Author Interview: Gayle Foreman

 

Not Nothing comes out next week and believe me, you're going to want to clear some space in your schedule to read this one!

ABOUT THE BOOK 

To say Alex has had it rough is an understatement. His father’s gone, his mother is struggling with mental health issues, and he’s now living with an aunt and uncle who are less than excited to have him. Almost everyone treats him as though he doesn’t matter at all, like he’s nothing.

So when a kid at school actually tells him he’s nothing, Alex snaps, and gets violent. Fortunately, his social worker pulls some strings and gets him a job at a nursing home for the summer rather than being sent to juvie. There, he meets Josey, the 107-year-old Holocaust survivor who stopped bothering to talk years ago, and Maya-Jade, the granddaughter of one of the residents with an overblown sense of importance.

Unlike Alex, Maya-Jade believes that people care about what she thinks, and that she can make a difference. And when Alex and Josey form an unlikely bond, with Josey confiding in him, Alex starts to believe he can make a difference—a good difference—in the world. If he can truly feel he matters, Alex may be able to finally rise to the occasion of his own life.

My Thoughts: I started this book and couldn't stop reading. I tore through this novel. It made me cry. It made my heart ache. I felt terrible for Alex and all that we went through. I liked how the narrative worked: we learned things slowly. I wasn't expecting the twist at the end, but the set-up of the book tugged at my feelings. I enjoyed the moments between Alex and Maya-Jade. The moments of Shady Glen were rough at first, but lovely as time went on. I enjoyed hearing all the stories of the residents. They all had something to share, especially Josey. This is a must read novel for everyone! 

* Book sent for review

I'm so excited to chat with Gayle Foreman:

Would you rather be flattered or told something in brutal honesty?

 

One of my favorite sayings is, “The truth will set you free but first it will make you miserable.” Maybe that’s why I don’t trust flattery as much as I do criticism? Though I do enjoy flattery, too.

It is so much easier to trust criticism. 

 

What point in history would you like to live through?

 

That’s such a hard question because our understanding of historical times is so very limited because it’s all conjecture. I think I’d like to hopscotch through a bunch of eras, less to experience say the Jazz Age or Enlightenment than to test the hypothesis I’ve developed while writing books with historical elements that people are people are people, with similar desires and traits and flaws, no matter where and when they live.  

I like the idea of going to different eras. I would love to travel to Regency England or Renaissance Italy. 

 

What is a fond memory of your grandparent?

 

My grandparents all died by the time I was a teenager, and I deeply regret that I didn’t get to know them as fully-rounded people, which is maybe why I set my latest novel Not Nothing, in an assisted-living facility and chose a 107-year-old man to narrate it. The memories I do have tend to be small moments: having Shake-and-Bake chicken and Pepperidge Farm cake for Shabbat Dinner at my grandparents’ Hollywood apartment or the news clippings my grandmother would send to me.

Ha! My grandmother would cut out articles of my accomplishments. She created a photo album for me. Some of those are in there. It was very sweet. I had very fond memories of my grandparents. 

 

What is your best thing you've accomplished?

 

My family first. Next is something I don’t talk about publicly, which is maybe what makes it the most profound. Sorry to be so vague but to quote Taylor Swift, “I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian because I care.”

Ha! You will tell everyone if the time is right. It's a very important question and makes me want to be a better person. 

 

If you could interview anyone - who would it be and why?

 

My grandparents. I have befriended and interviewed several elderly people throughout the years—I think I’m drawn to old folks to fill my grandparent gap—and the stories they tell, the history they’ve lived through, blows my mind. But so does the realization that even though things were very different in, say, the 1930s or 1950s, the human experience was very much the same. I take comfort in that.

Yes! You capture this beautifully in the book! 

Review: I was Here

Meg and Cody were best friends - until Meg committed suicide. Shaken to the core, Cody had no idea her best friend was in so much pain that she needed to take her own life. Although they were best friends, since Meg left for college and Cody stayed home, things have been strained between them.

When Meg's parents ask Cody to pack up Meg's room at college, she doesn't hesitate.  She still can't believe that Meg killed herself and starts looking for clues. Why would her best friend leave everyone behind? Why wouldn't Meg talk to Cody?

When the guilt Cody feels threatens to close in on her. She starts to question Meg's roommates and friends, trying to piece together a timeline and a reason.

My Thoughts:
My heart breaks for Cody dealing with the loss of her friend and trying to make sense of her own life after Meg's gone. The guilt overwhelms her with thoughts of the past few months and how they didn't talk as much. I like how Cody tried to uncover the reasons behind Meg's decision and how it leads her on her own path to figuring out herself.

I liked Cody's interactions with the people in Meg's life: her college friends, Ben, and her little brother. I liked how they all played a part in helping Cody understand more about Meg and about herself. I found my thoughts changing about Tricia over the course of the book.

Guilt and remorse are powerful emotions in this book, along with the feelings of unworthiness. In her search for the truth, Cody slips down the rabbit hole herself. 

I admired Cody's perseverance and determination. Not all of her decisions were smart, but they helped her in the end. I wouldn't mind a sequel - learning more about Cody and what she does next now that she's no longer part of a pair, but on her own.


Cover Thoughts: Symbolic
Source: my Library
Librarian Fact: I made a book list last year featuring books with suicide. I would add this one.

For anyone reading this book, the Author's Note is important and features a phone number for anyone in need  of someone to talk with: Crisis Hotline: 800-273-TALK

Final Thoughts: A book that will pull at your heartstrings one minute and make you want to call your BFF the next minute.