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YA Author
Rebecca Hicken is a YA author of character-driven soft sci-fi. She's pursuing her MFA in creative writing while teaching English and history to middle schoolers. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she continues to live there, sheltered among the trees with her husband and children.
A lifelong observer of human nature (she kept a thought journal through her teen years), she now seeks to explore the complex problems of today while writing emotionally resonant stories set in the near-future of faraway lands. She believes the heart of any good story is centered on relationships. Her stories explore themes of self-identity, tangled romance, and moral dilemmas, all set amidst the backdrop of political change.
Feel like going on an emotional journey? Open one of her books, but remember to get a good night's sleep first, because you'll end up turning pages well into the night.
Books of my formative years
I remember waiting until the other Rebeccas in my class grabbed their supplies because I didn't know how to read "Becky", my assigned nickname, during second grade. It wasn't until the next year, when I stayed in from recess for a remedial reading class, that the world of books was opened to me. Here's a list of books that became my window to the world.
Babysitters club
The first books I ever read independenty. I dreamed of starting my own babysitting club.
Sweet Valley Twins
The compelling duo of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield taught me that different personalities held different strengths worthy of being loved.
Sweet Valley High
Yes, all of them. And the historical family saga, and the college years.
The Nancy Drew Files
An empowered teenage girl with a mission who always finds success. Yes, please.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
My heart ached after reading an excerpt of this book in class. I checked it out from the school library and sunk into the story.
Roots
I dare anybody to finish this series an unchanged person.
Jane Eyre
This may still be my favorite book of all time. I will defend Jane's quiet strength to the end of days.
The Three Musketeers
I wrote about what this book meant to me for my MFA application that you can read here. In short, it was everything.
Christopher Pike
i didn't love these books. I'd simply read all the other MG/YA titles I could find, but I learned to appreciate what appealed to others.
Gone With the Wind
Three times in one year. I was obsessed with understanding Scarlett O'Hara. Although, during my last attempt, I struggled with the slavery portrayal.
Homecoming
The Tillerman Cycle wrecked me and rebuilt me.
Jackaroo
I would live forever in this world created by Cynthia Voigt.
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
i still struggle to understand what about this book speaks to my soul on such a deep level.
The Secret Garden
I think half of this book went over my head but the setting and characters mesmerized me.
John Grisham
His early works were what propelled me into grown up books.
War and Peace
The book that ended my reading for decades. Never try to prove you're an elevated reader just because someone scoffs at your reading choices.