eight. To untrained eyes that is. He grabbed a magnifying glass and cleared the blur of a sentence written in the shape of an infinity sign. It read:
Halt, picture an alley. I stand in wait.
“Haltwood alley,” Drew whispered. He passed his contact and received a small note, his new case file. Drew was a professional man. A man that saw all. Within the case he would find only the face of the victim. The picture was angled at 98 degrees exactly. This meant this was a victim of murder. Desilver sighed. Murderers were always too messy, left too much, told too many. He examined the face and fainted. Life returned to him three weeks later.
The victim was his own mother.
Drew Desilver overlooked the city below his office. He sat in a chair. A squeaky chair. Too squeaky. With a swivel of the chair and a tangle of searching, he found a small piece of paper lodged within the mechanism of the swivel chair. On it was the number eight. To untrained eyes that is. He grabbed a magnifying glass and cleared the blur of a sentence written in the shape of an infinity sign. It read:
Halt, picture an alley. I stand in wait.
“Haltwood alley,” Drew whispered. He passed his contact and received a small note, his new case file. Drew was a professional man. A man that saw all. Within the case he would find only the face of the victim. The picture was angled at 98 degrees exactly. This meant this was a victim of murder. Desilver sighed. Murderers were always too messy, left too much, told too many. He examined the face and fainted. Life returned to him three weeks later.
The victim was his own mother.
Defeating zip ties
I have a million things to do, so of course I started playing around with zip ties. This is one way to defeat them. I had them super loose because I was at home alone and had a conference call in an hour. Tighter cuffs or a shorter piece of metal (like a broken-off barrette) would require great wrist dexterity.
School visits in Austin, Texas in mid-November
Mid-Cities Teen Book Festival October 16 in Texas
Cover reveal for Two Truths and a Lie, out May 24, 2022
Trapped in an old motel with a murderer…
Nell has always wanted to be an actor, but doubts her ability. As a member of her school’s theater program, she prefers working backstage. On the way to a contest, an unexpected blizzard strands her acting troupe in a creepy motel. There Soon they meet a group of strangers from another high school—including the mysterious and handsome Knox, who insists they play the game Two Truths and a Lie. When it’s Nell’s turn, she draws a slip of paper inked in unfamiliar handwriting:
I like to watch people die.
I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.
Suddenly a night of harmless fun turns into a matter of life and death. As guests go missing, it becomes clear that a murderer is hiding in their midst ready to strike again. In a room full of liars and performers, the truth is never quite what it seems. Nell is going to have to act like her life depends on it—because it does.
Nell has always wanted to be an actor, but doubts her ability. As a member of her school’s theater program, she prefers working backstage. On the way to a contest, an unexpected blizzard strands her acting troupe in a creepy motel. There Soon they meet a group of strangers from another high school—including the mysterious and handsome Knox, who insists they play the game Two Truths and a Lie. When it’s Nell’s turn, she draws a slip of paper inked in unfamiliar handwriting:
I like to watch people die.
I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.
Suddenly a night of harmless fun turns into a matter of life and death. As guests go missing, it becomes clear that a murderer is hiding in their midst ready to strike again. In a room full of liars and performers, the truth is never quite what it seems. Nell is going to have to act like her life depends on it—because it does.
Great reviews for Eyes of the Forest
"Eyes of the Forest by April Henry is a suspenseful, captivating look at what may happen when a fantasy world becomes too real for some of its fans. When 10-year-old Bridget's mom was dying of cancer, Bridget spent hours reading aloud from R.M. Haldon's Swords and Shadows series to ease the pain for them both. At 12, red-headed and "milk-pale" Bridget impressed the fantasy writer at a signing with her "encyclopedic knowledge" of his books and was hired to keep track of the myriad details for him. Now 17, Bridget still works for him, using her own database to keep everything straight. But Bob Haldon has writer's block and, despite clamor from readers, the series finale isn't forthcoming. Then Derrick, a LARPer and Haldon's "biggest fan," meets his idol, whom he finds drunk and despondent. Derrick and Bob hatch a plan to get the author writing again but things go "horribly wrong," and Bob ends up "in an isolated cabin, injured, shackled. No one but his captors [knowing] where he [is]." Bridget becomes increasingly worried and, since no one takes her fears seriously, begins an investigation of her own.
"Henry's engaging and often thrilling narrative is told from multiple points of view, allowing readers close access to the motivations of all her main characters. She expertly examines the darker side of the culture of fandom, including pressures it puts on creators, and how fans themselves get out of hand. Ultimately, it's Bridget who, though completely submerged in the world of Swords and Shadows, manages to save the day by acting IRL. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author."
