Author Interview with Juliana Stone (Some Kind of Normal Blog Tour)

Today we have Juliana Stone here for an author interview! This interview is part of the blog tour for her newest release, Some Kind of Normal.

1.Without spoiling anything, could you tell us what was your favorite scene to write in Some Kind of Normal?

Ah, that’s easy! (kinda because I’ve got two!) The scene at the drive-in really hit home to me, when Everly is surrounded by hundreds of kids but has never felt more alone. I remember feeling like that.

2. If you had to pair up your main character Lucy with any other character from any other YA book (either romantically or as a friend), who would it be and why?

I think Caleb from Simone Elkeles’s book Leaving Paradise. They both have secrets and trauma and are involved with girls who have the same. They could totally support each other I think.

3. What comes easier for you - dialogue or description?

Dialogue hands down. I love writing dialogue and spend half of my time at home talking as I write! My daughter thinks I’m sorta crazy but that’s okay!

4. How do you go about naming your characters?

Funny thing is, I can’t start writing a book until I have the perfect name for a character. I usually envision my character and go from there. I have found that there are certain names I tend to use more than once and then have to go back! (Jake is one!)

5. For any aspiring writers out there - what's the best writing advice you've ever received?

Write from your heart. Never give up. Know that the journey is long and not for the faint of heart. Honestly, writing is the hardest job I’ve ever had but also the most worthwhile!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for Some Kind of Normal, which was released May 5th. Here's what it's all about:

Some Kind of Normal by Juliana Stone

SFor Trevor normal was fast guitar licks, catching game-winning passes and partying all night. Until a car accident leaves Trevor with no band, no teammates and no chance of graduating. It's kinda hard to ace your finals when you've been in a coma. The last thing he needs is stuck-up Everly Jenkins as his new tutor—those beautiful blue eyes catching every last flaw.
For Everly normal was a perfect family around the dinner table, playing piano at Sunday service and sunning by the pool. Until she discovers her whole life is a lie. Now the perfect pastor's daughter is hiding a life-changing secret, one that is slowly tearing her family apart. And spending the summer with notorious flirt Trevor Lewis means her darkest secret could be exposed.

Review: Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

Title: Boys Like You
Author: Juliana Stone
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: May 1st 2014
Pages: 288
Genre: Young Adult contemporary romance
Source: NetGalley - I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart –leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her Grandma isn’t going to change that…
Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Boys Like You sounds right up my alley - I love romances about messed-up people! And I did really enjoy the novel. Predictably, I loved each character's individual story and getting to read about Monroe's and Nathan's difficult past. Just as predictably, though, I didn't love the romance as much as the individual stories; it just seemed to perfect and unrealistic to me.

Monroe is a character that I immediately liked. Her story is intriguing because you don't find out until about halfway through what her "mistake" is; yes, there's hints and you can sort of assume what happened, but you don't find out what really happened until the second half of the novel. I was kind of scared that not finding out until later would mean that her story wouldn't be fully developed, but that isn't the case at all: even when you don't know the details, Monroe's pain is palpable, and I really felt for her. And once we find out what happened to her family, her story is even better. I easily related to Monroe throughout the novel and really enjoyed her story.

Towards Nathan, though, I had ambiguous feelings. I really liked his story, too, and I felt for him in the context of what happened to his best friend. But there were other things that really upset me about him, like the way he treats his girlfriend Rachel and his sexist ways of thinking. For the most part, though, I was able to see past that and enjoy Nathan's storyline, too.

The romance started out okay, too. For once, the way that Monroe and Nathan meet and then slowly transition from animosity to romance feels realistic. The two of them have really good chemistry while they're getting to know each other, and they're fun to read about. Once they get together, though, they started moving waaay too fast for me. I wouldn't call it insta-love because they don't like each other right away, but their feelings for each other do develop too fast for my liking. I understand that they've been through a lot and are bonding by helping each other, but I still thought it was melodramatic how much they come to depend on each other.

In that same way, the very happy ending bothered me. The story completely disregards the idea that, even though they're long-distance, things might not work out in the long-term. Another part of the ending (that I can't talk about without spoiling things) seemed unrealistic to me, too. I understand why the author decided to end the story in this way, but I'm just not a fan of unrealistically happy endings.

I did have some issues with this novel, particularly Nathan's character and the unrealistically happy ending. Still, though, I really enjoyed this book, especially Monroe's story. If you like darker stories and don't mind too-perfect-to-be-true romances, you should definitely give Boys Like You a try!