I am thrilled to be the next stop in Little Brown's Ask the Passengers blog tour. I'm excited to announce that Ask the Passengers is out in book stores TODAY! Happy Release Day to Ask the Passengers!! Author A.S. King has graciously stopped by the blog today to talk about her book.
Hi A.S. thank you for stopping by Mundie Moms today. What was it about your character Astrid Jones that inspired you to write her story?
I think I was inspired by her strength. Questioning is a confusing and hard time and in Astrid's case, she had pressure from all sides to box herself. But she took the time to ask a lot of questions. She didn't just bend to the pressure. Also, I wanted to write about this family--the whole Jones family--and how Astrid's journey affects everyone in the family.
What's something you admired most about your character?
Like most of my teenage characters, Astrid is pretty mature. She's dry and calm--not an adult-perceived dramatic caricature of a teenager. Astrid is more mature than her own parents in many ways. I like that about her. And I like that her dad can learn from her, because I think adults can learn a lot from mature teens like Astrid.
I like the concept that Astrid's escape/object to confide in are unsuspecting passengers in planes as they pass over head. When I was in high school I didn't have something quite as exciting as her, I wrote in my journal. When you were in high school, what did you use to confide in?
I wrote in a journal also. A lot. I have about 20 of them. (*Waves to one college roommate who read them all and told fellow students about them* Hi! You rock!) I also had a best friend I could talk to sometimes, and two very awesome older sisters. But Astrid's habit of sending love to random passengers in airplanes is also mine. I've been doing that since I was a kid. The older I get, the more I appreciate what sending love to random people did for me. I seem to be a very open person who accepts widely and judges rarely.
What do you hope your readers take away from Astrid's story?
I think every reader takes something different from every story, so I can only tell you what I took away from it as I wrote it. In order: Love is more important than everything. Boxes are for cereal, not people. Everyone is going through something. Socrates was boss.
What's something you'd tell tell other Astrids out there, who are struggling to break free from society's definitions, and find their own happiness and place in the world?
I guess I'd try to make sure they know that happiness is really the most important part. And I'd make sure to let them know that everyone is happy in different ways. Finding your own happiness is your job on Earth. We only get one shot. Why waste it on trying to live up to other people's ideas of right or wrong?
About the Author:
About the author: A.S. King has recently returned from Ireland, where she spent a decade dividing herself between self-sufficiency, teaching adult literacy, and writing novels. She has also been a rare poultry breeder, photographer, master printer, contractor, summer camp counselor, pizza delivery driver and, for a week or two, a complete loser who did nothing at all.
Amy’s newest YA novel, Ask the Passengers (Little, Brown October 2012)is a Junior Library Guild selection, an Indie Next List pick and has been called “Another thoughtful, and often breathtaking achievement” by Booklist in one of five starred reviews for the book. Everybody Sees the Ants (Little, Brown October 2011) was an Andre Norton Award finalist, a Cybils finalist, and a 2012 YALSA Top Ten book for young adults. Her 2010 YA novel, Please Ignore Vera Dietz was a 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book, an Edgar Award Nominee, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book for Teens 2010, a Junior Library Guild selection and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. Her first YA novel, The Dust of 100 Dogs, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an Indie Next pick and a Cybil award finalist. Her short fiction for adults has been widely published and was nominated for Best New American Voices 2010. Amy now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children and is a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut, corn on the cob, libraries, and roller skating.
About the Book:
Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl.
As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better.
In this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love -quoted from Goodreads
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Blog Tour:
Be sure to check out the rest of the tour by visiting the following blogs:
10/22 The Book Smugglers
10/23 Mundie Moms
10/24 Forever YA
10/25 YA Love
10/26 Chick Loves Lit
Posts
Astrid is an inspiring character. She's mature and going through a tough period of time. Great interview. Love the questions asked and enjoyed reading A.S. King's responses!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! I've had ASK THE PASSENGERS on my list, and it's just been nudged to the fore.
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