Gayle Forman
Born: June 05, 1970 – Los Angeles, California, United States
Gayle Forman is an American novelist and journalist who writes young adult and contemporary fiction that often explores love, loss, identity, and family. She is best known for the New York Times bestselling If I Stay and its sequel Where She Went; If I Stay was adapted into a 2014 film, broadening her audience.
Biography & Author's Journey
Gayle Forman emerged as a writer through a path that was less linear than it later appeared. Raised in Los Angeles, she was an early storyteller but did not move directly into a settled literary career. At the University of Oregon, where she initially planned to pursue science, a journalism class became the decisive turning point: it united her interest in people, writing, and travel, and gave her a professional direction. That sense of an unconventional timetable stayed with her; on her own site, she has emphasized that she wrote professionally after college and did not begin writing novels until her mid-thirties. ((https://www.gayleforman.com/faq))
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Community Voices
"Gayle Forman has an uncanny ability to create characters in which we see ourselves"
— Jodi Picoult
"After Life proves once again that Gayle Forman is a master of both high concept and character"
— David Arnold
"Whatever the age of her characters, Gayle Forman is a compassionate, gifted observer of women's lives"
— Gabrielle Zevin
"Gayle Forman reigns as the queen of breaking hearts with a touch of magic"
— Adam Silvera
"No one writes about love like Gayle Forman"
— E. Lockhart
"Gayle Forman depicts the lives orbiting a tragedy with generosity, humor, and great humanity"
— Nina LaCour
"I remember reading my first Gayle Forman book and how it felt like I was holding magic in my hands"
— Rachael Lippincott
"Gayle Forman is known for her dreamy but hard-hitting young adult novels, including the best-selling If I Stay"
— Family Circle
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
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