Q&A: Jennifer Niven, Author of ‘When We Were Monsters’

We chat with author Jennifer Niven about When We Were Monsters, which is a dark academia thriller about the monsters who walk among us—even in the glittering upper echelons of society.

Hi, Jennifer! Welcome back! How have the past four years been since we last spoke?

It’s so lovely to be back! The past four years have been busy, challenging, joyful, and fulfilling. For much of those four years, I’ve been writing two books at the same time, and now one is coming out September 2 and the other publishes on January 6!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My mom was also a writer, and it was because of her that I fell in love with books. One of the earliest books I remember her reading aloud was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I adored Alice. We were very close to the same age. She seemed to love cats like I did, and she only wore dresses, like I did. She also had an enormous imagination, which was something my parents always encouraged in me. They taught me that I could be or do anything, that I was limitless. My mom always said there are enough people in this world who will tell you no. Don’t be one of them. So in my mind, I could go anywhere and be anything, just like Alice. As I said, my mom was a writer, and from the moment I could pick up a crayon, we had writing time in my childhood routine. She taught me to find the story in everything and she showed me that I could go to Wonderland too.

Your latest novel, When We Were Monsters, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Nothing is what it seems.

What can readers expect?

One early reader said her jaw was clenched the entire time she read. It’s a dark academia psychological thriller about a group of students at a New England boarding school who are chosen for an exclusive storytelling workshop with Meredith Graffam, a renowned writer, director, and actress. For sixteen days, they will live in the isolated estate of the school’s founder, surrounded by snowy woods and a storm-tossed sea. And everything goes horribly wrong… It’s One of Us is Lying meets The Secret History. Or— as my editor describes it— it’s Dead Poet’s Society if Robin Williams had been a psychopath.

Where did the inspiration for When We Were Monsters come from?

Ideas for stories come from the most unexpected places. When I was in college, the chair of the English department—who was also my advisor— accused me of plagiarism. Ultimately, I was declared innocent by the dean and the university, and she was ordered to apologize for the false accusation. She never forgave me.

Flash forward to two years ago when I was trying to decide what to write next. My eyes fell upon a book on my shelf—Lois Duncan’s Killing Mr. Griffin. I picked it up. Reread passages. And, like that, I heard the first two lines of the book-to-be…

The day before we kill Meredith Graffam is calm and blue. Like Massachusetts in summer after rain.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

My first version of the scene where Graffam dies (not a spoiler—as I mention above, it’s the first line of the novel!) was much “safer.” But when I gave it my editor she said, “Make it more murdery!” I was thrilled! I returned to the manuscript and went for it, and it was so much fun to write! I think I needed that permission from her to really break from my other young adult books and have the freedom to follow this new story and these new characters where they wanted to go. For me, that felt significant because as a writer I want to write all sorts of stories and genres, not just the same one over and over.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Since I was a teen, I’ve loved Lois Duncan and Shirley Jackson. They pulled back the curtain on humanity and revealed what lurked in the shadows. They kept me in a constant state of chilled, delicious unease. How quickly I learned that reading dark academia and mysteries and thrillers hadn’t prepared me for actually writing one of my own. The finished book is a genuine labor of love. A novel that spanned years and went through numerous iterations. (At one point, Mary Shelley was a character!) I struggled. Oh, how I struggled! Again and again, I wanted to give up and write something else. At some point I lost sight of why I’d ever wanted to write it in the first place.

Finally, it took going back to my bookshelf and revisiting Lois Duncan and Shirley Jackson to remind myself what it was I have always loved about them and what I continue to love about them. The surprise. The simultaneous dark and light of human nature. The complexity of people. And, yes, the crumbling old mansions. Dark woods. Murder. Madness. The spine-tingling need to look over my shoulder while reading. And once I reminded myself of all those things, I sat down and wrote the book as I saw it in my mind and in my heart.

This is your first foray into the thriller genre! Was your planning or approach different at all than your previous novels?

Every book wants to be written differently. Each time I sit down to write a new story, I have to figure out how that book needs to be approached. With past YA novels, I always get to know my characters before I start writing because they inform the story. I’m part plotter, part pantser, but because When We Were Monsters is more plot-driven than some of my others, I had to map out the beats of the story before I dove in.

What’s next for you?

My first adult novel in ten years is coming out January 6, 2026. It was such a joy to write! It’s called Meet the Newmans, about America’s favorite TV family back in 1964, who are an utter mess behind the scenes and whose perfect façade starts to crack. It’s about the dual lives we lead, about how we all have a behind-the-scenes.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I loved The Wedding People, Black Cake, Wild Dark Shore, The God of the Woods, Yellowface, and Judy Blume’s Wifey, which I just read for the first time. I’m looking forward to Good Dirt, Kosoko Jackson’s The Macabre, and If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant For You.

Will you be picking up When We Were Monsters? Tell us in the comments below!