Jennifer Salvato Doktorski's third YA novel, The Summer After Me and You hits shelves in a little over a month, but she's here at The Hiding Spot today to answer a few questions and offer readers a chance to win with her Countdown to Summer giveaway! Check out the mini interview and giveaway below - and mark your calendars for May 5!
__________________________________
Your newest book, The Summer After You and Me, releases May 5, 2015. In which ways
would you say it is like and unlike your first two books?
Like my other two books, this one is set in the summertime and features a main character who’s a proud Jersey girl. Also, like How My Summer When Up in Flames and Famous Last Words, this book has a cast of quirky characters and (I hope!) a good amount of humor. However, this book is more of a love story than the other two and because it recounts the details and aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, it might even be considered historical fiction. (I was pleased to see Kirkus thought so :).) While setting is always important to me, I feel like in the novel, the setting became another character.
Did a particular person, event, or place inspire
this novel?
Yes, absolutely. This book was inspired by Superstorm Sandy, which devastated large portions of New Jersey and New York in October 2012. One of the regions that was particularly hard hit was the Jersey shore, a place that is very near and dear to my heart and one that I feel has been misrepresented. I wanted to write this book to show people the real Jersey shore, while exploring the themes of rebuilding and adapting. I hoped to accomplish all of these things by setting this novel in Seaside Park, NJ during the first summer after Superstorm Sandy had rocked the tiny shore community. Plus, in another life, I wanted to be a marine mammologist/biologist. But then…math happened. So I had to give that dream to my main character, Lucy, and I loved researching and writing about the dating and mating habits of Atlantic coast sea life.
It’s word association time! List 5 words that will
give readers a brief impression of The
Summer After You and Me.
Beach. Love. History. Survival. Clams.
________________________________________
More about the Book
Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it's not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.
Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?
GIVEAWAY
Ends 5.5.2015. 1 winner.
More information about the prizes and Jen can be found here!
I have this one waiting on my TBR for me and I'm excited to read it :)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I'm so excited to read this book! I love ancient history, and Alexander the Great is one of the most intriguing warrior figures in history, in my opinion :D Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa @ The Eater of Books!
The beach is my favorite summer place. Thanks for this great feature and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteActually my favorite place to be at in the summer is my house. That way I can ride my horses and work in the garden :)
ReplyDeleteI'm an 8th grade world history teacher who loves to read YA. This book has me written all over it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really good book and a really good one to read during summer!
ReplyDelete