Author: Natasha Friend

Pages: 272

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Release Date: March 8th 2016

The first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself… Dumped by her best friend, Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade “hanging out with different people.” Deserted by her mom, who’s in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. Trapped in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride. Stuck at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with. But what if all isn’t lost? What if Anna’s mom didn’t exactly mean to leave her? What if Anna’s stepmother is cooler than she thought? What if the misfit lunch table isn’t such a bad fit after all? With help from some unlikely sources, including a crazy girl-band talent show act, Anna just may find herself on the road to okay.

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1. First of all, hello and welcome to Next Page Please!
Hi Kaitlin. I’m happy to be here.

2. Your past books have mostly been in the upper Young Adult age group, what was it like to be writing a slightly younger book and what was different about it compared to your past books?
My first three books—PERFECT, LUSH, and BOUNCE—were all upper middle grade with thirteen-year-old protagonists. I made the departure to upper Y.A. for FOR KEEPS and MY LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE, and, frankly, those books didn’t resonate as well with older teen readers. For WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME, I decided to return to my sweet spot. Perhaps because I’m still a thirteen-year-old girl at heart, I’ve found that my younger voice is both more authentic and easier to access. Writing this book felt like coming home.

3. Anna seems to be caught in a pretty difficult situation in Where You'll Find Me. What is some advice you would give to Anna to help her get through the struggles she goes through in the book?
If I were Anna’s friend I would tell her that whatever emotions she’s feeling about her mother’s illness—shame, guilt, frustration, fear, sadness, anger—they’re all okay. I would tell her that she could talk to me any time, but I would also encourage her to talk to a trusted adult, to get some professional support not just for her mom, but also for herself.

4. What inspired you to write a story about a girl with a suicidal mother and how did that work out for you when you were writing this book?
Like Anna, I grew up with a mother who was battling clinical depression. I never talked about it, and I never asked for help; I was coping the best I could. Luckily, my mom has since found the support she needs, and we are able to speak frankly about her depression. This openness was particularly helpful while I was writing WHERE YOU’LL FIND ME. I could call her up and say, “Describe what a deep depression feels like,” and, “Describe what it feels like to climb your way out.” Anna’s story—although some parts may be painful to read—is ultimately one of resilience and hope.

5. Describe the Where You'll Find Me cover in three words!
Wistful, honest, buoyant.

6. What are some books readers who enjoyed Where You'll Find Me might also enjoy?
WONDER by R.J. Palacio. FISH IN A TREE by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. COUNTING BY SEVENS by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

7. Now that your book is out, what are you doing to celebrate?
Going out on the town with my favorite girls!

8. What message do you hope readers will pick up from this book?
True friends—no matter where they sit in the lunchroom—will always buoy you up.

9. If you were stuck on an island and had to wait 3 weeks before you were rescued, what 3 books would you bring?
GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell. YES PLEASE by Amy Poehler. CARRY ON, WARRIOR by Glennon Doyle Melton.

10. Thanks for being here Natasha! Now for our final question, which author do you look up to the most?
Judy Blume, always and forever.

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Natasha Friend

Natasha Friend--wearer of silly hats, lover of press-on mustaches, admirer of Gloria Steinem, devotee of well-named nail polish shades--is also an author. When she is not writing books, you will find her playing Wiffle ball, turning cartwheels, making chocolate-chip pancakes, singing, dancing, and wishing she was in a talent show. Natasha lives in Connecticut with her husband, three kids, and dog. Where You'll Find Me is her sixth novel. Visit her online at natashafriend.com

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