Hello everyone! Today I'm sharing an interview with the lovely Julie Buxbaum, as part of the blog tour for What To Say Next. This book is Buxbaum's second YA contemporary novel and it is such a wonderful story. Don't miss it, publishing on July 11th!
Meet Julie Buxbaum!
Alyssa: Hi and welcome to The Eater of Books! So glad you could join me today to celebrate What to Say Next. =) What was the inspiration (or inspirations) behind this book?
Julie: I loved the idea of writing a story about two people who had pre-conceived notions about who the other was, and then connecting and surprising each other. I started with David’s voice. And then Kit popped into my head. It was a lot of fun to sit back and watch them interact.
Alyssa: How was writing What to Say Next different compared to writing Tell Me Three Things?
Julie: What To Say Next required way more research than Tell Me Three Things. I knew that if I was going to represent someone on the spectrum, I needed to make sure I did so respectfully and responsibly.
Alyssa: I personally think you did just that. =) I know the publishing house has complete control over covers and designs. Do you know what went into the decision to change the color of the cover of What to Say Next? What are your thoughts on the covers (old and new)?
Julie: I much prefer the new cover. The purple on the ARC, while pretty, felt a little too muted to me. With book covers sometimes it’s not about what looks best, but what will pop on a table full of other books. I was worried that the original cover wasn’t loud enough. The final is bright—I love that blue—and the font is cleaner.
Alyssa: How about the evolution of the title—were you calling the book something else at any point?
Julie: This book has had a million different titles! My personal favorite, that everyone else uniformly hated, was Instructions for Dancing, which was taken from the Magnetic Fields’ song The Book of Love. Still, I think What to Say Next ultimately really suits and fits the book.
Alyssa: LOL! Agreed! What’s another 2017 YA contemporary that you’ve really enjoyed and would recommend for fans of your YA books?
Julie: I really enjoyed When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon!
Alyssa: I loved that book so much. :D What is one message that you’d love young readers to take away from What to Say Next?
Julie: This is essentially a story about two people finding the person they need the most in the place they least expect to find it. I’d love for young readers to realize how important it is to look beyond first impressions and judgments.
Alyssa: Can you tell us anything about any new YA projects you’re working on?
Julie: AHHH! I’m on deadline for a revision for my next book, which will hopefully come out Spring 2018. All I can say at this point is that it’s another YA standalone.
Alyssa: Thank you so much, Julie! Congratulations on the publication of What to Say Next. =)
Julie: Thank you so much!!!!
About the Author:
Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, and the critically acclaimed novels The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two young children, and an immortal goldfish. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.
About the Book:
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 11, 2017
Summary (from Goodreads):
Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.
KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.
DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.
When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?
Check out Tell Me Three Things:
(Click on the cover for more information!)
I need this book like yesterday. I am such a Buxbaum fan and failed at getting an early copy of this one. *SOB!* Great interview!
ReplyDeleteSam @ WLABB
I adored this book! I always love hearing what titles were almost picked and I have to say Instructions for Dancing was not anything I would have thought as a possibility. lol I need to read Tell Me Three Things still!
ReplyDeleteI really need to read Buxbaum. I have had Tell Me Three Things for a while but still haven't found the time to read it. Her new book sounds great as well. Loved the interview!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this book!! I love Julie Buxbaum. Great questions! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Alyssa! I always appreciate it when an author puts a lot of research into a project - you can totally tell, in my opinion. Now I'm even more excited to see what people have to say about What To Say Next, since it sounds like a real winner!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Tell Me Three Things and I am very much looking forward to reading What to Say Next. Wonderful interview with Julie Buxbaum :)
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so cute! I haven't read Tell Me Three Things but I've heard some pretty stellar things about it. Awesome interview!
ReplyDelete- Aila @ One Way Or An Author
Awesome interview post Alyssa :D Thank you for sharing. <3 I am a bit curious about these books :) Mostly because you loved them, haha. One day, maybe ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm been thinking of picking up this book! It sounds lovely. Great interview, Alyssa!
ReplyDeleteI've heard amazing things abour Tell Me Three Things, but I still haven't read it.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one, too! Both of them sound like my kind of read!
Great interview, Alyssa! I didn't know about the color change!!
I've heard amazing things abour Tell Me Three Things, but I still haven't read it.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one, too! Both of them sound like my kind of read!
Great interview, Alyssa! I didn't know about the color change!!