Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon was born in 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica, and moved to the United States as a child. She studied electrical engineering at MIT and later worked as a business analyst. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. She began writing young adult fiction in her forties, drawing from her experiences as an immigrant and her love of romance.

She is the author of two bestselling novels, Everything, Everything (2015) and The Sun Is Also a Star (2016), as well as the short story collection Instructions for Dancing (2021). Her work explores themes of interracial love, fate, and the interplay of science and emotion. She often uses unique narrative structures, incorporating text messages, medical diagrams, and multiple perspectives.

Both of her novels were met with critical acclaim and commercial success, with Everything, Everything adapted into a major motion picture in 2017. She has won numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award for The Sun Is Also a Star. Her books have been praised for their diverse representation and emotional depth, though some critics have noted a formulaic quality in her plot devices.

Nicola Yoon is recognized as a leading voice in diverse young adult fiction, influencing a wave of romance novels featuring characters of color. Her books continue to be widely read and taught in schools, and she has inspired a new generation of writers to center immigrant and interracial experiences in their stories.