She cites Laura Kasischke, Laura Ruby, Rita Williams-Garcia, Bennett Madison, and Francesca Lia Block as authors whose works deeply inspired her to write young adult novels herself. She wrote two adult novels before discovering the possibility of writing young adult novels, through her day job out at HarperCollins Children's Books. She stayed in New York City and obtained an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. After Suma received her self-designed BA in journalism, creative writing and photography from Antioch College, she moved to New York City for graduate school at age 22, inspired by her mother's stories of her own experience in the city. The first fiction she ever wrote were poems and short stories, which piqued her interest to study writing.

She cites discovering the works of Margaret Atwood when she was twelve years old as her reason for wanting to become a writer. Suma studied ballet from six to sixteen, which served as inspiration for her novel The Walls Around Us. She spent her teen years living in Woodstock, New York, where she frequented the Ashokan Reservoir, which became the setting for her novel Imaginary Girls. She lived in Saugerties, New York, until she was five and moved to Pennington, New Jersey, after her parents' divorce. Suma was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in the Hudson Valley. Her novels have twice been finalists for the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult from Mystery Writers of America. Her best-known work is The Walls Around Us.

Nova Ren Suma is an American #1 New York Times best selling author of young adult novels. MFA in Fiction, BA in Writing and Photography

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma