Jessica Arden Photography

J. J. (Jennifer) Johnson is a youth counselor turned young adult novelist.

J. J. grew up in Norwich, a small town in central New York State, where she raced BMX bikes, danced ballet, worried too much, read a lot, and went into treatment for an eating disorder. 

J. J. graduated from Binghamton University in 1996. In 2001, she earned a summa cum laude Master of Education from Harvard University, with a concentration in Adolescent Risk and Prevention.

Before writing novels, J. J. counseled at-risk teens and coordinated youth service programs such as The Learning Web, Justice Summer, and Youth Advocacy.

She is the author of This Girl is Different (2011), The Theory of Everything (2012), and Believarexic (October 2015). Her books have received numerous honors and have been translated into six languages.

She lives with her husband, son, and dog in Durham, North Carolina.

J. J. loves echidnas, dance parties, and Star Wars.