Children’s#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei |
2024 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| What Now |
2013 |
Buy |
Picture#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Patch |
2006 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Nothing But the Truth |
2006 |
Buy |
| Girl Overboard |
2008 |
Buy |
| North of Beautiful |
2009 |
Buy |
| Return to Me |
2013 |
Buy |
| A Blind Spot for Boys |
2014 |
Buy |
| Lovely, Dark, and Deep |
2018 |
Buy |
Justina Chen is a Taiwanese-American author who writes young adult fiction about identity, beauty, and belonging. Born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Stanford University and worked in marketing at Microsoft before turning to writing full time. Her debut novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), won the 2007 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.
Chen’s YA novels often center on biracial or Asian-American teen girls working through questions of self-image and cultural identity. North of Beautiful, her best-known book, follows a girl with a facial birthmark who travels to China and rethinks what beauty means. Girl Overboard takes its protagonist to the slopes of China’s backcountry, while A Blind Spot for Boys is set against the backdrop of Machu Picchu.
Beyond her YA work, Chen has written the picture book The Patch, the children’s book With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei about international adoption, and the non-fiction title What Now. She also co-founded Readergirlz, a literacy project for teen girls that won a National Book Foundation award.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Justina Chen written?
Justina Chen has written 9 books across 4 series.
What was Justina Chen's first book?
Justina Chen’s first book is Nothing But the Truth, published in 2006.
What is Justina Chen's most popular book?
North of Beautiful (2009) is Justina Chen’s most acclaimed novel. It won Kirkus Book of the Year and Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, and was a finalist for nine state book awards.