,

Jennifer Donnelly

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The United States
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Member Since
January 2014


Jennifer Donnelly is the author of fourteen novels - Beastly Beauty, Poisoned, Stepsister, Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the part of Anna of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife.

In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.

Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended
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Jennifer Donnelly At the moment I'm too busy with middle grade and young adult, but I do hope to write more novels for adults again! …moreAt the moment I'm too busy with middle grade and young adult, but I do hope to write more novels for adults again! (less)
Jennifer Donnelly Hi Jamie,

Thank you! Here's the answer to your first question: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/db_in...

And as for Writer's Block -- I don't believe in …more
Hi Jamie,

Thank you! Here's the answer to your first question: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/db_in...

And as for Writer's Block -- I don't believe in it. If I get stuck, I know it means I haven't thought hard enough about a particular problem. At that point, I leave my computer screen, get paper and a pen, and start writing out questions. Like, Why is this scene boring? Why is this character flat? Or even, Why does this chapter stink? The answers start coming....kind of like from a Ouija board...and eventually I see what's wrong and get myself unstuck. Hope that helps! (less)
Average rating: 4.04 · 291,582 ratings · 33,809 reviews · 29 distinct worksSimilar authors
A Northern Light

3.83 avg rating — 45,805 ratings — published 2003 — 68 editions
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The Tea Rose (The Tea Rose,...

4.23 avg rating — 40,647 ratings — published 2002 — 71 editions
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Stepsister

4.04 avg rating — 30,508 ratings — published 2019 — 53 editions
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Revolution

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,177 ratings — published 2010 — 46 editions
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The Winter Rose (The Tea Ro...

4.34 avg rating — 24,972 ratings — published 2008 — 58 editions
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Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1)

3.83 avg rating — 21,351 ratings — published 2014 — 47 editions
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Beauty and the Beast: Lost ...

3.88 avg rating — 19,059 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions
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These Shallow Graves

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17,004 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions
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The Wild Rose (The Tea Rose...

4.15 avg rating — 14,229 ratings — published 2011 — 47 editions
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Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga,...

4.17 avg rating — 11,626 ratings — published 2015 — 20 editions
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More books by Jennifer Donnelly…

Black Friday ’25 Tea Rose Saga Special!

🌹BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL! Get a free copy of Molly’s Letter when you buy a signed first edition copy of The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, or The Wild Rose – only in my website shop (www.jenniferdonnelly.com/shop)! 🫖🌹❤ Good through December 5. Details:

https://youtube.com/shorts/pz386AtYPy...

The post Black Friday ’25 Tea Rose Saga Special! first appeared on Jennifer Donnelly. Read more of this blog post »
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Published on November 19, 2025 21:15
The Tea Rose The Winter Rose The Wild Rose
(3 books)
by
4.25 avg rating — 80,385 ratings

Deep Blue Rogue Wave Dark Tide Sea Spell
(4 books)
by
4.06 avg rating — 48,860 ratings

Related News

The author of 'Salt to the Sea' discusses the historical events that inspired her new YA novel.
18 likes · 5 comments

Jennifer’s Recent Updates

Jennifer Donnelly wrote a new blog post

Black Friday ’25 Tea Rose Saga Special!

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL! Get a free copy of Molly’s Letter when you buy a signed first edition copy of The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, or The Wild Rose – Read more of this blog post »
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
" So happy to hear that The Winter Rose is your favorite, Jo -- thank you! The Rose saga has been optioned for a mini-series. Keep your fingers crossed! ...more "
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
"The Winter Rose is my most favourite book in the universe, and this was everything I was hoping for. Would love to see this series on the screen!"
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
" Thank you so much, Diana! I'm so happy you enjoyed the Where Roses Fall mini-cake! More tasty bites on the way! ...more "
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
"Such a tiny little crumb when I want the whole entire cake. Nothing like an amazing author and quick little novella to light the reading fire back up inside of me. "
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
" Thank you so much for this very lovely and thoughtful review, Ralph! I'm so happy that you loved this story, and especially the quote bit that I won't ...more "
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
"I have been a huge Jennifer Donnelly fan since forever and I expected to love this story ... so no surprise that I did. Not sure I expected a whole new character/family (and potential future storyline) in what's framed as a mere "novella set within t" Read more of this review »
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
" I'm so happy that Sid and India got you out of your reading slump, Natalie! Thank you for the very kind words about Where Roses Fall! I will try to co ...more "
Where Roses Fall by Jennifer Donnelly
" Thank you so, so much for this lovely review! I'm so happy that you loved Where Roses Fall! And thrilled that you enjoyed meeting new characters as we ...more "
Jennifer Donnelly answered Juliette 's question: Jennifer Donnelly
Hey, thanks! I've been writing forever, and I guess I always hoped to get published one day. But it didn't happen until I was well into my 30s. I tell the whole story on my website FAQs (as well as advice to writers who want to get published) -- you See Full Answer
More of Jennifer's books…
Quotes by Jennifer Donnelly  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Together in our house, in the firelight, we are the world made small.”
Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution

“Right now I want a word that describes the feeling that you get--a cold sick feeling, deep down inside--when you know something is happening that will change you, and you don't want it to, but you can't stop it. And you know, for the first time, for the very first time, that there will now be a before and an after, a was and a will be. And that you will never again quite be the same person you were.”
Jennifer Donnelly, A Northern Light

“Life’s all about the revolution, isn’t it? The one inside, I mean. You can’t change history. You can’t change the world. All you can ever change is yourself.”
Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution

Polls

Which of the following Young Adult books should Nothing but Reading Challenges read in October? Please help us choose.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Synopsis:
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.
 
  23 votes 23.7%

Unwind (Unwind, #1) by Neal Shusterman
Unwind by Neal Shusterman (1st in series)
Synopsis:
Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.
 
  21 votes 21.6%

Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles, #1) by Gena Showalter
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Synopsis:
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.
 
  19 votes 19.6%

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Synopsis:
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.
 
  17 votes 17.5%

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis
The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis
Synopsis:
Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

Award-winning author Antonia Michaelis moves in a bold new direction with her latest novel: a dark, haunting, contemporary story that is part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama.
 
  9 votes 9.3%

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin
The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin
Synopsis:
One summer chasing tornadoes could finally change Jane's life for the better

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister can't quite admit her mother's alcoholism is spiraling dangerously out of control until she drives drunk, nearly killing them and Jane's best friend.

Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother. But she struggles with her anger at Ethan for leaving home and feels guilty--is she also abandoning her mom just when she needs Jane most? The carefree trip turned journey of self-discovery quickly becomes more than Jane bargained for, especially when the devilishly handsome Max steps into the picture.
 
  8 votes 8.2%

97 total votes
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