Stephanie Garber
Stephanie Garber is an American young adult fantasy author whose work blends romance, fairy-tale atmosphere, and high-stakes magic. She is best known for the Caraval trilogy and the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, both bestselling franchises that helped make her a prominent voice in contemporary YA fantasy.
Biography & Author's Journey
Stephanie Garber grew up in Northern California, and that early imaginative life would later become central to her public identity as a fantasist. She studied communications at Sonoma State University and went on to work in higher education, first as a resident director and later as a creative-writing instructor. Though she had long wanted to write, she initially chose steadier professional paths while composing fiction in her spare time. The decisive turn came when she committed more fully to the page, endured roughly 200 rejections from agents and editors, and eventually moved back in with her parents to give the work more room. Caraval, published in January 2017, emerged from that stretch of persistence and quickly became a breakout debut, landing at No. 2 on the New York Times young adult hardcover list.
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Community Voices
"With Caraval, Stephanie Garber spins a spellbinding tale of sisterhood, love and betrayal"
— Sabaa Tahir
"Debut author Stephanie Garber weaves a suspenseful mystery"
— BookPage
"Once Upon a Broken Heart confirms that Stephanie Garber is the queen of fairy tales"
— Mary E. Pearson
"Enchanting and mysterious, Stephanie Garber's Caraval is a story rich with sumptuous detail, beautifully written"
— Renée Ahdieh
"Garber enchants readers with exquisitely imagined worldbuilding and her trademark heady romance"
— Publishers Weekly
"It's hard not to be enchanted by any tale Stephanie Garber chooses to write, with her masterful storytelling"
— Stacey Lee
"Garber creates a world brimming with energy, mystery, surprises, backstabbing, and even some unforeseen romance"
— USA Today
"The lush worldbuilding Garber is known for is on full display here"
— School Library Journal
"Once Upon A Broken Heart is an unputdownable fairy tale where Garber's imagination sparkles like the magnificent North"
— Kerri Maniscalco
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
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"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."
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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. 🙌"
"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"
