Emily M. Danforth Books in Order

How to Read Emily M. Danforth's Books

Emily M. Danforth is an acclaimed American author who writes deeply immersive novels centering on queer identity, atmospheric settings, and complex characters. Because she currently focuses on standalone novels rather than sprawling series, her bibliography is incredibly accessible. You do not need to worry about complex chronological timelines or reading order dependencies. Instead, you can choose where to begin based entirely on the genre, age group, and tone you are in the mood for.

Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start?

Since Danforth's published works are standalone novels that differ significantly in tone and target audience, here is how to decide which book to pick up first:

• Start with The Miseducation of Cameron Post if: You want a realistic, character-driven, and emotionally raw Young Adult (YA) coming-of-age story. Set in the 1990s, it focuses on themes of grief, self-discovery, and survival, making it a modern classic of queer youth literature.
• Start with Plain Bad Heroines if: You prefer adult fiction, gothic horror, meta-storytelling, dark comedy, and highly stylized narratives. It features a dual-timeline mystery, creepy boarding school vibes, and interactive storytelling complete with illustrations and witty footnotes.

Emily M. Danforth Books in Publication Order

If you prefer to read an author's works in the order they were written to witness their growth and evolution as a storyteller, you can follow her publication order. Her upcoming third novel is also included here:

1. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2012)
2. Plain Bad Heroines (2020)
3. The Afterdrop (Forthcoming, expected October 2026)

Deep Dive: Emily M. Danforth's Standalone Novels

1. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2012)

Set in rural Montana during the early 1990s, Danforth's debut novel is a powerful coming-of-age story. The narrative follows Cameron Post, a teenage girl who feels a mix of relief and intense guilt when her parents die in a car crash—just after Cameron realizes she is gay. Taken in by her conservative aunt, Cameron tries to blend in, but eventually, her relationship with a female friend is discovered. She is sent to Promise Christian Promise, a gay conversion therapy camp designed to "cure" her.

The novel is highly praised for its authentic portrayal of a young queer woman finding her voice and resilience in the face of institutionalized prejudice. It won the Montana Book Award and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. It was also adapted into an award-winning feature film in 2018.

2. Plain Bad Heroines (2020)

With her sophomore effort, Danforth transitioned to adult fiction, delivering a thick, illustrated, sapphic gothic comedy-horror novel. The story is structured around two distinct timelines that mirror and influence one another:

• The 1902 Timeline: Set at the Brookhants School for Girls in Rhode Island, where two students become obsessed with a notorious book by Mary MacLane. After meeting tragic and mysterious deaths in the nearby woods, the school is cursed, leading to further tragedies and its eventual closure.
• The Modern-Day Timeline: Over a century later, a film crew arrives at the abandoned, decaying Brookhants estate to shoot a movie adaptation of the school's tragic history. As filming begins, the past begins to bleed into the present, and the cast and crew find themselves caught up in the estate's very real curse.

The novel features illustrations by artist Sara Lautman and uses an omniscient, highly interactive narrator who frequently addresses the reader via footnotes. It is a celebration of gothic tropes, queer romance, and metafiction.

3. The Afterdrop (Forthcoming, October 2026)

Danforth's highly anticipated third novel, scheduled for release in October 2026 under the Borough Press imprint of HarperCollins, marks another shift in genre. Conceived under the working title The Winter Swimmers, this upcoming book is a psychological thriller. Danforth has described it as a dark, suspenseful tale blending elements of The Woman in the Window and The Talented Mr. Ripley. The title refers to the physiological phenomenon of "afterdrop," where a person's core body temperature continues to drop even after leaving freezing water, hinting at a chilly, tense, and deeply atmospheric plot.

What to Know Before You Start

To get the most out of Emily M. Danforth's books, keep these practical reading tips in mind:

• Content Warnings: The Miseducation of Cameron Post deals heavily with conversion therapy, emotional manipulation, homophobia, and grief. While it contains moments of profound queer joy and friendship, it can be emotionally heavy. Plain Bad Heroines contains gothic horror elements, bugs (specifically yellowjackets), and creepy deaths, though it maintains a campy, comedic undercurrent.
• Format Preferences: For Plain Bad Heroines, it is highly recommended to read the physical hardcover, paperback, or an ebook edition that fully supports graphics. The illustrations by Sara Lautman and the extensive, humorous footnotes are a core part of the reading experience and do not translate as smoothly to standard audiobook formats.
• Standalone Nature: There are no narrative connections between her books. You can read them completely independently of one another.