2017 Most Anticipated - How To Break A Boy

The next book on my 2017 Most Anticipated list has been compared to both Courtney Summers and Mean Girls. If that alone doesn't make you want to read it, hopefully this post will.

Laurie Devore's debut is filled with female characters who are complex and flawed. They make questionable decisions. They are the type of characters that get branded unlikeable (among other things). They are, for lack of a better term, the quintessential 'mean girls' and I could not be more excited to meet them.

Here is the  Goodreads synopsis so you can get a tease of all the delicious drama waiting to unfold

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do--through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change--but it's impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne's war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won't go down without a fight--not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what's left of herself. 

Laurie took the time to answer a few questions for me. She used a Gossip Girl gif, and spilled the entire first paragraph of her story so basically she's the coolest.

1 What gif do you feel represents How To Break A Boy

I always struggle between the soapy and more emotional side of the book but I really love this one for just capturing the general attitude:

2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?

Hmm, maybe one scoop of honeysuckle, one scoop of pink bubblegum, sprinkles to make it a bit more appealing, and a hint of deceit (chocolate syrup should do).

3 It sounds like your main character is going to be complex. Did you find writing a character like her difficult?

Honestly, I can’t imagine writing any other type of character. I like my girls a little rough around the edges, challenging. I think it’s who I’ve always been – growing up, I was most drawn to the darker characters, the seriously flawed girls who made questionable decisions and often spent time cleaning up after themselves. I always find myself wanting to dig into those girls and get to their core since they don’t give their secrets up too easy. Half the fun is getting them to spill.

4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel

Even though my title is a great Fiona Apple shout out my editor spotted (and listen to “Criminal” in relation to this book – it’s undeniable), the original song I’d always thought was perfect for this book is Rilo Kiley’s “Portions for Foxes.” I mean:

It's just bad news, bad news, bad news
‘Cause you're just damage control
For a walking corpse like me

It’s definitely Olivia’s song.

5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?

Time traveling is not my strong suit due to my deep, abiding love of the internet and technology. Honestly, anywhere at any time period? Probably a beach in Europe right now ;)

6 What 2017 release are you most anticipating?

I could not be more excited for Kate Hart’s After the Fall. It promises to feature more of those complex female characters I love – and it’s set in the south too!  And for a looking-even-further-ahead bonus pick, keep your eyes out for Somaiya Daud’s Mirage, a Moroccan-inspired sci fi out next fall.

7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of How To Break A Boy?

How about the first paragraph :)

If you’re riding up from Columbia on I-20, get off at Exit 98 and drive northeast for about forty-five minutes, past a bunch of cows and historic battlefields and bullshit, and you’ll hit Buckley, South Carolina. It’s a blink-and- you-miss- it town, minus there being anything to miss. When you see a sign declaring the Buckley High Golf Team State Champs and a water tower with some faded spray paint, you’re there. If you hit the Gas-n- Go, you’ve gone too far.

There is something about the innocence and child like quality to the bubble gum on the cover when contrasted with the synopsis. I like it and I think this novel is going to be both a soapy treat, and a really look at those girls who are brushed aside as 'unlikeable' simply for making mistakes.

How To Break A Boy releases January 31, 2017 so the wait is going to be next to nothing! Add it to your after holiday shopping spree when spending all those gift cards you were gifted.

Chapters // Amazon // Barnes and Noble // BAM 

You can also follow Laurie on Twitter, visit her website, and visit the publisher website for more information about How To Break A Boy.

If you're a contemporary fan like myself, do you like the more gritty side? Or do you prefer the lighter side to these types of stories? Are you a fan of stories with flawed characters who are allowed to be flawed and still worthy? Let me know the comments.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book that made this year's list!