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Every Reason We Shouldn't (Every Reason We Shouldn't #1) by Sara Fujimura
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: March 3rd 2020
Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports, Fiction, Teen, Cultural
Synopsis:
Warning: Contains family expectations, delightful banter, great romantic tension, skating (all kinds!), Korean pastries,and all the feels.
Fifteen-year-old, biracial figure skater Olivia Kennedy’s Olympic dreams have ended. She's bitter, but enjoying life as a regular teenager instead of an athlete... until Jonah Choi starts training at her family's struggling rink. Jonah's driven, talented, going for the Olympics in speed skating, completely annoying... and totally gorgeous. Between teasing Jonah, helping her best friend try out for roller derby, figuring out life as a normal teen and keeping the family business running, Olivia's got her hands full. But will rivalry bring her closer to Jonah, or drive them apart?
Every Reason We Shouldn't by Sara Fujimura is a charming multicultural romance perfect for the many fans of Jenny Han and Rainbow Rowell.
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How
did you come up with the idea for Every
Reason We Shouldn't?
Apolo
Ohno’s autobiography ZERO REGRETS is a fascinating look into the
mind and life of a high-performance athlete. I was particularly drawn
to his teen years. Ohno sacrificed a lot of normal teenage things
(like Jonah does) to chase his dream even though there were no
guarantees that he would ever make it to the Olympics. Spoiler alert:
Ohno has eight Olympic medals in short track speed skating. I think
he made the right choice. I saved Ohno’s crossroads story for
Olivia, though. You don’t have to be a high-level athlete to
understand Olivia’s dilemma. Somewhere between the ages of 17-21,
EVERYBODY has a version of this crossroads conflict in their life.
It’s that time when
you have to decide: Is it time to let this dream go, or do I push on
even though it is currently bringing me nothing but heartache?
Whether you don’t get into your dream college or do make it through
the first round of auditions or get a failing grade in a class that
you’ve busted your butt in or whatever version of disappointment
and frustration comes with your dream, you will hit the crossroads at
some point. Because figure skating skews so young for women, Olivia
arrived at the crossroads earlier than most.
Did
you do any research for Every
Reason We Shouldn't?
So.
Much. Research. My brain loves to give me ideas for stories about
things I don’t know beans about. I started my writing career as a
journalist though, so I know how to do research. I totally geek out
while doing research and love interviewing experts. You can see at
the end of the ERWS, how many people had a hand in this book. I had
multiple beta readers reading for specific things. The biggest
surprise was NY Times best-selling adult author and skating superfan
Courtney Milan who graciously shared her ridiculous depth of
knowledge about figure skating with me. Though the story was solid
enough to be believable, Ms. Milan helped me tweak little details to
take the book to the next level. The biggest compliment I receive is
when a reader thinks I was a hard-core skater once upon a time just
like they are/were. Though I own a pair of ice skates, I will be the
first to admit that I’m a horrible figure skater. I am much better
on roller skates. I have to give YA author and figure skater Katie
Van Ark (THE BOY NEXT DOOR, YA contemporary about pair figure
skaters) props for also helping me with my skating and coming up with
Olivia and Jonah’s signature move.
Do
you have a favourite character in Every
Reason We Shouldn't?
Mack.
She’s raw. She’s feisty. Her relationship with Olivia and Jonah
is unusual. Because Mack is almost 20 and a single mom, she is
simultaneously a buddy and a mother figure to the younger skaters.
Mack has already passed through the crossroads in her life and made
some life-altering choices. Though it looks like she’s going
completely the wrong way…that’s all I’m going to say.
What
was your favourite part of writing Every
Reason We Shouldn't?
Getting
to step inside the minds of such different people. I like to do
“method writing” whenever I can, so I went to my local ice
skating rink several times and skated. I also attended a roller derby
bout in downtown Phoenix. I ate hotteok in the name of research.
Multiple times. Just to be sure. I believe that it’s all the little
specific details that make a book fun and relatable even if it is
entirely different from your life.
Do
you have any advice for new writers?
Write
whatever your heart calls you to write. What if I had listened to my
Inner Critic who said, “What? You can’t write this book. You’re
a terrible ice skater and don’t understand the first thing about
speed skating?” I can’t get the Inner Critic to go away, but I
can put duct tape over her mouth and make her sit in the corner while
I’m writing.
What's
your favourite book/series?
After
reading too many crappy second books in a forced trilogy, I prefer to
stick to standalone novels. That said, I love it when the books are
standalone but set in one world. That way, old characters can have
cameos in new characters’ books. Then it feels like a reunion. My
current favorite author who does this so well is Sandhya Menon. I
can’t wait for the newest “Dimpleverse” book 10 THINGS I HATE
ABOUT PINKY.
About the Author
SARA FUJIMURA is an award-winning young adult author and creative writing teacher. She is the American half of her Japanese-American family, and has written about Japanese culture and raising bicultural children for such magazines as Appleseeds, Learning Through History, East West, and Mothering, as well as travel-related articles for To Japan With Love. Her self-published young adult novels include Tanabata Wish and Breathe. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and children.
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