Brittney Morris Books in Order

Brittney Morris grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, in a place she has described as quiet and a little out of the way. As a kid, she loved puzzles, video games, and making things up on the page. That mix, logic, play, and story, still shows up all through her work.

Writing clicked early.

In fourth grade, a journal assignment pushed her toward fiction. Instead of writing straight from life, she invented a story about princess sisters from rival kingdoms. Her teacher read it aloud to the class, and Morris has said that moment made something feel clear. She wanted to keep writing, and she wanted to keep sharing stories with other people.

She went on to Boston University, where she studied economics. It was a practical choice, but writing never really left the picture. At BU she founded the Creative Writing Club and later served as its president, building a space for workshops, scene swaps, and feedback while she figured out what kind of writer she wanted to be.

After graduating in 2013, she worked corporate jobs and kept writing on the side. Then Black Panther gave her the spark that changed everything. Morris has talked about that opening-night theater experience as the push behind SLAY. She wanted to capture that feeling of belonging and possibility in a story readers could return to. Since she was not about to build a whole video game, she wrote a novel about one instead. She drafted SLAY in a rush of energy, finishing a first version in just 11 days.

That sense of movement became part of her style. SLAY, her 2019 debut, follows Kiera Johnson, a teen who secretly created an online game for Black players around the world. Readers tend to connect with the way Morris blends action, internet culture, and questions about identity without losing sight of character. The book made it clear that she was interested in smart young people using tech, creativity, and community to make space for themselves.

She widened that approach in The Cost of Knowing. The novel gives Alex Rufus the ability to see the future with a touch, but the real weight of the story comes from grief, anxiety, family, and the fear of knowing what you cannot fix. Then The Jump turned toward a fast-moving ensemble story, following four Seattle teens trying to save their neighborhood through puzzles, nerve, and teamwork.

She also writes in established worlds. Marvel’s Spider-Man lets her work with Miles Morales, a character who fits naturally with her interest in young people growing into power. Life is Strange does something similar, mixing road-trip emotion with bigger social stakes. And in This Book Might Be About Zinnia, she returns to an original YA story about adoption, family secrets, and the stories people tell about themselves.

She moves easily between books, comics, and video games.

Today Morris lives in Philadelphia. She writes across all those forms, has spoken to students around the country about storytelling, and also teaches yoga. Whatever the format, the through line is pretty easy to spot. She likes stories with heart, momentum, and young characters trying to figure out who they are while the world keeps pushing back.