–BookPage
When the police do not believe that Portland, Oregon, author R.M. Haldon has been kidnapped, it’s up to his young researcher, Bridget Shepherd, to save him.
Famous fantasy author Haldon, who bears similarities to George R.R. Martin, has been trying to finish the much-anticipated final book in his Swords and Shadows series. What happens when he wakes up trapped in a cabin, chained to a treadmill desk, with some food and water and a note ordering him to write? Communicating via coded messages, he can only hope that Bridget, the 17-year-old high school student who helps him with research, will realize something is wrong. Bridget came into his life at a reading during which she demonstrated her encyclopedic knowledge of his world. Her attachment to the Swords and Shadows books stems from reading them with her mother during the painful years before she died of cancer. Afterward, lonely Bridget had few friends left, and her workaholic father was frequently absent. Now the books allow her to open up to classmate Ajay as she shares with him the fantasy world she loves—but, like the police, Ajay doubts her theory, and Bridget must act alone. The excellent pacing, shifting between the perspectives of the main characters, adds to the suspenseful feeling of a ticking clock, and readers come to understand everyone’s motivations. Apart from Indian American Ajay, main characters are White. Offers a suspenseful and dastardly plot entwined with fan culture and mystery.
—Kirkus
"In this mystery with a clever twist by Henry (Playing with Fire), a George R.R. Martin–esque author is forced to write in captivity, his only hope of rescue lying with his teenage Portland, Ore.–based assistant. Alternating perspectives, including that of middle-aged Swords and Shadows author R.M. Haldon, or Bob, whose yearslong tardiness on the final book in his epic fantasy series turned TV show has angered many fans; redheaded Bridget Shepherd, 17, who secretly works as Haldon’s “continuity supervisor”; and teenage kidnapper Derrick, a “socially inept, geeky pariah,” all white, plus Bridget’s Indian American classmate and love interest Ajay Kapoor, allow readers to delve into the central players’ psyches, presenting a portrait of each individually and in pairs before their combined narratives overlap. The conceit—that a fan might kidnap and exploit an author to coerce them into continuing a story—feels plausible in Henry’s treatment of a simulation gone wrong... Its brisk pacing and sensational premise will have wide appeal."
- Publishers Weekly
"Henry immerses readers deep into obsessive fandom in this fast-paced thriller. Seventeen-year-old Bridget, described as having "milk-pale skin and russet colored hair," is a huge fan of RM Haldon's epic fantasy series "Swords and Shadows." She knows the entire series backward and forward and can remember the smallest details, from the complicated relationships between characters to how many times specific items have been mentioned or used in the series. When Haldon goes missing, Bridget and her companion Ajay, who is Indian American, explore the dark side of fantasy world enthusiasts. The book uncovers the ins and outs of LARPing (live action role-playing). Tension mounts as Henry's short chapters, which alternate focus between characters, add suspense and plunge readers into the darker side of fandom. Mentioning some of today's popular social media sites and the harm of the dark web makes it more realistic, all the while still maintaining a Misery-type vibe for today's readers. VERDICT An edgy, quick read for folks who love fantasy novels and authors"
—Kharissa Kenner, Bank Street School for Children, New York City, School Library Journal
"Henry's engaging and often thrilling narrative is told from multiple points of view, allowing readers close access to the motivations of all her main characters. She expertly examines the darker side of the culture of fandom, including pressures it puts on creators, and how fans themselves get out of hand. Ultimately, it's Bridget who, though completely submerged in the world of Swords and Shadows, manages to save the day by acting IRL. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author."
–BookPage
When the police do not believe that Portland, Oregon, author R.M. Haldon has been kidnapped, it’s up to his young researcher, Bridget Shepherd, to save him.
Famous fantasy author Haldon, who bears similarities to George R.R. Martin, has been trying to finish the much-anticipated final book in his Swords and Shadows series. What happens when he wakes up trapped in a cabin, chained to a treadmill desk, with some food and water and a note ordering him to write? Communicating via coded messages, he can only hope that Bridget, the 17-year-old high school student who helps him with research, will realize something is wrong. Bridget came into his life at a reading during which she demonstrated her encyclopedic knowledge of his world. Her attachment to the Swords and Shadows books stems from reading them with her mother during the painful years before she died of cancer. Afterward, lonely Bridget had few friends left, and her workaholic father was frequently absent. Now the books allow her to open up to classmate Ajay as she shares with him the fantasy world she loves—but, like the police, Ajay doubts her theory, and Bridget must act alone. The excellent pacing, shifting between the perspectives of the main characters, adds to the suspenseful feeling of a ticking clock, and readers come to understand everyone’s motivations. Apart from Indian American Ajay, main characters are White. Offers a suspenseful and dastardly plot entwined with fan culture and mystery.
