The Edge of Limits by Susanne Gervay

Released: 1 November 2022

Published by: Flying Elephants Media

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pages: 305

Booktopia | QBD | Susanne Gervay Website

When Sam, 17, treks into the wilderness on the school survival camp, he misses his girlfriend Laura with her belly-button ring. The gruelling physical challenges are hard, sometimes hilarious, sometimes cruel as he treks deeper into unknown territory forced to confront the underbelly of real mateship, sexual consent and the dangers of guys like Watts. Ultimately, the camp winds to the final place of initiation, to the edge of limits, where Sam must choose what he stands for. This is a journey from the city culture of beach parties, girlfriends, sex and consent, to the vast wilds of trekking, abseiling, rock climbing, white-water rafting, sweaty days and freezing nights. This is a novel which needed to be written and needs to be read.

The YA space is one where authors have the opportunity to explore the real issues facing young people through fiction that pushes the boundaries and confronts readers with its raw honesty. It's an honour to host Susanne Gervay on the blog today, an Australian writer who is well-known for her books in both the children's and teen arenas, with a focus on young people finding their voice. In The Edge of Limits this comes to the fore - a novel that goes to the heart of the complexities of growing into the identities that shape us at this turbulent stage of life. 

Author Interview with Susanne Gervay

What are the main elements of The Edge of Limits that make it relatable to its target audience?

‘The Edge of Limits’ is a camp trekking into the mountains with the dreaded ‘long-drop’, no showers, sleeping on rocks, hard trekking, abseiling, climbing, wild rivers, wilderness. There are the boys on the camp, but there’s are the girls too at the parties, beach culture, school. There’s humour, challenges, stories of mateship, enemies, friendship, families, school and personal relationships. It goes deep into the ethos of male identity and comes out with a courage. It gives girls insight in the way boys see them. It gives boys the powerful opportunity of thinking about how they will act. It’s a book that changes you.

A stand-out element of the story for me was Sam's relationship with his grandfather. What drove you to explore the influence of different male role models in the life of teenage boys?

Men matter. Boys matter. Sam’s relationship with his grandfather matters. His grandfather has life experience and he shares it with his grandson. It gives Sam choices. His grandfather is beside him, even after his death, although it takes time for Sam to understand this. As the boys go deeper into the mountains, they confront their search for identity. ‘Heroic’ Luke reveals his father has expectations he struggles to meet. The teacher Mr Seaton, who Sam calls the ‘orangutan’ just doesn’t get the complexity of identity crisis. ‘Fat George’ with his Italian background is ‘beautiful’ although he doesn’t know it. Sam’s relationship with George helps him define who he is. The girls matter too. How the boys treat them from a stereotypical object to discard or not, to that deep sharing of youth. The search for identity is complex and confronting.

There is a strong yet subtly woven storyline surrounding consent and the manifestation of toxic behaviour with a "nothing to see here" culture driven by some of the characters. Given it is such a big issue, did you have any challenges in coming up with how this would come through in the book?

It was hard writing ‘The Edge of Limits’. I had to get into the male mindset. Identification with the character drives ‘The Edge of Limits’. Sexuality is the trigger, but the search for identity is the journey. ‘Nothing to see here’ is on the surface, but there is so much to see. It’s about girls – getting them, discarding them, wanting them where consent is subjective or coercive or real love or distorted through peer group pressure of the Rave Party and the rape. 

Without giving too much away, is there a particular line or scene in The Edgs of Limits which you found particularly powerful while writing it?

‘The Edge of Limits’ holds so many powerful moments. I find it difficult to decide what moves me most. All of it really. This scene with Sam and the grandfather stays with me:-

We were walking back from the river, pretty satisfied with ourselves. We’d caught three trout and dinner looked like it was going to be great. Grandpa had his fishing rod over his shoulder and I was holding the fishing box and bucket with the trout. We’d seen dogs in the area, so when we set up camp we’d been careful to move away from their territory. "Don't trespass," Grandpa said.

But these were looking for trouble. They found us walking back and started to follow, tagging us with low growls.

"Grandpa," I whispered.

 

Grandpa looked back at them. "It's all right, Sam."

 

I saw from the periphery of my eye their snarls, the black undersides of their lips, their yellow fangs, their butcher tongues.

 

"Walk next to me," Grandpa said quietly. "Not too fast."

 

I wanted to run. I knew they’d get me if I ran, but that was what I wanted to do. I started to walk faster. They did too. Then they began to gain on us, worrying the bush, snarling jarring growls. I walked faster, they moved more quickly. I smelt their spit.  Suddenly Grandpa clenched my arm, forcing me to stop. I could hardly breathe. He turned around.  I turned around after him.

 

Snarling saliva dripped like blood. They were going to rip out our throats for sure. I was cold, frozen, breathing razor blades. I looked at Grandpa. We had nothing to fight with. He stared into their eyes and they stared back still edging forward. Then Grandpa started. I’d never heard him swear like that before but he swore then, angry frightening swearing, obscenities of words, spitting out “fucking bastards” “crap dogs”  "bloody animals”  “killing shits" "fuck off”. 

I couldn’t move. The ferals stopped edging towards us unsure of whom this ferocious Grandpa was in his checked flannel shirt. He took out his flimsy fishing rod whipping it at the dogs, then he charged them, my Grandpa with his white hair and heavy rimmed glasses.

They stopped snarling, unsure, then they turned, running like cowards into the scrub.

I learnt something that day.

How did the experience of writing this novel compare with your previous works? I still remember reading I Am Jack and Super Jack when I was a child!

All my writing is inspired by my experiences. When I wrote the ‘I Am Jack’ books I was shell-shocked that my son was bullied at school and I did not know. My kids mean everything to me, but I was so busy working and managing life. When I asked Jack if I could write the book, he said – ‘It helps kids and teachers and parents. So it is okay.’

 

As it is a younger book, I entered into the mind of Jack and his community, and wrote from his perspective. Kids are remarkably resourceful. When Jack is happy and safe, he is adventurous and hilarious. When confronted by the bullying, he tries to keep brave, until he can’t anymore. There is so much in ‘I Am Jack’ and the other books ‘Super Jack’, ‘Always Jack’, ‘Being Jack’.  They are such gorgeous books about resilience and courage.

 

When I wrote ‘The Edge of Limits’ I went into tough territory. It is YA so I wrote with truth. It was so liberating. I did not have to make compromises. I wrote the narratives that capture male humour, challenges, stories of mateship, enemies, friendship, families, school and personal relationships. ‘The Edge of Limits’ take teens to the edge. They can confront racism, homophobia, misogyny, sexual abuse. However more importantly they confront their personal journey of identity. Who they want to be. ‘The Edge of Limits’ is an edgy place to make those critical choices.

The boys in this book all have very different personalities and ways of coping with the challenges of the camp. What were the easiest and most challenging aspects of capturing the adolescent experience in this situation?

During teen and young adult years, the brain that is responsible for reasoning, planning, and problem solving, is developing. When you add puberty, peer group pressure and often alcohol, it can lead to impulsive action. As an author, I go to the hard places of identity. I laughed when there was the leech invasion, but could hardly breathe when Sam witnessed the rape. There are so many choices, dead-ends, feelings of ‘If Not Me, Who? If Not Now, When?’  

I love the personal growth we see in so many of the main characters in your stories and unique, honest voices of the protagonists that shine through. Could you give us a sneak peek as to what you're working on next? 

I am having a ‘rest’ from confronting YA literature and delving into joy. ‘There’s a Gang on Our Street’ stars sulphur crested cockatoos and kids. It is so funny and naughty, celebrating diversity, games, adventures. It has a non-fiction element with lots to learn. Did you know that sulphur-crested cockatoos play tricks? Did you know that kids are just like the cockatoos? Big Sky publishers fell in love with this picture book. Looking forward to its publication in 2023.

About the author

You’ll find Susanne Gervay planting 3000 mangroves in Kiribati as part of a mission for action against climate change. In Istanbul speaking to 1000s of young people about NO bullying. In remote Aboriginal communities supporting education. In a juvenile detention centre sharing books with teenage girls. At the World Burn Congress in New York presenting ‘how the inner person can triumph over a preoccupation with surface scars and know that basic values of commitment, caring and trust are more important than the texture of the skin.’

 

Why? Gervay’s passion is empowering people to be critical thinkers and develop the resilience to advocate for justice. As the child of refugees, growing up with the emotional complexities of parents who had been through the Holocaust, migration and loss, books were Gervay’s source of escape, comfort, insight and courage.

 

Gervay tackles themes from feminism in Shadows of Olive Trees, harmony and inclusion in Elephants Have Wings, extremism and the war in Heroes of the Secret Underground, and consent and control in her new Young Adult novel out November 1, The Edge of Limits. What she writes matters to her deeply and is grounded in personal experience.

 

Gervay has been awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award by the International Literacy Association, Order of Australia, nominee for Australia for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, amongst others. Her acclaimed stories are published in prestigious literary journals and anthologies including the Indian-Australian anthologies alongside the works of Sir Salman Rushdie and Thomas Keneally. She represented Australian in “Peace Story” an IBBY, UNICEF anthology with 22 authors and 22 illustrators from 22 countries. She continues to write for pathways to peace.

 

Her books are endorsed by The Cancer Council, Room to Read, Books in Homes reaching Indigenous and disadvantaged children, Life Education, as well as many anti-bullying and literacy organisations. Susanne heads the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (ANZ), is patron of Monkey Baa Theatre, ambassador for Room to Read, Reading and literacy Ambassador for many campaigns and is an acclaimed national and international speaker.

 

You can find more information at www.sgervay.com or contact anna@allaboutpr.com.au.

Author Interview: Before the Beginning by Anna Morgan

Before the Beginning by Anna Morgan

Released: 29th September 2020
Published by: Hachette

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 235

Author website | Booktopia | Goodreads

The story of four friends, a mysterious stranger, and the week when everything changed. For fans of We Were Liars. Schoolies week: that strange in-between time when teenagers move from school into the adult world. It's a week when anything is possible, and everything can change. Grace is questioning everything she thought about herself, and has opted not to join her clique of judgemental friends for schoolies, instead tagging along with her brother Casper and his friends. Casper, an artist, is trying to create the perfect artwork for his uni application folio. Overachieving, anxiety-ridden Noah is reeling from a catastrophe that might have ruined his ATAR result. And Elsie is just trying to figure out how to hold their friendship group together. On the first night of the trip, they meet Sierra, a mysterious girl with silver-grey hair and a magnetic personality. All of them are drawn to her for different reasons, and she persuades them to abandon the cliched schoolies experience in favour of camping with her on a remote, uninhabited island. On that island, each of them will find answers to their questions. But what does Sierra want from them? An empathetic and suspenseful coming-of-age story from the author of All That Impossible Space.

Equal parts suspense and coming-of-age novel, Before the Beginning is a unique offering in the YA contemporary space exploring the time between school ends and the future beyond. 

Author Interview with Anna Morgan

How did the writing process for Before the Beginning differ from the experience coming up with the plot for your first novel All That Impossible Space?

It was very different! I wrote All That Impossible Space over about four years of writing and redrafting (much longer if you count all the years the story was growing in the back of my mind). I wrote the first draft of Before the Beginning in about six months, so it was much faster. With my second book I knew from the start the specific characters and themes I wanted to explore, and I knew I wanted to set it over one week from different perspectives: having that structure in place helped focus the writing process. Since I was working with my publisher from the beginning, I had editors involved from much earlier in the drafting process. That was a little scary at first for me, but it made the book SO much better and I feel very grateful to have shaped the story with their guidance from those early stages. Oh, and I had more confidence in myself as a writer the second time around, since I knew I'd done it once and could do it again.

What drew you to exploring the coming of age period of time just after high school in this book?

One of my favourite aspects of YA novels is that in-between feeling of transformation and change, that is such a classic teenage experience. Schoolies week - that week just after school finishes - is an especially intense time for this feeling. It's after exams, but before your results, after school, but before many teens know what they are going to do next. It can bring up a lot of anxieties for people too since it's such a pressure-cooker setting - lots of emotional issues can bubble up to the surface, but there's also such a sense of energy and possibility over the week.

Was there a favourite character out of the group which you found was easier to make come to life on the page?

It's impossible to choose a favourite! I love all my characters and am frustrated by them in equal parts - even though all four are very different, they are all based on aspects of myself and they experience versions of what I went through in my teens and early twenties. I've had unreasonably high expectations of myself like Noah, or had a worldview that didn't fit with my experiences any more like Grace, I've struggled with creative blocks like Casper, and I've underestimated myself like Elsie. I did find that Noah's section flowed particularly well as I was writing - and every time I re-read it I just want to give him a big hug! - so I do have a soft spot for him.

What are some of the main messages you hope teens in the same position as some of the characters in this book will be able to reflect on?

The end of school was such an anxious and all-or-nothing time for me, and it is for some of my characters - the main message I want to pass on is that it is okay to change, it's okay to be unsure, and you will figure it out. It's much more important to figure out who you are and what you want from your future than it is to chase a perfect score or to get into the best course. I know this year's school leavers in particular have shown incredible resilience as they deal with the upheaval of 2020, and I hope they can take some comfort from the upheaval my characters go through - even if nothing goes to plan, you will get through to the other side.

Could you give us a sneak peek into what you may be working on next?

I really loved all the research I was able to do around setting for this book - I set the novel on a fictional version of an island I love off the South coast of NSW and I learned so much about all the wildlife and plants that live there. It was also a place under threat by the fires this January, which emphasised to me even more how important it is to celebrate this land in literature and how much we need to protect it. So that might be working its way into my next book - possibly looking at climate action and young people growing up in regional Australia. But don't hold me to that because it could completely change!

About the author

Anna was born in Sydney, but spent most of her childhood surrounded by mountains in Nepal and Tibet while her parents were part of an international community of health professionals. Navigating this cross-cultural life made her a curious observer of people, although most of her time was spent reading Enid Blyton and dreaming of going to boarding school. This did not cushion the shock of shifting from home-school in Tibet to an all-girls high school in Melbourne when her family returned to Australia. ALL THAT IMPOSSIBLE SPACE explores some of the intense and convoluted friendships that thrive in this setting. Anna completed a MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University in 2015, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband. She works as a bookseller.

Review & Author Interview: The Long Distance Playlist by Tara Eglington

The Long Distance Playlist by Tara Eglington 

Released: 30th December 2019

Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pages: 424

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads | QBD | Booktopia

Told primarily in instant messenger conversations, Skype, emails and texts, this is Jaclyn Moriarty's Feeling Sorry for Celia for the modern teen.

Taylor and Isolde used to be best friends - before THAT FIGHT, 18 months ago. It's been radio silence ever since - until Taylor contacts Isolde to sympathise with her breakup: the breakup that she never saw coming; the breakup that destroyed her confidence and ended her dreams of joining the National Ballet School. Taylor's had his own share of challenges, including a life-altering accident that has brought his hopes of competing at the Winter Olympics to a halt. Isolde responds to Taylor, to be polite. But what starts out as heartbreak-themed Spotify playlists and shared stories of exes quickly becomes something more. And as Taylor and Isolde start to lean on each other, the distance between them begins to feel not so distant after all ...

A boy. A girl. A one-of-a-kind friendship. Cross-country convos and middle-of-the-night playlists. With big dreams come even bigger challenges.

I've been a fan of Tara Eglington's work since her first book, and it's been such a joy to see her work grow since then. In The Long Distance Playlist, there is the same sense of realism and exploring what it is to be a teenager with hopes and dreams, tempered with a multi-modal narrative style and storyline that is so much fun to read!

It can be difficult to balance the activities of the main characters within the wider scope of their lives to create a holistic plot, but here it is achieved with ease. There is so much to learn about not only Isolde and Taylor as they navigate recent challenges and rekindling their friendship, but their families moving through different phases as well. Friendship is also a dominant theme here, which brings some hilarious banter into the mix and great examples of support networks that can make all the difference in an adolescent's life.

The feelings of self-doubt and questioning whether Isolde's dreams of pursuing ballet are worth the effort are definitely ideas teens will relate to. Looking back on all our pasts it's inevitable that we've all gone through these sorts of growth phases which shape us into the people we are today. Taylor's own challenges in his personal life and recovery from injury also highlight the qualities of resilience and courage while still showing that there are times where the 'light at the end of the tunnel' seems far away. It's these balanced and multifaceted characters that are brought to life on the page as their whole selves, which makes this book shine. I also really love the part where Taylor describes some of the golden moments of joy in a family, speaking of seeing his mum where 'the smile goes right up to her eyes'. The message of appreciating the small moments in life that reach right to the heart of our connections with friends and family is something really special in The Long Distance Playlist.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tara Eglington's unique narrative style depicting realistic and entertaining dialogue alongside themes which are always relevant to teens, is sure to make this book a hit with all YA audiences. Full of heart, hope and a central theme of appreciating those close to us - this is going to be a favourite on my shelf for years to come!

Author Interview with Tara Eglington

Firstly, congratulations on releasing your fourth novel! What were the similarities and differences between writing The Long Distance Playlist and previous works?

Thank you! Of my four books, The Long Distance Playlist is the one that is closest to my heart – probably because I had carried the idea for it around in my mind ever since I was fifteen years old!

In terms of process, and similarities in process when it comes to my books - each one of my novels has been inspired by something personal, but this one – a story about a boy and a girl who are oceans apart, but closer than anything – was especially close to home!

Twenty years ago, there was a boy on the other side of the world, who sent me letters and emails across a four-year period. He was the first boy to call me beautiful, to make me jewellery, to read my short stories and songs, and to MSN Messenger chat (2000 much?) with me for hours about my hopes, dreams and fears. What started out as pen-pals - a boy from a land of frozen lakes and snowy skies, and a girl, from the beaches of Byron Bay – became something much more, as we navigated our way through a myriad of experiences in our late teen years.

The years that I spent writing to this boy, became part of my story, and I always knew that one day, I was going to write a book about a boy and a girl, who lived miles apart, but had a very special connection.*

The difference in process between my previous novels and this one, was probably how I approached the form of the novel. I knew I wanted to write a semi-epistolary novel (a novel traditionally composed of letters or documents) but I also wanted the story to feel very modern – so instead of communicating via physical letters, my protagonists Isolde and Taylor use text, email, skype, IM’s, playlists, and Instagram DM’s to connect with each other. This allowed me to explore how these particular ways of bonding with each other online, can feel just as real, meaningful, and poignant as any in-person interaction or catch-up 

*Note from Eugenia: Tara just posted on her blog about this real-life inspiration here!

One thing I always find shines through in your books is how realistic the dialogue and narrative voices are for your teen characters. How do you go about developing what your main characters will 'sound' like? Does this come before your idea for how the plot will play out or do they run together from the start?

Thank you so much – that’s the ultimate compliment for a YA writer! The process of developing a character’s voice is a really interesting one, and it actually varies for me, with each book.

Taylor’s voice was so strong and clear from very early on in the process. Even before I started to write the novel, I could hear him talking in my mind – whole pieces of narrative would come to me whilst I was brushing my teeth or doing the dishes. Taylor has a real intensity about him – which is probably tied in with being an elite-athlete – but he’s also got this lovely playfulness, and a terrific sense of humour too. So that dynamic was already there, even in the initial sample chapters I wrote for my publisher in early 2018. And as the novel progressed, Taylor became even more real to me. When I was living in Queenstown, I often felt as if I might just to bump into him down on the shoreline, or while skiing at Cardrona!

It’s a funny thing to try and explain – you know, the whole, characters talk to me! quirk that is part of being a writer. Or even trying to pinpoint the sense of say - whilst writing a scene, knowing with full certainty that ‘No, Taylor wouldn’t say that!’ But I guess that’s how characters can drive plot – at a certain point, they kind of take over and start telling their story to you, rather than the other way around!

Sometimes it takes time to work characters out. Isolde was a little bit of a mystery to me for a while – and in that scenario, I often find that the best approach is to work on building up a profile of the character – their unique interests, their family dynamics, their backstory –  and this usually helps me to ‘work out’ who they are. Then the voice will start to trickle through more and more. 

In terms of how I plot my novels, my first book – How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You – was really heavily pre-plotted. When I sat down at the computer every morning, I had a detailed outline I was working to for each chapter.

With my other books, it’s been a bit more of an organic process. Usually I know the beginnings of a book, and some of the major plot points I’m writing to, but there’s also a great deal I’m uncovering and discovering as I go, which is really fun!

The influence of arts and culture are another unique element of your books which I really love! Your first book How to Keep a Boy From Kissing You featured a production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' in the storyline, and here there is Isolde's evolving dream of being accepted into the National Ballet School. What drives you to include these kinds of ideas in your works?

I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy these elements – I love weaving things like art, theatre, and music into my novels because these forms of creativity bring me so much joy! I was very lucky to attend a creative arts high school whilst in my teen years, and I think the way that we learnt, and the things we learnt, have had a big impact on my writing. Our lessons – even things like biology, mathematics, and history – were taught in such an engaging way – for example, say we were learning about medieval history – we would learn the facts and dates of course, but our teachers would be reading us Arthurian legends in English class in the middle of the day, and then in the afternoon, we might be learning metalwork, and making our own copper chalices, or swords. It was really immersive way to learn – I remember my sister’s class built an actual Viking ship!

So during those years, I performed in Shakespeare productions (which of course, found it’s way into How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You), learnt about Dante, Renaissance art and mythology (which you’ll find in My Best Friend is a Goddess) and got to attend the ballet and some opera performances (which forms part of The Long Distance Playlist)!

My family – who are all creatives – have also had a big impact on my books. My father (like Emily’s mum in Goddess) is an artist, and my sister was the youngest student (at the time) to be accepted into a full-time dance school. 

Aside from the slowly-blossoming romance, friendships, family structures and the relationships between teens and their parents are other areas explored really well in The Long Distance Playlist. It's great to see that the parents of Isolde and Taylor also have a role in this book. Did you always imagine the story being much more than a series of interactions between the two main characters?

Absolutely! For me, I loved the fact that Isolde and Taylor’s families have had a long-intertwined history – Isolde’s mum, and Taylor’s Dad dated once upon a time! The two families have spent a lot of time together over the years, and Taylor and Issy have been friends since they were tiny. I’ve always loved YA stories that incorporate family –so it was a delight to be able to explore this in the latest book.

