Janet McDonald was born in New York City and grew up in a public housing project in Brooklyn, a place that has inspired many of the characters in her books. She holds degrees from Vassar, NYU and Columbia University. She is one of the few black members of Mensa and practises law in Paris.

“Returning to territory first explored in Spellbound, McDonald … uses a third-person narration to create Aisha's authentic voice.” Publishers Weekly“Well-drawn secondary characters move the story along. The language is real and believable and invokes life in an urban setting.” School Library Journal“It's the truth of the characters and their talk and the energy of the neighborhood that will grab readers from everywhere. There's no romanticism, just a sense of a strong, young black woman … who screws up big time but finds self-respect with friends and family where she lives.” Booklist star review“The novel is highly readable and rife with intimate, naturalistic glimpses of project life.” Horn Book