Rob Thomas’ books reviewed
Not to be confused with the famous musician of the same name, Rob Thomas came to fame on the back of his Veronica Mars series.
These young adult novels were turned into a TV series, which still has fans to this day. But Thomas is so much more than the Veronica Mars books. He’s a talented author who’s written several bestsellers in addition to plays like Drive Me Crazy.
Let’s take a look at his life and work so you can see which Rob Thomas books you need to read.
About Rob Thomas
Born in Sunnyside, Wisconsin, Robert James Thomas grew up in his home state before moving to Austin, Texas, to study at university.
While at the University of Texas-Austin, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in history. However, it wasn’t until nine years after his 1987 graduation that he published his first novel, Rats Saw God.
The success of that book spurred Thomas to write more. Several standalone novels followed before the turn of the millennium. But it wasn’t until 2004, once he’d started working in TV, that he became the co-creator of his most famous character, Veronica Mars.
Serving as the executive producer on the television series Veronica Mars, he forged a career in television that saw him take similar roles for shows like iZombie and Cupid.
But it’s the work he did on his most famous and long-running show that earned the American author the most acclaim. Nominations for awards followed, including a 2006 nod for the Writers Guide of America’s WCG Award for best episodic drama.
But despite all of his TV success, the itch to write a book series still existed. According to Goodreads, Thomas released the first in the Veronica Mars series, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, in 2014. Since then, he’s split his time between his TV work and writing.
A review of the best Rob Thomas books
If you’re thinking of becoming a member of the Rob Thomas book club, there are a few great places to start. Here are all of his books, including his 1990s classics and his new releases.
Rats Saw God
Thomas’s first published book follows a young man named Steve. A sophomore in high school, Steve has the world at his feet. He has a beautiful girlfriend and even a strange father figure calling himself “The Astronaut.”
But by the time he reaches his senior year, Steve is a burned-out junkie whose good behavior of the past is a distant memory. This book charts that journey, in addition to Steve’s redemption, as he finds his calling as a writer.
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
The success of the Veronica Mars TV show eventually led to Rob Thomas exploring the possibility of writing books involving the character.
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line is the first of those books. Written in collaboration with Jennifer Graham, the book follows Mars as she embarks on a new career as a private investigator. A missing persons case drags Mars into a sordid world of crime, with a revelation from her past holding the key to the entire mystery.
Kiss and Tell
The second Veronica Mars book sees the investigator turning her eye toward the Neptune Grand hotel. Always the ritziest place in Neptune, the hotel is the site of an assault on a woman who brings Mars onto the case.
Mars has to piece the case together while dealing with a victim with a fuzzy memory and a hotel that doesn’t want to let anything damage its reputation.
Satellite Down
Thomas’s third novel, Satellite Down, hones in on a student reporter named Patrick Sheridan. After leaving his home in Texas to try his luck in Los Angeles, Sheridan gets drawn into a glitzy life he’s never imagined.
The clean-cut youngster soon finds himself lying to his loved ones, cheating on his girlfriend, and losing sight of his past. Left to pick up the pieces, Sheridan has to figure out if he has the writing talent to go along with the pretty face that so many in LA admire.
Slave Day
An interesting experiment with a new writing style, Slave Day sees Thomas explore the titular cultural event from the perspective of eight narrators.
These narrators include a cheerleader, a jock, and a geek. Though somewhat cliched, this relatable cast of characters shines their own lights on a misguided event in which a Texas school decides to auction off its own students as slaves in the name of raising funds.
Honorable mentions
In addition to the above books, Rob Thomas is also the author of the following titles:
- Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad
- Green Thumb
- Neptune Noir
Listen to Rob Thomas’ audiobooks with Speechify
It’s interesting to see how Rob Thomas’s work has developed over the years. Often with a focus on the high school years, his books and TV shows connect with a young adult audience in ways that few others can.
If you’re a fan of Thomas’s work or want to start exploring his books, you can find two of his titles on Speechify Audiobooks. Both Satellite Down and Rats Saw God are featured on the platform, which has a library of over 65,000 books.
Best of all, you get your first audiobook for free when you sign up for Speechify Audiobooks. Explore the Speechify Audiobooks today and discover what makes Rob Thomas such a vital author.
FAQ
Did Rob Thomas write Dawson’s Creek?
Though he didn’t create the show, Rob Thomas contributed to several episodes of Dawson’s Creek as a screenwriter.
What’s Rob Thomas doing now?
Rob Thomas is currently serving as executive producer on Party Down, in addition to developing a new show for ABC with Kaitlin Olson.
Who did Rob Thomas have a child with?
Rob Thomas has a daughter named Greta and a son named Hank with his wife, Katie.
What does Rob Thomas have to do with Taylor Swift?
The writer Rob Thomas appears to have nothing to do with Taylor Swift. However, the singer of the same name said he’d happily join Swift on stage for her 1989 tour in 2015.
