Can you tell us a little bit about your novel, Blackbird?
Blackbird is a young adult thriller/mystery which follows Alex, her family, her friends and a detective through an investigation into the sudden and brutal disappearance of her older sister. Partially told from her sister’s perspective, the story moves through time to reveal what really happened on the night she disappeared, ultimately exposing secrets her sister would have liked to stay hidden.
What was it that initially sparked the idea for the story?
I read a news story about thousands of blackbirds dropping dead from the sky in a small town in the US in 2010 on New Year’s Eve, and for some reason it fascinated me.
I’m really drawn to crime stories set in a rural landscape where the characters feel isolated and closed in. I wanted to create that same atmosphere with Blackbird, but also weave in elements from that news story.
Tell us a bit about your main character, Alex. What do you think readers will like about her?
Alex is someone who doesn’t realise how strong she is until she’s forced out of the shadow of her older, more popular sister. I’m really close to my older sister, so writing their relationship was fairly easy. A lot of their shared memories are my own memories with my sibling.
I hope readers will also understand and appreciate the dynamics between Alex and the detective assigned to her sister’s case. Like Alex, he’s also struggling emotionally with the investigation because for him it’s bringing back a painful past he’s trying to forget.
Alex's sister goes missing in the story. What sort of research did you do before writing about Olivia's disappearance?
I looked into missing persons cases in both the UK and the US to get a sense of timeline, process, and generally for inspiration. I also looked into policing procedurals in Scotland, so I could roughly map out how a missing persons investigation would proceed. Research is a big component to my process, but at the end of the day it’s about how to creatively work that information into the writing to drive the story.
What was the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Writing about a landscape I hadn’t yet visited was challenging, because I really wanted to take readers on a journey to a beautifully rural, subarctic island off mainland Scotland. But thankfully I got the opportunity to spend some time out there mid-novel, in the dead of winter when the novel was set, and I could really take in the incredible sites of Orkney, like Maeshowe, and bring that landscape to life in the story.
What do you hope readers will take away from Blackbird?
Both of my books Dear Charlie and Blackbird have a strong sibling relationship at the core of the story, which I hope readers can relate to. But ultimately, I hope to keep readers engaged and emotionally invested in the story, and in solving the mystery behind Olivia’s disappearance.
Huge thanks to ND Gomes for stopping by! Be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour and scroll down for my thoughts on BLACKBIRD.
Pages: 287
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Release Date: November 16th 2017
Buy The Book: Book Depository
My name is Alex. I am fifteen years old, and I don't know where my sister is. Or if she will ever come back.
On New Year's Eve 5,000 blackbirds dropped dead. The same day Olivia McCarthy went missing from a small coastal village in Orkney.
Now Her younger sister Alex is on a mission to find out just what happened to Olivia. But does she really want to know all the answers?
My Thoughts:
This story follows Alex through the
aftermath of her older sister, Olivia, disappearing. Desperate to
find answers, she works with the soon to be retired detective
assigned to her case, Birkins. On the tiny island of Orkney, Alex
struggles to figure out what happened to her sister, and to come to
terms with how her life has changed.
One of the things that really stood out
to me in this story was the honest way in which Alex's grief was
written. As a sister myself, some of those scenes were difficult to
read, but worded perfectly. I was left utterly heartbroken by some of
the memories Alex brought up, happier moments between her and Olivia.
The strength and determination that Alex showed throughout the story
was one of the things about her characters that made her so brilliant
to read about.
The unlikely friendship between Alex
and Birkins was sweet, especially in the ways they were able to help
each other over the course of the story. Birkins himself was an
incredible character, and once I finished the book, I was actually
curious to read more about him and the cases he'd dealt with in the
past!
The hunt to find out what happened to
Olivia kept me gripped. I love stories that I can try and piece
together, and this one certainly gave me enough opportunities for
that. There were several wrong guesses made before the final reveal,
helping to keep everything tense. Those final few chapters had me on
edge! The pacing was perfect, and the race against time for Alex made
everything feel so much more desperate.
Whilst the majority of Blackbird
focused on the actual case, a large part of it was also about the
emotions that came from the situation itself. The scenes between Alex
and her parents, showing what they were going through, were some of
the more powerful moments in this story. I'm glad that it provided
such a realistic look into what this situation would be like for
families. It may have seemed hopeless for them at the start, but they
come to realise that there are ways to work through the dark times
when they have each other.
Blackbird is a quick but
thrilling read, set in an atmospheric location and filled with
interesting characters and conversation. It provided a good blend of
YA crime and thriller, something I tend not to read too much of, but
highly enjoyed this time around.
Royal Rating:
Fantastic interview - the questions asked were straight to the point and needed precise answers. Thank you for sharing this with us, Keep it up.
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