Ashley Woodfolk is an American writer. She is the author of the young adult books ''The Beauty That Remains'' (2018) and ''When You Were Everything'' (2020).
Career
Working full-time in marketing for a children's book publisher, Woodfolk wrote her first published book, ''The Beauty That Remains'', on the weekends and in the evenings.
The book centers on three teenagers who "find courage and comfort in the aftermath of a tragic loss."
It was released on March 6, 2018 and published by
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House.
On April 2, 2020, Bertelsmann announced the completion of its purchase ...
. She used her own issues with anxiety and experiencing using music as a therapeutic tool to inform the events of the book.
The book received positive critical reception. In a starred review, ''
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
'' wrote, "In her debut, Woodfolk has written a lovely and introspective coming-of-age novel that fully captures the way friendship, music, family, and romance dovetail to create a young person’s identity."
Woodfolk's second YA book, ''When You Were Everything'', was released on March 10, 2020 by
Delacorte. It focuses on the dissolution of a friendship. ''When You Were Everything'' received a starred review from ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''. In a review by
''Kirkus'', it was described: "...Woodfolk's novel seamlessly interweaves alternating timelines while making Shakespeare relevant to teens. The author skillfully voices the pain of unexpectedly losing a close friend and explores the choice to remain open despite the risk of future heartache."
She released the first installment in the ''Flyy Girls'' series on September 1, 2020, called ''Lux: The New Girl''.
Alongside
Dhonielle Clayton,
Tiffany D. Jackson,
Nic Stone
Andrea Nicole Livingstone (born July 10, 1985), known as Nic Stone, is an American author of young adult fiction and middle grade fiction, best known for her debut novel ''Dear Martin'' and her middle grade debut, ''Clean Getaway''. Her novels ...
,
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas (born September 20, 1988) is an American young adult author, best known for writing '' The Hate U Give'' (2017). Her second young adult novel, ''On the Come Up'', was released on February 25, 2019.
Early life
Angie Thomas was born ...
, and
Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon is a Jamaican-American author. She is best known for writing the 2015 young adult novel '' Everything, Everything'', a ''New York Times'' best seller and the basis of a 2017 film of the same name. In 2016, she released '' The Sun Is ...
, Woodfolk authored ''
Blackout''. The book, set to release in June 2021, follows six interlinked stories about Black teen love during a power outage in New York City.
Personal life
Woodfolk is married. She has one son (b. 2019).
She received her bachelor's degree from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
.
Works
* ''The Beauty That Remains,'' 2018, United States, Penguin Random House , 6 March 2018
* ''When You Were Everything,'' 2020, United States, Delacorte , 10 March 2020
* ''Lux: The New Girl'', 2020, United States, Penguin , 1 September 2020
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodfolk, Ashley
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Rutgers University alumni
Women writers of young adult literature
21st-century American women writers
African-American women writers
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American writers