I think sometimes there’s an assumption about parents in YA – i.e. their presence should be minimised because teens aren’t interested in anything outside of themselves etc (which is so wrong!). Our families – their dynamics and unique histories – are a huge part of our identities! When I look back on my teen years, I remember how much of an impact that family had on my life, and my friend’s lives – whether that was big stuff – like parents dying, divorcing, or remarrying – or the more subtle stuff, like the conversations we had with our Mums or Dads about our dreams, our identities, our futures – as we matured, and discovered who we were.

And it’s the same for Taylor and Isolde in the novel. Isolde’s life is hugely impacted by what’s happening to her parents. For Taylor, I really loved that he knew that he could go to his parents for support – as he says – The thing I love most about Mum and Dad is that they never make me feel like what I’m going through is ‘kid stuff’ – you know, less than, or not as valid as adult stuff. And they don’t jump in with ‘shoulds’ or ‘shouldn’ts.’ 

That’s what my Dad was like when I was growing up. I could go to him with anything and he would listen really intently, and try and help, without casting judgement. I know there’s a lot of kids who have that same dynamic with their parents, so I loved having a healthy example of that kind of teen-parent relationship in the novel.

Friendships also play a huge part in the book – and for me, that’s the heart of The Long Distance Playlist. Whether it’s Taylor and Isolde confiding in each other about their deepest fears, or most painful memories, or Finn and Taylor’s easy-going, no-judgement dynamic, or Ana cheering Isolde on with her dancing - these relationships are the place where the protagonists find strength, understanding and courage. 

The idea of including the email trails, messenger conversations (and of course the music playlists!) made the story even more vibrant. Is it more difficult to write in these different modes than just using prose?

Funnily enough I actually found these sections of the novel the easiest to write – I think because the forms (emails, texts, messenger conversations, DM’s, IM’s) are quite conversational in nature, and I’ve always found dialogue easier to write than prose!

I loved incorporating such modern forms of communication into the book. I think texts and DM’s and so forth have a real immediacy to them, and these types of interactions are such a part of our everyday lives – whether that’s texting a friend, skyping a family member, or DM’ing someone on Instagram. So for me, it felt like a really natural way to tell a love story that’s set in 2020.

I think the main challenge with the email and messenger conversations, was probably working out how to convey things like the characters backstories and histories, without falling into ‘telling’ – i.e. if Taylor and Finn are having a skype conversation about Ellie (the girl that Taylor had a crush on at the start of the novel) both boys already know who Ellie is, and are aware of all of the previous interactions Taylor has had with her, etc – whereas the reader doesn’t know any of this, and has kind of ‘dropped in’ mid-conversation! So you have to be quite clever in how you weave that essential information through each medium! 

Without giving too much away, is there a particular scene or quote from the book which is particularly special to you?

For me, the heart of the story, is in these words, by Taylor:

All I know is that there are no guarantees. Anything could change at any moment. The way I want to live is to grab on tight to the people that I love and things I love doing. I want to squeeze every bit of joy out of every moment I have with them. What will come will come. It’s how you live in the meantime that counts.

*Note from Eugenia: This is my favourite quote too!

What are some of the main messages you hope people will be thinking about after reading The Long Distance Playlist?

The Long Distance Playlist is for me, a celebration of friendship. Of the people in our lives, that we can call upon, in the middle of the night, in any time zone - and find understanding, empathy, comfort and love, waiting for us.  Issy and Taylor go through some tough stuff in this novel – but they are able to lean on each other for support. It was the same scenario for me in high school – it was my friends who helped me cope with a wide range of difficult and painful situations. I hope anyone who’s read the book and may be going through tough stuff of their own, is left with a feeling that they can reach out to someone who cares.

The other thing I hope readers might take away from the novel is a sense of hope – the sense that even though life might throw incredibly painful and difficult stuff our way - stuff that might turn every plan we have had for ourselves, upside down – we have the strength inside ourselves to adapt, and to redefine our lives. 

The setting, particularly the New Zealand sections, are so vividly described. When did you realise that this was a place you wanted the story to feature? (Travel recommendations are also welcome!)

It was such a joy to set the majority of the novel in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. I was born in NZ (although I’ve spent the last 30 years in Australia), and I introduced my husband Greg to Queenstown in 2014. We both fell head over heels for the place – it’s the most breathtaking town that sits on the edge of a vast lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains everywhere you turn! Greg and I have visited every single year since to ski, and even spent 18 months living in QT from 2018-2020.

Each location in the book has a very special meaning to me. The Queenstown shoreline, where Finn and Taylor hang out at the start of the book, was where I would take my lunchtime walk. Jacks Point – where the boys played golf – was actually where my husband and I lived, right at the foothills of the mighty Remarkable Mountains. Cardrona ski-field, where Taylor, an up and coming snowboarder, trains daily, is a mountain I’ve spent winter after winter skiing. So it was such a joy to write about these places, and to bring them to life for my readers. I’ve had some reviewers say that the setting of The Long Distance Playlist is almost a character in itself, and I love that!

