Stephanie Kuehn facts for kids

Stephanie Kuehn is an American writer who creates exciting books for young adults. She is famous for her award-winning first novel, Charm & Strange. Other popular books include Delicate Monsters and Complicit. Stephanie Kuehn's stories often look at how people think and feel, especially about mental health.

About Stephanie Kuehn

Her Early Life

Stephanie Kuehn grew up in Berkeley, California. When she was a teenager, she dreamed of becoming a filmmaker. She enjoyed reading books by authors like V.C. Andrews and Peter Straub.

Her Education and Work

Stephanie went to John F. Kennedy University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. She studied many interesting subjects. She earned a bachelor's degree in linguistics, which is about language. She also got a master's degree in sports psychology. This field helps athletes with their mental game. Finally, she earned a doctorate in clinical psychology. This degree focuses on understanding how people think and feel.

Because of her background as a psychologist, many characters in her books deal with mental health topics. She uses her knowledge to make her stories real and deep.

Today, Stephanie Kuehn lives in Northern California. She lives there with her husband and their three children.

Stephanie Kuehn's Books

Charm & Strange

Stephanie Kuehn's first book for young adults was Charm & Strange. It was published in 2014. The story is about a teenage athlete who believes he might be a werewolf. This book won the William C. Morris Award in 2014. It was also nominated for a Carnegie Medal that same year.

Delicate Monsters

Her second novel, Delicate Monsters, came out in 2015. This book tells the story of three teenagers whose lives cross paths. They are all dealing with different challenges. Delicate Monsters won the Northern California Book Award in 2016. It was recognized in the Children's Fiction for Older Readers category.

Complicit

In 2016, Stephanie Kuehn published her third novel, Complicit. This book is about a teen dealing with a difficult situation. His sister burned down a barn and was sent to juvenile detention. Complicit was listed on several important book lists. These include Booklist's Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth in 2014. It was also on YALSA's Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2015. The book was nominated for the Kentucky Bluegrass Award and the Rhode Island Teen Book Award in 2016.

The Smaller Evil

Stephanie Kuehn's fourth novel, The Smaller Evil, was published in 2016. It is about a teen who goes to a self-help center. He wants to deal with his anxiety and a long-term illness. But he finds strange things happening there. The leader of the retreat is not who he seems to be. The Smaller Evil received a special review from School Library Journal. Stephanie Kuehn also won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship for this book in 2015.

When I Am Through With You

Her fifth novel, When I Am Through With You, was published in 2017. This book also received a special review from Kirkus magazine.

Awards and Honors

Stephanie Kuehn has won several awards for her writing. Here are some of them: