Neal Shusterman was born on November 12, 1962, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He uses his knowledge of this area to add depth and authenticity to the world of Everlost and to describe Nick’s and Allie’s adventures in the Big Apple. Shusterman is now a New York Times best-selling author of over 30 novels with audiences ranging from children to teens and adults. He published his first novel in 1989, but his most celebrated novel is Unwind (2007), which has been adopted into the Language Arts curricula of many schools and has won over 30 national and international awards. For example, Challenger Deep won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. In 2017, Scythe won the 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor book and is currently being adapted into a film, as are several other novels. Shusterman currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida.

Shusterman does not limit himself to just writing novels. He has also created numerous party games, directed films, composed music, and written stage plays. Shusterman’s expansive creativity stems from his degrees in psychology and theatre, and he uses his skills as an engaging public speaker at schools and conferences.