I also love the idea of my readers visiting Queenstown in the future! My tip would be to plan your trip for the end of August/beginning of September - the time of bluebird skies, when the mountains are at their most beautiful! Make sure you go for a stroll along the Queenstown shoreline, and up past the botanic gardens. Enjoy a famous fergburger, and then take a gondola ride up to the top of Bob’s Peak, to take in a sunset view of the entire town. Visit Arrowtown, an adorable little village with a fascinating gold-rush history. And a drive out to Glenorchy – just for the views – is something you shouldn’t miss.

I’d also suggest you try your hand at skiing or snowboarding – Cardrona skifield is amazing for beginners and the more advanced.

And if you can, spend a night or two in the Mt Cook/Aoraki National Park – it is absolutely breathtaking, especially from the air (try to do one of the scenic flights, you won’t regret it). 

What are some of your favourite things about writing in the YA genre? Are there any challenges related to writing for this audience?

I love writing YA. I love reading YA. I don’t think that will ever change, because that period of time – those teenage years - continues to be a fascination for me. There’s so much there to explore as a writer – whether that’s the intensity of the emotions, the magnetic force of those real ‘firsts’ – like the first time you fall in love, or have your heart broken, or lose a friendship, or realise your parents are just people, who sometimes make mistakes too – or the potent discoveries of that period  – working out who you are, and what you want to do with your life – it’s all amazing material.

Maybe my head and heart are still stuck there, in some way, because if I close my eyes, I can travel back to that period in a split second – and what I was feeling, thinking, or dreaming of back then, rises up again.

The challenges of the YA genre…. hmm. That’s a hard one. The only thing that comes to mind is that sometimes my characters want to swear, and that’s usually a no-no in YA! But it forces you to be more creative, which can only be a good thing! 

Could you give us a sneak peek as to what you might be working on next?

Ooh, I would love to share – right now I’m in the process of pitching a few different ideas (all YA) to my publisher. I know that’s a little vague (sorry about that!) but I’m hoping I will have some good news to announce in the near future (fingers crossed)!

About the author

Tara Eglington grew up in Byron Bay, New South Wales, wrote The Long Distance Playlist by the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, and now lives in Sydney. 

She is the author of four YA novels: How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You, How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You (titled Kissing Games in the USA), My Best Friend is a Goddess and The Long Distance Playlist, the third of which was a top-ten bestselling Australian YA title in 2016 and a notable for the 2017 CBCA Older Readers Book of the Year. 

Tara’s hobbies, when she’s not writing, include watching endless cat videos on YouTube, planning pretend holidays to the Maldives, and daydreaming about who would play Hayden Paris in the film-adaption of How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You.

Tara loves to hear from readers, so please say hello via contact@taraeglington.com, or @taraeglington on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

{Blog Tour} Review: Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Released: 1st July 2018

Published by: Simon and Schuster

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 300

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads | QBD | Booktopia

Charlie Grant tries to keep her life as normal as possible. Hanging out with her best friend, pining for Jesse Foster - who she’s loved since she was twelve - and generally flying under the radar as much as she can.

But sometimes normal is just another word for stuck, and this weekend that's all going to change. Not only will everyone be back home for her sister’s wedding, but she’s also juggling: - a rented dog that just won't stop howling - an unexpectedly hot wedding-coordinator’s nephew - her favourite brother bringing home his HORRIBLE new girlfriend - fear that her parents’ marriage is falling apart - and the return to town of the boy she’s loved practically all her life…

Over the course of four days Charlie will learn there's so much more to each member of her family than she imagined, even herself, and that maybe letting go of the things she's been holding on tightest to can help her find what really keeps them together.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

If there's one thing to know about Morgan Matson's books, it's that they're almost guaranteed to leave you grinning. In Save The Date, she's delivered another fun and endearing YA contemporary novel that takes the melodrama of wedding planning in its stride, with hectic family dynamics and the thrill of a crush in between. This is the perfect read for something light that still has a worthwhile message at its core about reacting to unanticipated situations and learning more about yourself as you look towards the possibilities in the future.

The pacing of the book manages to fit quite a lot into the course of four days surrounding Charlie's sister's wedding. With the original wedding planner no longer an option just a day out from the actual event, almost everything can go wrong. Add into that the big family dramas and there is a storyline that reads like movies with the same themes, except here there's even more of a cute twist. Morgan Matson always develops all her characters well, so it was definitely enjoyable to read about the Grant's and how they fit into the picture - the list of the wedding party at the beginning helped! This novel is one filled with so much energy, adorable moments and some heartfelt lessons too.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you're a fan of Morgan Matson's other brilliant releases like The Unexpected Everything or Since You've Been Gone, you will absolutely adore Save The Date! For a fun and well-developed story with heart, this book ticks all the boxes. 

