Matson garnered similar critical acclaim with her second novel under the Matson name, Second Chance Summer, inspired by Matson's summers in the Pocono Mountains, which won the California Book Award and was also a Junior Library Guild Selection, and a 2012 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. The first of those, 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour', published in 2010, was named an ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Readers, shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize, and was designated as a Publishers Weekly 'Flying Start' Book. Matson has been most notable with her novels written under the name Morgan Matson. In her novels written under the pseudonym Katie Finn, the story is much more plot driven whereas the novels written under the name Morgan Matson deal a lot more with a character discovering something about themselves. Matson has described the difference in author names coming down to the different styles of the novels. However, Matson's second novel, 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour', was published in 2010 under the name Morgan Matson.

Matson's first novel, 'Top 8', was published in 2008 under the name Katie Finn, inspired by her middle name. Matson moved back to California where she attended the University of Southern California and acquired another degree, this one in Screenwriting. It was at The New School that Matson met fellow authors, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. įollowing college graduation, Matson moved back to New York to attend The New School where she received her M.F.A. Halfway through Matson's degree in theatre she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and decided to add English as a double major.

The move from the east coast to the west coast would later inspire her second novel (her first under the Matson name), 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour'. Īfter graduating from high school, Matson attended Occidental College in Los Angeles as a theatre major. She has one brother, Jason Matson, who is a lawyer. Morgan Matson was born in New York City on September 19 and grew up in both New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. Morgan Catherine Matson (born September 19), also known under her pseudonym Katie Finn, is a New York Times bestselling American novelist.

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