📖 Overview
Nova Ren Suma is an American novelist known for writing young adult fiction, with her most acclaimed work being "The Walls Around Us." Her novels have earned significant recognition, including becoming a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and she has been a two-time finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult from Mystery Writers of America.
Born in Queens, New York, and raised in various locations throughout the Hudson Valley, Suma's early life experiences heavily influenced her writing. Her years of ballet training from ages six to sixteen provided inspiration for "The Walls Around Us," while the Ashokan Reservoir near her teenage home in Woodstock became the setting for her novel "Imaginary Girls."
Suma's educational background includes a self-designed BA from Antioch College, combining journalism, creative writing, and photography, followed by an MFA from Columbia University. Her journey as a writer began at age twelve after discovering Margaret Atwood's works, which inspired her to pursue a career in writing.
👀 Reviews
Readers praise Nova Ren Suma's atmospheric writing style and complex psychological themes. Many reviews highlight her ability to blur reality and fantasy, creating unsettling supernatural elements that enhance rather than overshadow character development.
What readers liked:
- Lyrical, dream-like prose that creates tension
- Unreliable narrators that keep readers guessing
- Deep exploration of female relationships and power dynamics
- Integration of supernatural elements with realistic emotions
- Ballet scenes in "The Walls Around Us" feel authentic
What readers disliked:
- Slow pacing in early chapters
- Confusing plot transitions
- Some character motivations remain unclear
- Endings that leave questions unanswered
Ratings across platforms:
- Goodreads: "The Walls Around Us" (3.85/5 from 12,000+ ratings)
- Amazon: "Imaginary Girls" (3.5/5 from 80+ reviews)
- Barnes & Noble: "17 & Gone" (3.7/5 from 40+ reviews)
One reader noted: "Her prose reads like poetry but the plot keeps you on edge." Another commented: "Beautiful writing but the story moves too slowly for my taste."
📚 Books by Nova Ren Suma
The Walls Around Us (2015)
A psychological thriller that interweaves the stories of two girls - a ballet dancer and a juvenile detention center inmate - connected by violence and supernatural events.
Imaginary Girls (2011) A story about two sisters in upstate New York, where the older sister's mysterious influence over their reservoir town reveals dark secrets.
17 & Gone (2013) A supernatural mystery following a 17-year-old girl who begins having visions of missing girls her age.
The Space Between Trees (2010) A coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl who becomes entangled in the investigation of her childhood friend's murder.
A Room Away From the Wolves (2018) A gothic-tinged tale about a teenage girl who seeks refuge in a mysterious New York City boarding house with a dark history.
Dani Noir (2009) A middle-grade mystery about a 13-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with film noir movies while trying to solve a mystery in her small-town movie theater.
Imaginary Girls (2011) A story about two sisters in upstate New York, where the older sister's mysterious influence over their reservoir town reveals dark secrets.
17 & Gone (2013) A supernatural mystery following a 17-year-old girl who begins having visions of missing girls her age.
The Space Between Trees (2010) A coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl who becomes entangled in the investigation of her childhood friend's murder.
A Room Away From the Wolves (2018) A gothic-tinged tale about a teenage girl who seeks refuge in a mysterious New York City boarding house with a dark history.
Dani Noir (2009) A middle-grade mystery about a 13-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with film noir movies while trying to solve a mystery in her small-town movie theater.
👥 Similar authors
Margaret Atwood writes speculative fiction that blends psychological complexity with elements of magical realism. Her work explores power dynamics and female relationships in ways that mirror Suma's storytelling approach.
Laura Ruby creates young adult novels that combine contemporary settings with supernatural elements and complex mysteries. Her book "Bone Gap" shares similar themes of perception and reality that appear in Suma's work.
A.S. King writes surreal young adult fiction that deals with trauma and family relationships through a supernatural lens. Her narrative style incorporates non-linear storytelling and unreliable narrators similar to Suma's techniques.
Maggie Stiefvater crafts stories that merge realistic settings with magical elements and focus on character relationships. Her work features the same attention to atmosphere and psychological depth found in Suma's novels.
E. Lockhart writes psychological thrillers for young adults that deal with unreliable narration and complex female relationships. Her novels share Suma's focus on truth, perception, and the ways memory can deceive.
Laura Ruby creates young adult novels that combine contemporary settings with supernatural elements and complex mysteries. Her book "Bone Gap" shares similar themes of perception and reality that appear in Suma's work.
A.S. King writes surreal young adult fiction that deals with trauma and family relationships through a supernatural lens. Her narrative style incorporates non-linear storytelling and unreliable narrators similar to Suma's techniques.
Maggie Stiefvater crafts stories that merge realistic settings with magical elements and focus on character relationships. Her work features the same attention to atmosphere and psychological depth found in Suma's novels.
E. Lockhart writes psychological thrillers for young adults that deal with unreliable narration and complex female relationships. Her novels share Suma's focus on truth, perception, and the ways memory can deceive.