Cindy Pham is a queer Vietnamese-American author of fantasy books. Based in New York City, she works as a full-time designer while moonlighting as a fiction writer and content creator. Her YouTube channel, Read With Cindy, has amassed over half a million subscribers and focuses on books, movie reactions, and candid commentary. The Secret World of Briar Rose is her debut novel.

Praise for The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham:

A 2026 Publishers Weekly Summer Reads Best Books List

★ "The emotional depth of the characters adds many layers to the search for identity, overcoming grief, and finding belonging; the book shows how hope, love, and redemption can exist in this darkness." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Somberly beautiful." --Kirkus Reviews

"Intersectionally diverse, emotionally complex characters navigate a hope-fueled, twist-riddled plot in this empathetic exploration of identity, grief, forgiveness, and mental health." --Publisher's Weekly

Publisher: Kokila

Pub date: 2026-06-02

Length: 400 pages