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Kacen Callender is an American bestselling and award-winning author of young adult fantasy novels, as well as adult and children's books with LGBTQ themes.

A native of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Kacen is best known for writing the National Book Award-winning King of the Dragonflies (2020) and the bestselling standalone Felix Ever After (2020), with the former also clinching the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's/Middle Grade.

The holder of a bachelor's degree in Japanese and Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a MFA from The New School's Writing for Children program, Kacen worked as an editor at Little, Brown prior to becoming an author.

The author made their debut as a novelist in 2018 with Hurricane Child, which won the Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award.

Kacen, who lives in Los Angeles, California, enjoys playing RPG video games, practicing their art, and focusing on healing and growth whenever she isn't working.

More about Kacen Callender

Genres: Children's Book, Gay and Lesbian, Romance, Young Adult

United States

Website: https://www.kacencallender.com/

Non Series

  • Hurricane Child (2018)
  • This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story (2018)
  • King of the Dragonflies (2020)
  • Felix Ever After (2020)
  • Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution (2022)
  • Moonflower (2022)

Islands of Blood and Storm

  1. Queen of the Conquered (2019)
  2. King of the Rising (2020)

Detailed book overview

Non Series

Hurricane Child

Being born during a hurricane is considered unlucky where twelve-year-old Caroline Murphy lives, and she has had her share of bad luck lately. She’s hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. A spirit only she can see won’t stop following her. And—worst of all—Caroline’s mother left home one day and never came back.

But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline’s luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline’s first and only friend—and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush. 

Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline’s missing mother—before Caroline loses her forever.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2018
ISBN: 978-1338129311
Publisher: Scholastic Press
This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story

Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings. Although he’s the ultimate film buff and an aspiring screenwriter, Nate’s seen the demise of too many relationships to believe that happy endings exist in real life.

Playing it safe to avoid a broken heart has been his MO ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel—but this strategy is not without fault. His best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again, Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a twist that is rom-com-worthy, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend.

After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after?

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2018
ISBN: 978-0062820235
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
King of the Dragonflies

In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself.

Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"

But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-1338129342
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Felix Ever After

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle....

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-0062820266
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution

Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark's Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark's tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond. 

To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark's social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them . . .

In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2022
Ebook: B09S6F51ZV
Publisher: Amulet Books
Moonflower

Moon’s depression is overwhelming. Therapy doesn’t help, and Moon is afraid that their mom hates them because they’re sad. Moon’s only escape is traveling to the spirit realms every night, where they hope they’ll never return to the world of the living again.

The spirit realm is where they have their one and only friend, Wolf, and where they’re excited to experience an infinite number of adventures. But when the realm is threatened, it’s up to Moon to save the spirit world.

With the help of celestial beings and guard­ians, Moon battles monsters and shadows, and through their journey, they begin to learn that a magical adventure of love and acceptance awaits them in the world of the living, too.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2022
Ebook: B09GF53GYD
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Islands of Blood and Storm

Queen of the Conquered

On the islands of Hans Lollik, Sigourney Rose was the only survivor when her family was massacred by the colonizers. When the childless king of the islands declares he will choose his successor from amongst eligible noble families, Sigourney is ready to exact her revenge.

But someone is killing off the ruling families to clear a path to the throne. And as the bodies pile up and all eyes regard her with suspicion, Sigourney must find allies among her prey and the murderer among her peers... lest she become the next victim.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2019
ISBN: 978-0316454933
Publisher: Orbit
King of the Rising

A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever.

But the rebels are running out of food, weapons, and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor -- or doom it to failure.

Author: Kacen Callender
First Release: 2020
ISBN: 978-0316454940
Publisher: Orbit