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Ally Condie
Ally Condie
Condie at the 2018 Texas Book Festival
Born (1978-11-02) November 2, 1978 (age 46)
Cedar City, Utah, U.S.
Occupation
  • Previous high school English teacher
  • Author
Education Brigham Young University (BA)
Vermont College of Fine Arts (MFA)
Genre Dystopian fiction, children's literature, young adult fiction
Notable works Matched trilogy
Children 3 sons and a daughter

Allyson Braithwaite Condie (born November 2, 1978) is a popular author. She writes books for young adults and middle schoolers. Her novel Matched was a huge hit. It became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It stayed on that list for over a year! The next books in the series, Crossed and Reached, were also bestsellers.

Matched was picked as one of YALSA's 2011 Teens' Top Ten books. It was also named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010. All three books in the Matched series are available in more than 30 languages.

Ally Condie also wrote Atlantia, which was a New York Times bestseller. Her middle grade novel, Summerlost, came out in 2016. Summerlost was even a finalist for the 2017 Edgar Award. This award is for the best mystery book for young readers.

Ally Condie helps others through her work. She started the WriteOut Foundation. This group runs writing camps for teens in rural areas. She is also part of the Yallwest Board. This group helps make books available to kids. She also helps Go Jane Give, which collects donations for refugees.

About Ally Condie's Life

Ally Condie was born in Cedar City, Utah. When she was only four years old, she started telling stories. She would tell her babysitter tales about a unicorn. Her babysitter wrote them down for her. Once Ally could write, she kept a journal. She also had a special journal for poetry.

Ally loved to run in high school. She was on the cross country and track teams. She still enjoys distance running today. She used to be a high school English teacher. Working with teens made her want to write books for them. She wanted to write stories that her students would enjoy reading.

Her Education and Early Career

Ally Condie went to Brigham Young University. She earned a degree in English Teaching. She taught high school English in Utah and New York. When her first child was born, she stopped teaching. She wanted to focus on raising her family. During this time, she started writing again.

She began publishing young adult books in 2006. Her first book was Yearbook. It was followed by First Day (2007) and Reunion (2008). These three books formed the Yearbook trilogy. She also wrote two other books: Freshman for President (2008) and Being Sixteen (2010).

Family and New Adventures

In 2017, Ally lived with her husband and four children. They lived in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Her oldest son was diagnosed with autism in 2011. In 2012, her family adopted a girl from China. Also in 2017, Ally earned a Master's degree in Fine Arts. This degree was from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Ally Condie is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The beautiful landscapes of Utah and her Christian background inspire her writing. She even wrote her first adult novel, The Unwedding, after some big life changes. She married her second husband, David, in August 2023.

The Matched Trilogy

The first book in the Matched trilogy, Matched, came out in November 2010. It quickly became a bestseller. The second book, Crossed, was published in November 2011. The final book, Reached, completed the series in November 2012. This trilogy is a type of story called dystopian young adult fiction. These kinds of stories have become very popular with young readers.

Summerlost

Summerlost was a special book for Ally Condie. It was her first middle grade novel. This means it was written for slightly younger readers than her usual young adult books. Ally said that the characters and setting in Summerlost were inspired by her own childhood. She grew up in Cedar City, Utah. The fictional "Iron Creek" in the book is based on "Coal Creek" in Cedar City.

Ally Condie's Books

The Yearbook Trilogy

  • Yearbook (2006)
  • First Day (2007)
  • Reunion (2008)

The Matched Trilogy

  • Matched (2010)
  • Crossed (2011)
  • Reached (2012)

The Darkdeep Trilogy

Ally Condie wrote this series with Brendan Reichs.

  • The Darkdeep (2018)
  • The Beast (2019)
  • The Torchbearers (2020)

Standalone Novels

  • Freshman for President (2008)
  • Being Sixteen (2010)
  • Atlantia (2014)
  • Summerlost (2016)
  • The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe (2019)
  • The Only Girl in Town (2023)
  • The Unwedding (2024)

Other Works

  • The Moms' Club Diaries: notes from a world of playdates, pacifiers, and poignant moments (2008) - This book was put together by Ally Condie and Lindsay Hepworth.

What's Next?

Ally Condie has at least one new young adult novel planned for the future.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ally Condie para niños

  • List of dystopian literature
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