Morgan Matson is a New York Times bestselling author. She received her MFA in writing for children from the New School and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start author for her first book, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which was also recognized as an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. Her second book, Second Chance Summer, won the California State Book Award. She lives in Los Angeles.

Twitter | Instagram | Website

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{Blog Tour} Starry Eyes - Author Interview with Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Released: 1st June 2018

Published by: Simon and Schuster 

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 417

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads | QBD | Booktopia

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best-friends-turned-worst-enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day version of the Montagues and Capulets. But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to try to make their way to safety. But as the two travel deeper into the rugged Californian countryside, secrets and hidden feelings surface. Soon it's not simply a matter of enduring each other’s company, but taming their growing feelings for each other.

Starry Eyes is a YA contemporary novel that has a cute romance, realistic depiction of friendships and heartwarming ending. This is the best-friends-becoming-enemies-then-something-more situation, with its own unique charm! A big thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia for hosting the blog tour, and Jenn Bennett for her time in answering my questions. For more about Zorie and Lennon's story, keep reading...

Author Interview with Jenn Bennett

After releasing Alex, Approximately and now Starry Eyes, what are some of your favourite things about writing contemporary YA novels? 

First love is exciting, scary, and fun. But I think the best part about writing these stories is that they take place before the burden of adulthood and all that comes with it—careers, children, marriage/divorce, work stress, hospital bills, credit scores—starts weighing down the characters. Contemporary YA takes place when anything is possible and every path is open.

I really loved how you described all the settings and nature so vividly to set the scene for where all the drama unfolds. Do you think Zorie and Lennon's story would have turned out the same way if they had found themselves together somewhere else? 

What a great question! Say, if they had been left behind on a trip to Paris with no money or way to get home immediately? Or stuck in an elevator for hours, or maybe in a DIE HARD situation, fighting their way out of a building being held hostage by bad guys? Honestly, I think whatever situation you'd put them in, the most important thing about it was that this is a couple who were not talking and NEEDED to talk—and to realize that they could rely on each other. The result would be the same in any situation.

You also described how friendships change and that there's definitely more to people than what meets the eye. What messages about friendships and relationships in general do you hope readers will be able to take from this book? 

 In ALEX, APPROXIMATELY, the main friendship is much different: Bailey and Grace are kind of falling in BFF love, and they are better and stronger for their bond. In this book, there is the childhood friendship between Zorie and Lennon that was abandoned when things got complicated. There's a friendship that Zorie has with a girl who shares her interests and is a positive influence and quietly supportive. And there is the friendship between Zorie and a girl that has become toxic. I try to avoid heavy-handed messages in my books, but I suppose if there's anything I was hoping to show the reader, it was that friendships aren't always forever. That people change, and it's not always for the best. And that it's easy to overlook quiet friends who have been in your corner all along.

Zorie was a really interesting main character who grew a lot throughout the story. What were the best, and most challenging things about developing her character? 

Zorie has issues. Her home life may be in turmoil. Her birth mother died, and she's not completely over that. She has a medical condition that's exacerbated by stress. So she's been trying to control the chaos in her life by planning every little detail of it. The most challenging thing about writing this was that I worried readers would get frustrated by her hand-wringing and constant worries, or that all of her worrying and risk-avoidance would prevent her from having agency as a character, especially at the beginning of the story. This isn't a girl who's tough and ready to fight the world when this book starts. And it's harder to write those kinds of characters in a way that's appealing or sympathetic---perhaps because those characters are a mirror of our own anxieties or weaknesses, and it's tough to face those things.

Without giving too much away, is there a particular line or moment in the book that really stood out to you while you were working on it? 

One of my favorite moments in the book takes place in a tent cabin at the “glamping” part of the trip. During a group conversation, Lennon is seemingly asking innocent questions about the storage of another character’s cologne (dumb, beautiful Brett), and whether it will attract bears. But the subtext is that Lennon is trolling Zorie, trying to get a reaction from her, and everyone in the tent is oblivious but the two of them. I laugh every time I read Lennon’s lines. But what's more, I think that's the moment that Zorie wakes up and begins actively changing from Strict Planner to I Can Roll With the Changes. And giving her space to grow is the reason I wrote the book.

You can find Jenn Bennett on her Twitter | Instagram | Website

Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour here!