Neal Shusterman (born November 12, 1962) is an American writer of young-adult fiction. He has won numerous awards for his books, including the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book Challenger Deep, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the 2008 California Young Reader Medal for The Schwa Was Here. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Shusterman read passionately from a young age. He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he double-majored in psychology and theater. After college, Shusterman worked as an assistant at Irvin Arthur Associates, a talent agency in Los Angeles, where Lloyd Segan became his agent. Within a year, Shusterman had his first book deal, and a screenwriting job. He currently lives in Florida.