Arvin Ahmadi grew up outside Washington, DC. He graduated from Columbia University and has worked in the tech industry. When he's not reading or writing books, he can be found watching late-night talk show interviews and editing Wikipedia pages. Down and Across is his first novel, followed by Girl Gone Viral.

Exclusive paperback content: We're working with the author on exclusive new content for this edition, so more to come when we have the details ready.

Critically acclaimed debut: Down and Across garnered overwhelming accolades, including multiple starred reviews, praise from major media like USA Today, The Washington Post, and Entertainment Weekly, and love from authors as varied as Khaled Hosseini and Adam Silvera. With its more commercial story, Girl Gone Viral is the perfect opportunity to take Arvin's career to the next level.

Grounded science fiction: With his experience working in the tech industry, Arvin brings depth and nuance to the issues his tech-obsessed protagonists face. And the angst of competitive, high-achieving teens, so authentically captured in Down and Across, is similarly present at Opal's prestigious Palo Alto Academy of Science and Technology.

Completely convincing future world: Much like Her or Black Mirror, Girl Gone Viral creates a near-future world that seems like it could actually happen. There are no silver jumpsuits or dystopian regimes; rather, it's a believable extension of where technology could take us in our living memory. (In fact, [an older] Jimmy Fallon is still on late night in the book!)

High-stakes mystery: Opal's relentless search for answers about her father's disappearance brings her into the depths of a megalithic corporation with hints of Dave Eggers's The Circle…or where our own tech giants could be a couple decades from now.

All-too-timely subject: When Opal is thrust, Mark Zuckerberg-like, into the spotlight, she finds herself in the middle of a national debate about data, privacy, and the frightening implications of our information getting into the wrong hands.

Dream author: Arvin is everything we dream of in an author: gracious, professional, great at public speaking, hardworking, cooperative, and an effortless connector! We have another book signed up with Arvin for Fall 2020, so we're excited to continue building him as a Penguin house author. And don't miss his Twitter feud with [...]