ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE
by Gabrielle Zevin
Young Adult
www.MemoirSofa.com
3 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, November 11, 2011!
About the Book:
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Check out our Exclusive Interview with the Author here:
1) Your characters seem so alive and real...what's your secret?
I don't know if it's a secret but I couldn't write a decent character until I was honest with myself about my own flaws. (And strengths!) The other thing is eavesdropping — unrepentant, serial eavesdropping.
2) When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you celebrate?
This is kind of weird, but I cut my hair really short. When I got the news of the sale, it was like a weight had been lifted off of me, and I wanted my head to feel as light as my heart did.
3) How did you get the idea for the novel?
I've always loved organized crime movies even though the female characters are usually supporting players — wives, girlfriends, hookers — and they're almost never in positions of power. With ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE, I wanted to tell an organized crime story where the female was the lead.
4) Thinking back to the way beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
So many things! But I'd say the importance of a good chair cannot be underestimated.
5) Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
Well, one of the more exciting things from this year was finding out that a British singer named Scott Matthews had written an album inspired by my book, Elsewhere. (You can listen to the titular song HERE.)
Gabrielle Zevin is the author of award-winning books for young adults including Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and Elsewhere. Her books for adults include The Hole We’re In and Margarettown. She was also the screenwriter for Conversations with Other Women, which received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Of her writing, The New York Times Book Review said, “Zevin’s touch is marvelously light even as she considers profundities.” A dog lover and Harvard graduate, she lives in New York City. Visit the author online at: www.MemoirSofa.com.
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