Melissa Kantor is the author of books such as (just to name a few) Girlfriend Material, Confessions of a Not It Girl and most recently, The Darlings are Forever. A veteran of YA contemporary fiction that appeals to all age levels, Melissa was kind enough to take a few moments out of her super busy day and chat with me about The Darlings are Forever, which I reviewed today! So, without further ado...the interview...
BFF + different schools = very complicated
2. Do you have a favourite character in The Darlings are Forever and if so, who is it and why?
There's a part of me in each of The Darlings. Jane is my first actress character, and I was a big actress in high school, so a lot of what happens to her (but not everything--you'll see why I've added that last note) happened to me. And Natalya can act selfishly--putting her own hopes and dreams before the needs of her friends, and I think that's something I used to do a lot (and can still do if I'm not careful). So I feel very sympathetic to her. And Victoria feels like everything she does around the guy she likes is sooo lame, which used to happen to me all the time. Because I feel so sympathetic to each of them, it's hard for me to have a favorite. I feel like I love them all, even when they're being their worst selves.
3. What inspired you to write The Darlings are Forever?
I wanted to write a book about best friends who have to make plans to see each other. I know that might sound like a silly premise, but I think it's really, really hard to go from seeing someone every day (several times a day) at school to suddenly having to figure out how you're going to get time with that person. Can you stay best friends if everything about your life--where you live, where you go to school, all of your extra-curricular commitments--stand in the way of your seeing that person?
4. You can either have your best friend or all your books on a deserted island. Which do you choose and why?
Oh, definitely my best friend! What's the fun of all those books if you can't talk about them with anyone?
5. What does friendship mean to you?
Friends are people who love everything about you; it's not that they don't know you have faults, it's more that they know your faults and they still wouldn't have you any other way.
6. Is there anything else you would like to tell your readers?
I'm going to be visiting book clubs in the New York City area in the spring. So if you have a book club and you're reading The Darlings Are Forever, email me at melissa@melissakantor.com with the time and date of your book club meeting!
