"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.
Behold the glorious cover for Playing with Fire, publishing January 19, 2021
When a fire cuts off a popular trail in the Oregon forest, a small group trapped by the flames must find another way out―or die―in Playing with Fire, an unrelenting teen-vs-nature YA thriller by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.
Natalia is not the kind of girl who takes risks. Six years ago, she barely survived the house fire that killed her baby brother. Now she is cautious and always plays it safe. For months, her co-worker Wyatt has begged her to come hiking with him, and Natalia finally agrees.
But when a wildfire breaks out, blocking the trail back, a perfect sunny day quickly morphs into a nightmare. With no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, a group of strangers will have to become allies if they’re going to survive. Hiking in the dark, they must reach the only way out―a foot bridge over a deep canyon―before the fire catches them.
Natalia is not the kind of girl who takes risks. Six years ago, she barely survived the house fire that killed her baby brother. Now she is cautious and always plays it safe. For months, her co-worker Wyatt has begged her to come hiking with him, and Natalia finally agrees.
But when a wildfire breaks out, blocking the trail back, a perfect sunny day quickly morphs into a nightmare. With no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, a group of strangers will have to become allies if they’re going to survive. Hiking in the dark, they must reach the only way out―a foot bridge over a deep canyon―before the fire catches them.
Free panel features three YA mystery/thriller writers
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Join April Henry (The Girl in the White Van) and LE Flynn (All Eyes on Her). and June Hur (Silence of Bones), Monday, August 31, at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time for a virtual YA mystery/thriller panel hosted by librarian Miranda Doyle. And it's totally free! You just need to preregister here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/8515943122275/WN_5xBOIEeMRYWxX_BtW4zsHg Seventeen-year-old Tabby went into the woods with her boyfriend, but she came out alone. Originally praised as a survivor, Tabby is now widely suspected to be her boyfriend’s killer. L. E. Flynn’s ALL EYES ON HER (Imprint) is a vivid, evocative thriller told from the point of view of six people in Tabby’s life — everyone except Tabby herself. Set in Joseon Dynasty-era Korea, June Hur’s evocative YA debut, THE SILENCE OF BONES (Feiwel & Friends), follows a 16-year-old indentured servant within the police bureau who becomes entangled in the politically charged investigation into the murder of a noblewoman. |
The chilling true story behind The Girl in the White Van
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).
New books on the way!
Glowing Booklist and School Library Journal reviews
for The Girl In the White Van
"Savannah’s ramshackle life—drifting from home to home with every new boyfriend her mother finds—has forced her to become tough, physically and mentally. It’s no wonder she’s drawn to the teachings of Bruce Lee, who espouses serenity and flexibility above all. She has to use everything she’s learned when she is forcefully abducted by a mysterious man who calls himself “Sir.” Taken to an unknown location and locked inside a darkened RV, Savannah must rely on all her skills and wits—as well as the help of a previous kidnapping victim—to free herself before “Sir” enacts his ultimate plans. After setting up the basic cast, the story immediately settles into the main plot of Savannah desperately trying to escape her makeshift prison. Heightening the tension is Henry’s choice to tell the story from the alternating first-person perspectives of all the characters, from Savannah’s potential love interest to the kidnapper himself. With a simple plot and relentless pace, this thrill-ride of a book will absolutely satisfy readers looking for pulse-quickening action and smart, resilient heroes."
—Booklist
"Living with her mom’s abusive boyfriend in a new city isn’t easy for teenager Savannah Taylor, but she has an outlet: her kung fu class, where she is developing friendships as well as her own strength and skill. Then one night after class, a stranger accosts her in a deserted parking garage and takes her to a mobile home where she meets Jenny, another girl he kidnapped months before. Together, Jenny and Savannah must figure out a way to escape—or die in the process. This tight, fast-paced thriller forgoes deep character exploration in favor of action, keeping the narrative moving at breakneck speed from the first page until the last. It’s ideal for striving readers, particularly those who favor adventure or survival stories. Savannah is a capable but fallible protagonist; though her martial arts training does not prevent her kidnapping, it plays an essential role in protecting herself and Jenny, and her commitment to her own self-sufficiency creates believable tension with her mother’s boyfriend. VERDICT Sure to satisfy fans of Courtney Summers and Caroline B. Cooney, this book is a solid purchase for libraries with widely circulating thriller collections"
—School Library Journal
School Library Journal picked 10 YA mysteries saying, "These thrilling teen novels will keep readers up on hot summer nights." The Girl in the White Van was ne of their top picks. Read about all the picks here.
—Booklist
"Living with her mom’s abusive boyfriend in a new city isn’t easy for teenager Savannah Taylor, but she has an outlet: her kung fu class, where she is developing friendships as well as her own strength and skill. Then one night after class, a stranger accosts her in a deserted parking garage and takes her to a mobile home where she meets Jenny, another girl he kidnapped months before. Together, Jenny and Savannah must figure out a way to escape—or die in the process. This tight, fast-paced thriller forgoes deep character exploration in favor of action, keeping the narrative moving at breakneck speed from the first page until the last. It’s ideal for striving readers, particularly those who favor adventure or survival stories. Savannah is a capable but fallible protagonist; though her martial arts training does not prevent her kidnapping, it plays an essential role in protecting herself and Jenny, and her commitment to her own self-sufficiency creates believable tension with her mother’s boyfriend. VERDICT Sure to satisfy fans of Courtney Summers and Caroline B. Cooney, this book is a solid purchase for libraries with widely circulating thriller collections"
—School Library Journal
School Library Journal picked 10 YA mysteries saying, "These thrilling teen novels will keep readers up on hot summer nights." The Girl in the White Van was ne of their top picks. Read about all the picks here.
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. |
Librarians create escape room based on The Girl I Used to Be
Librarian Barbara Holland, Barton Middle School, (shown with multiple students) with the assistance of Amy Schutze, who works at McCormick Middle School (both in Texas) created an escape room based on The Girl I Use to Be, including recreating the contents of an old cigar box that the character finds. While I was on tour, I got to see the elements of the escape room. It was amazing and kind of surreal!
Foreign rights sold in Russia for two books
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Foreign rights have been sold in Russia for both my 2010 book, Girl Stolen, and my 2020 book, The Girl in the White Van. This will be the 13th foreign country that has published at lease one of my books.
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Hanging out with forensic scientists to get new book ideas
I spent the last week in August at the the annual meeting of the Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists. My favorite part was getting to meet CeCe Moore, a self-taught genetic genealogist. When DNA testing became more widely available, she started helping adoptees find their birth families. Then she began to wonder if those same skills could be put to use identifying unclaimed/unknown bodies (mostly murder victims - and spoiler alert, they could). Then she began to think about cold case DNA. Her techniques have helped solve more than 160 other unsolved crimes.
As someone who has been doing genetic genealogy for six years (ever since my mom died) I found her fascinating. In a room filled with scientists, I asked the most questions.
I also got to attend classes on fingerprints (faking them as well as using pictures of hands to identify killers, pedophiles and drug sellers) and document examination. I'm sure the things I learned will end up in my books!
As someone who has been doing genetic genealogy for six years (ever since my mom died) I found her fascinating. In a room filled with scientists, I asked the most questions.
I also got to attend classes on fingerprints (faking them as well as using pictures of hands to identify killers, pedophiles and drug sellers) and document examination. I'm sure the things I learned will end up in my books!
Cece Moore, the famed genetic genealogist, and me.
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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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