Very in Pieces
by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 29th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Very Sales-Woodruff is done being a good girl. Done being the only responsible one in a family that’s unraveling. Done being the obliging girlfriend in a relationship that’s sinking. Done saying no to what she wants—like Dominic, her rebellious classmate.
With her mom’s drinking, her dad’s extended absences from home, and her younger sister, Ramona, running wild, the path Very has always seen for herself doesn’t seem to matter anymore. At the same time, Very’s grandmother, a poet known less for her work and more for her exploits with the likes of Andy Warhol and Arthur Miller, is slipping away.
If everything else can fall to pieces, why can’t she?
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
It was really a mix of things. As a writer, I tend to hold onto little ideas that I have, and then bring them together into one story. So I had the idea of a sculpture made of bottle caps, and I had the character of Very, and I had the idea of this bad boy who was a liar, but also not really a bad guy – all of that came together and the story grew from there.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Ramona, I think. She struggles so hard. She doesn’t understand her emotions. She wants to do the right thing, but she isn’t sure what that is, and she also isn’t sure if she could force herself to do it.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
Definitely the novel. My titles almost never stay the same. I was calling this book Bottle Cap, but the publishing house thought it sounded too young, and I agree. I like Very in Pieces because of the way it plays on her name, and the fact that she feels like she is being pulled apart, but also because it mirrors the structure of the book in some ways.
What do you like most about the cover of the book?
You can hold the front and the back of the book together to reveal all of Very’s face. Of course, you would need two copies of the book to do this, so get together with a friend!
What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2015?
I was able to read an early draft of Either the Beginning or the End of the World by Terry Farish, which comes out this October. I don’t even have to close my eyes to be back in the world: I can smell the ocean and feel the cold; I can smell the fish and the coffee. Terry writes gorgeously about difficult topics – this time a fractured family and a soldier with PTSD – and I cannot wait to read her final version of this powerful story.
What was your favorite book in 2015?
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby – it was haunting, beautiful, romantic, and raw.
What’s up next for you?
In May, I have a new MG coming out which I am super excited about. It’s called The Firefly Code. I am also working on a new YA – a roadtrip novel.
Is there anything that you would like to add?
Just thank you for having me here today and all the work you do to support and promote YA books!
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Megan Frazer Blakemore is an author for children and young adults. She lives with her husband and children in Maine. She has worked in both school and public libraries, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in library science at Simmons SLIS.
2 winners will receive a signed copy of Very In Pieces and a signed copy of Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer Blakemore (US Only)
1 winner will receive a signed copy of Very In Pieces and a signed copy of Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer Blakemore (INT)
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