Medina native Julie Berry’s YA romance novel tops best of the year lists
Press Release, Julie Berry Books
Julie Berry’s book, Lovely War, has been critically acclaimed.
Author Julie Berry, a 1991 Medina graduate, has topped several best of the year lists for 2019 with her young adult/adult crossover novel, Lovely War.
The novel, a dual love story set during World War I, as told by Greek gods from the vantage point of World War II, was named a New York Public Library Best Fantasy for Adults, a Kirkus Best YA Romance of 2019, a Horn Book Fanfare Title for 2019, a BookPage Best Young Adult Book of 2019 (ranking third out of ten books), a Shelf Awareness 2019 Best Children’s & Teen Book of the Year, a 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist, and a Texas Library Association TAYSHAS Top Ten Book.
The novel, released from Viking Books for Young Readers, also won the 2019 Young Adult Prize given by the Southern California Independent Booksellers’ Association.
Berry visited her hometown on Oct. 30 for a book-signing and discussion at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.
At the time of its March 2019 release, Lovely War received glowing reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Cosmopolitan. The New York Times Book Review called Lovely War a “virtuoso” achievement, saying it “reads like a divine mix of Kate Atkinson and Neil Gaiman.”
The Washington Post called it “the novel you’ll want to steal from your teen’s nightstand.” BookPage praised “Julie Berry’s superb research and attention to detail” as “perfectly suited to the layers of this moving, unflinching and, yes, romantic story of love in wartime.”
Barnes and Noble called it “a story of love, healing, and meddling gods you won’t want to miss.” Lovely War also received seven starred reviews from industry journals including Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Booklist, The Horn Book, and Shelf Awareness.
Photo by Travis Tanner of Julie Berry
Berry is also the author of the award-winning young adult title, The Passion of Dolssa. The critically acclaimed novel won a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor award from the American Library Association, was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book prize, a New York Times Notable title, and was on Best of the Year lists with Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and others.
Berry is also the author of All the Truth That’s In Me and The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, both award-winning titles for young people. This year, she released her first picture books including Long Ago, on a Silent Night, illustrated by Annie Won and published by Scholastic, and Happy Right Now, illustrated by #1 New York Times Bestselling illustrator Holly Hatam, and published by Sounds True.
Julie Berry grew up in Medina and spent most of her adult life in the Boston area before moving to Pasadena, California with her family.
She holds a BS from Rensselaer in communication and an MFA from Vermont College of the Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. For more information, visit www.julieberrybooks.com.
