Infamousby Allison Stowe
Publication date: Sept 19th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Enter the world of this YA thriller, where nothing is ever quite as it seems…
It’s been five years since the high profile kidnapping case which turned Cassie Waterson’s life upside down. The aftermath led her to become a household name – for months, she was splashed across TV screens, appeared in newspaper headlines, and featured in the furtive whispers of the residents of her hometown. But why? She hadn’t done anything significant. In fact, she’d done nothing at all; merely watched, motionless, as a shadowy figure lifted her baby sister off her feet, and bundled her into the back of a station wagon.
That single moment soon became Cassie Waterson’s life. Agonised by guilt, confused by the lack of punishment, scrutinised by the media circus… everyone claims to know Cassie now, but nobody does at all. The face she puts on for cameras, the voice she fakes for the talk shows… none of that is the reality behind the mask. Cassie is not the strong, confident girl who glares with certainty from the screen. Cassie doesn’t have her assuredness, or her optimism about her sister coming home. Cassie is someone else entirely, and the only person who knows is the one person she must avoid… at all costs.
Every story has two sides, and the flipside of Cassie Waterson is Alexis Aldridge. Unknown, anonymous, kept hidden from the world by her fearful parents… Alexis is a conundrum, wrapped in darkness. While her and Cassie lead opposite lives, they both long for the one thing they miss: a sense of normalcy, and the freedom to be themselves.
INFAMOUS is an unmissable YA mystery novel which will take you on twist after turn, and which provides suspense and surprises on every page.
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Katy Upperman~
1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?
I’m a bit of a true crime addict. Whenever a missing person’s case
blew up in the papers, I’d naturally be all over it. I’d be checking news sites
every day, searching for tiny details that hadn’t been released the day before.
Infamous started with a question, which had sort of been lingering at
the back of my mind while I read this stuff. What’s happening on the other side
of the news story? How do people go from having these normal lives, to being
grieving pseudo-celebrities overnight? I just thought it was a really strange
dichotomy… this whole idea of becoming famous from something so traumatic. I
thought it would be even more interesting to focus on a young girl — the
abductee’s sister — because then this strange world of cameras and sadness
might be all she knows. Funnily, at the time of writing Infamous, I had
just finished my degree in journalism and was looking towards switching paths
to psychology, so this story sort of brought together both of my interests.
2) Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will
discover?
Absolutely. There’s a theme around the human fascination with
celebrity. It often comes across in the main character, Cassie’s, thoughts. She
has a complex relationship with her status, and the attention that it brings.
On one hand, she appreciates the public’s support, but she feels her fame is
undeserved. It also leads her to be mistrustful of people’s intentions. There’s
a theme around the quest to be “normal” and whether that’s actually an
achievable destination for anyone. There’s also a theme around, what really is
maturity? When you meet Cassie, she seems wise beyond her years. She’s
independent and cares for her parents, who never recovered from Sophie’s
disappearance. However, as you learn more about Cassie, you start to realise
that the maturity is just a mask that she puts on to survive and feel safe. As
the story progresses, she starts to ask herself some tough questions, and her
composed life begins to get messy. Gradually, her maturity starts to shift from
this surface-level image to something deeper, but the transition isn’t very
smooth.
3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?
I wouldn’t say ‘based on,’ but the teenage characters definitely have
personality traits or quirks that are inspired by people I’ve known. Cassie’s
best friend, Sara, for instance has the bubbly, carefree traits of my best
friend from high school. This friend was someone who really cared. She was
there for some of the worst times of my life. But during these times, I
wouldn’t talk about my problems. We’d try to focus on a serious conversation,
but two minutes later she’d find a way to make me laugh instead. It’s weird
because I never sat down and thought, “Oh, I know! I’ll base Sara on my friend
from high school,” but when I wrote her character, I was automatically filled
with this memory of how I used to feel when we hung out together.
4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?
Probably some combination of J.K. Rowling and Joss Whedon. They both
have this ability to create super relatable characters, and then place them in
these extraordinary worlds in impossible circumstances. By relating to the
characters, the worlds become real. I’ve always been driven more by character
than storyline — if you can give me a character that I believe in, then I’ll
care about their story. Otherwise, a plot is meaningless to me.
5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place
for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you
serve, and why?
Oh man, I love game night. This is a tough question! I’ll start with
Hermione Granger, even though I’m hesitant because 1) she’s super smart so
might win all the games, and 2) she could use magic to cheat (although I’m sure
she has more integrity than that). Next, I’ll invite Elizabeth Bennett. She’s
fun, witty and free-spirited, and this is game night, so you want someone with
that sort of energy. Finally, I’ll bring Simon Spier — such a funny and
relatable character, and perfect for game night! I’ll have a full game agenda
ready. Codenames is my favourite modern-classic party game, so we’ll start
there. Then we will move into a couple of Unlock! scenarios, because I’m really
into escape room games at the moment. Then, I’ll get my literary character
friends to play TIME Stories with me, mainly because I can’t convince my real
friends to get past the epic rule book. I’ll serve nachos and mini pizzas,
because that’s about the extent of my cooking ability. They will be accompanied
by margaritas (including virgin ones for my teenage guests). Agh, this question
has really got me in the mood for game night!
6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?
Well, it might become a problem if your house turned into a maze of
books, hoarders-style, to the point where you needed to navigate the paths with
a map and lantern. But then, this could be fixed by renting a storage room or
five. So… nope! No such thing as too many books!
Author Bio:Allison Stowe is the author of the YA novel, ‘Infamous.’ Raised in a generic Toronto suburb, Allison spent her childhood posting fan fiction online in hopes of influencing The WB’s writing rooms. She wrote her first novel at age 13. It was based on her favorite TV show, and upon submission she learned of copyright law.
In 2010, she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Journalism from Ryerson University, where she was the Managing Editor of the online newspaper. During her brief journalistic career, Allison wrote for Chatelaine magazine and TV Guide Canada (essentially achieving a life dream). Shortly after graduation, she relocated to Brighton, UK, and refocused her attention on her second passion – helping young people.
While studying for her MSc in Educational Psychology at UCL, Allison wrote Infamous as a way to fulfil her instinct to keep writing. When she isn’t writing about the lives of young adults, or watching prime time teen dramas, Allison mentors university students who’ve been diagnosed with mental health issues. She lives in London, UK, with her fluffy ginger cat, Sawyer. ‘Infamous’ is her debut novel.
Thanks for being on the tour!
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