Courtney Summers (born 1986 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada)[2] is a Canadian writer of young adult fiction. Her most famous known works are Cracked Up to Be (2008), This is Not a Test (2012), All the Rage (2015), and Sadie (2018).[3]

Courtney Summers
Born1986 (age 37–38)[1]
Belleville, Ontario
OccupationNovelist
CitizenshipCanada
Period2009 – present
GenreYoung adult, Fiction
Notable worksCracked Up to Be (2008)
This is Not a Test]] (2012)
All the Rage (2015)
Sadie (2018)
Website
courtneysummers.ca

Career edit

Her first novel, Cracked Up to Be, was published in December 2008[4] and was the 2009 Cybils Award winner for YA Fiction.[5] Her sophomore novel, Some Girls Are, was published in January 2010,[6] and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,[7] Publishers Weekly,[8] and School Library Journal,[9] and was a 2010 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee in the YA Fiction category.[10] Both novels were repackaged as a 2-in-1 edition titled What Goes Around in September 2013.[11]

Her third novel, Fall for Anything, was published in December 2010[12] and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews[13] and Booklist.[14]

This is Not a Test was published June 2012[15] and is set during the zombie apocalypse. Prior to its release, all of Summers' novels were contemporary and realistic. This is Not a Test received a starred review from Publishers Weekly[16] and was optioned for television by Sony.[17] Summers announced that a script was currently in development in April 2015.[18] In January 2015, Summers released an e-novella sequel to This is Not a Test, Please Remain Calm.[19]

Summers' fifth novel, All the Rage, was her hardcover debut and published in April 2015.[20] It was chosen as the sixth official selection of Tumblr's Reblog Book Club[21] and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,[22] Publishers Weekly[23] and School Library Journal.[24] It was also named a Spring 2015 Junior Library Guild Selection.[25]

On April 14, 2015, to mark the release of All the Rage, Summers launched the hashtag campaign #ToTheGirls,[26] encouraging people to send messages of support and positivity to girls across social media. #ToTheGirls trended worldwide on Twitter.[27] Notable press coverage included The Today Show[28] and it was named one of the most important feminist hashtags of 2015 by Mic News.[29]

Her novel Sadie tells the story of a teenager named Sadie Hunter whose little sister Mattie was murdered. Sadie seeks revenge against the man she believes killed Mattie. The book was released on September 4, 2018,[30] and is told from two perspectives: some chapters offering Sadie's point of view and some chapters being styled as transcripts from a podcast called "The Girls" hosted by a man named West McCray. The release of the book was accompanied by the release of a mock true-crime podcast titled The Girls: Find Sadie which is available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.[31] Sadie became a New York Times bestseller[32] on September 29, 2018, and has been awarded the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult literature from the Mystery Writers of America.[33] [34] Sadie also won the 2019 Odyssey Award from the American Library Association[35] and was a Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Book of the Year in 2019.[36]

Summers has also contributed short stories to the anthologies Defy the Dark and Violent Ends.[37]

Works edit

Books edit

  • —— (2008). Cracked Up to Be. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312383695.
  • —— (2010). Some Girls Are. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312573805.
  • —— (2011). Fall for Anything. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312656737.
  • —— (2012). This is Not a Test. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312656744.
  • —— (2013). What Goes Around. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781250038449.
  • —— (2015). Please Remain Calm. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781466875906.
  • All the Rage, St. Martin's Press (2015) (ISBN 9781250021915)
  • Sadie, St. Martin's Press (2018) (ISBN 9781250105714)
  • The Project, St. Martin's Press (2021) (ISBN 9781250105738)
  • I'm the Girl, Wednesday Books (2022) (ISBN 9781250808363)

Short stories edit

  • "Sleepstalk", Defy the Dark edited by Saundra Mitchell
  • "The Likability Rule", Violent Ends edited by Shaun Hutchinson (2015)

Essays edit

  • "Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World", Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World from Algonquin BFYR, January 2017

