I’m excited to share the cover art of my debut middle-grade verse novel, Forever Fries, illustrated by the award-winning illustrator and comics creator Jenn Woodall!

It’s coming from Orca Book Publishers on March 16, 2027, and I can’t wait. This book has been a work of love for many years. It’s loosely based on personal and family experiences, although it’s firmly fiction, and it proudly features a protagonist who shares my identity elements. Here’s a blurb:

How can one bite matter so much?

It feels impossible for thirteen-year-old Marley to cross the street and meet her crush, Chloe, at Forever Fries. Not because she’s nervous about the date (although she is), but because fries are on Marley’s No-Eat list. But she made a promise to her eating-disorder therapist to try this forbidden food in a safe situation…with Chloe. As Marley builds up the courage to enter Forever Fries, she is haunted by the memories that shaped her relationship with food. Marley knows she can heal, and maybe today, she can eat one fry.

This middle-grade novel told in verse is a powerful exploration of disordered eating recovery.

I’m honoured by these advanced reviews of my book:

“Forever Fries sculpts its own unique space in the novel-in-verse universe. With great empathy and understanding of her subject matter, Karen Krossing portrays Marley’s struggle with disordered eating and body image in a kid-friendly, accessible manner. The playful structure of the narrative, the variety of poetry styles and the well-drawn, authentic characters invite the reader to immerse themselves in Marley’s challenges as well as her joys.”
Cordelia Jensen, author of Lilac and the Switchback

“Forever Fries is a deeply empathetic portrayal of Marley, who faces her eating disorder with bravery and hope.”
Laura Shovan, author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

Available for Pre-order Now