—Kirkus
"In this mystery with a clever twist by Henry (Playing with Fire), a George R.R. Martin–esque author is forced to write in captivity, his only hope of rescue lying with his teenage Portland, Ore.–based assistant. Alternating perspectives, including that of middle-aged Swords and Shadows author R.M. Haldon, or Bob, whose yearslong tardiness on the final book in his epic fantasy series turned TV show has angered many fans; redheaded Bridget Shepherd, 17, who secretly works as Haldon’s “continuity supervisor”; and teenage kidnapper Derrick, a “socially inept, geeky pariah,” all white, plus Bridget’s Indian American classmate and love interest Ajay Kapoor, allow readers to delve into the central players’ psyches, presenting a portrait of each individually and in pairs before their combined narratives overlap. The conceit—that a fan might kidnap and exploit an author to coerce them into continuing a story—feels plausible in Henry’s treatment of a simulation gone wrong... Its brisk pacing and sensational premise will have wide appeal."
- Publishers Weekly
"Henry immerses readers deep into obsessive fandom in this fast-paced thriller. Seventeen-year-old Bridget, described as having "milk-pale skin and russet colored hair," is a huge fan of RM Haldon's epic fantasy series "Swords and Shadows." She knows the entire series backward and forward and can remember the smallest details, from the complicated relationships between characters to how many times specific items have been mentioned or used in the series. When Haldon goes missing, Bridget and her companion Ajay, who is Indian American, explore the dark side of fantasy world enthusiasts. The book uncovers the ins and outs of LARPing (live action role-playing). Tension mounts as Henry's short chapters, which alternate focus between characters, add suspense and plunge readers into the darker side of fandom. Mentioning some of today's popular social media sites and the harm of the dark web makes it more realistic, all the while still maintaining a Misery-type vibe for today's readers. VERDICT An edgy, quick read for folks who love fantasy novels and authors"
—Kharissa Kenner, Bank Street School for Children, New York City, School Library Journal
My pandemic hobby: making necklaces out of buttons the way my mom did
New author photo
Honors for The Girl in the White Van
Every year, the American Library Association's youth librarians choose books as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. The list identifies titles that encourage reading among teens who dislike to read for whatever reason. The list selects fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novel titles. Criteria for these titles include having a high interest "hook," a catchy title/cover, and an interesting plot.
I'm proud to say that nearly all of my teen books have been Quick Picks!
The Girl in the White Van is also a finalist for Ohio's Buckeye Award.
I'm proud to say that nearly all of my teen books have been Quick Picks!
The Girl in the White Van is also a finalist for Ohio's Buckeye Award.
Awards for Run, Hide, Fight Back
The Oregon Spirit Book Award is given yearly by the Oregon Council of Teachers of English to the author of a distinguished contribution to children’s literature or young adult literature that engages and encourages readers’ imagination, discovery, and understanding, reflecting the spirit and values held by Oregonians.
And this year, it went to Run, Hide, Fight Back! |
Run, Hide, Fight Back is a finalist for the 2021-2022 Nebraska Golden Sower Award! Nebraska’s students will be reading it along with the others and choosing their favorite during the next school year. Winners get invited to a conference in 2022 (which means it might be an actual, in-person conference! ).
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Want to buy a signed book?
Want to buy a signed book with a personal dedication for yourself or someone else? Just contact my local bookstore: AnnieBlooms.com. They'll contact me and I'll come down to sign (in a socially-distanced choreographed way).
I love to do school visits
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School visits are a great way to get students interested in reading and writing.
I love to visit schools and share with students the joys of reading, writing, and research. I also talk about the vital importance of tenacity. To learn more, check out my school visit page. I am excited to announce that I am now booking all my speaking engagements through TheBookingBiz.com. And the good folks at my publisher have put together a teacher's guide for my books (which can be used with Common Core state standards). You can get it here. |
Taking my Brazilian jiujitsu on the road
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I love to do Brazilian jujitsu (think wrestling plus chokes plus joint locks) and try to roll at a local school whenever I do school visits. Every school has its own special way of doing things - and with luck I can pick up a trick or two to try at my regular schools in Portland.
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The things I do for research!
Best Note Ever from a Middle School Teacher
Just wanted to let you know for a 3rd year in a row you are making my life easy – and creating a bunch of new readers. I am still lucky enough to teach an advanced reading class along with my Intensive class and across the board your books are the motivators. Here is one of the book projects done by one of my 7th graders! I can’t keep enough copies of your books on my shelf. |
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