Awards and nominations edit

Year Work Award Category Result Ref
2009 Cracked Up to Be Cybils Award Young Adult Fiction Won [5]
OLA Forest of Reading Awards White Pine Award (YA Fiction) Nominated [38]
2010 Some Girls Are White Pine Award (YA Fiction) Nominated (Honor) [38]
Goodreads Choice Award Young Adult Fiction Nominated [10]
2014 This is Not a Test OLA Forest of Reading Awards White Pine Award (Fiction) Nominated (Honor) [38]
2019 Sadie Audie Award Audio Book (Young Adult) Won [39]
Cybils Award Young Adult Fiction Won [40]
Odyssey Award Audio Book (Children or Young Adult) Won [41]
Edgar Award Young Adult Novel Won [42]
2020 White Pine Award Fiction Won [43]

References edit

  1. ^ "bio | courtney summers, new york times bestselling author". Feb 13, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved Dec 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2014-10-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "work – courtney summers". Courtneysummers.ca. Retrieved 24 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Cracked up to be | Courtney Summers | Macmillan". Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2015-06-05.
  5. ^ a b "The 2009 Cybils Winners - Cybils Awards". Cybils.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  6. ^ [1] [dead link]
  7. ^ "SOME GIRLS ARE by Courtney Summers - Kirkus Reviews". Kirkusreviews.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Children's Book Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, Author . St. Martin's Griffin $9.99 (245p) ISBN 978-0-312-57380-5". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Some Girls Are - Bookverdict.com". Bookverdict.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Young Adult Fiction!". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  11. ^ [2] [dead link]
  12. ^ [3] [dead link]
  13. ^ "FALL FOR ANYTHING by Courtney Summers - Kirkus Reviews". Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  14. ^ Fall for Anything, by Courtney Summers. Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via Booklistonline.com.
  15. ^ Courtney Summers. "This Is Not a Test". Archived from the original on 2015-10-25. Retrieved 2015-06-05.
  16. ^ "Children's Book Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. St. Martin's Griffin, $9.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-312-65674-4". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2015-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "courtney summers". Summerscourtney.tumblr.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ [4] [dead link]
  20. ^ [5] [dead link]
  21. ^ "Reblog Book Club • Happy April! The sixth official selection of..." Reblog Book Club. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  22. ^ "ALL THE RAGE by Courtney Summers - Kirkus Reviews". Kirkusreviews.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Children's Book Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers. St. Martin's Griffin, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-02191-5". Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2015-06-05.
  24. ^ "Library Journal". Slj.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Selection". Juniorlibraryguild.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  26. ^ "#ToTheGirls". Summerscourtney.tumblr.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
  27. ^ updates, courtney summers (14 April 2015). "WE ARE TRENDING WORLDWIDE. THANK YOU. #tothegirlspic.twitter.com/qoP3aIlr2R". Twitter. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  28. ^ "KLG's advice to teens: Let God define who you are". Today.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  29. ^ Noman, Natasha. "The 9 Most Important Feminist Hashtags of 2015 So Far". Mic.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  30. ^ "Sadie | Courtney Summers | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2019-10-16.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ "The Girls: Find Sadie". Macmillan Podcasts. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  32. ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - Sept. 30, 2018 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  33. ^ "These 9 Books Just Won A MAJOR Award For The Best Crime Fiction & Nonfiction". Bustle.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  34. ^ America, Mystery Writers of. "Mystery Writers of America Announces 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Awards". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  35. ^ SZALUSKY (2019-01-28). "Macmillan Audio wins 2019 Odyssey Award for "Sadie"". News and Press Center. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  36. ^ "Best Children's Books of the Year Archive". Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  37. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2015-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  38. ^ a b c Advanced Solutions International, Inc. "Sign In" (PDF). Accessola.org. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  39. ^ "2019 Audie Awards® - APA". Audiopub.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  40. ^ "2018 Cybils Winners! | Cybils Awards". Cybils.com. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  41. ^ admin (1999-11-30). "Welcome to the Odyssey Award home page!". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  42. ^ "Category List – Best Young Adult | Edgars Database". Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  43. ^ Scriver, Amanda (18 February 2021). "YA novelist Courtney Summers and the complicated allure of cults". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 30 August 2021.

External links edit