Blog Tour: Unremembered - Jessica Brody

Today I'm hosting a stop on Jessica Brody's blog tour for her phenomenal book 'Unremembered'.  Jessica was kind enough to answer some of my questions.

I've just finished reading Unremembered and loved it! What was your inspiration for the book?

Thanks so much! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! A few years ago, I read a newspaper article about a teen girl who was the sole survivor of a plane crash. I was instantly fascinated by the story. Namely because they had no idea why she survived when no else did. I started brainstorming reasons as to why she was so lucky. One particular reason (a rather intricate, science-fiction-inspired one) stuck in my mind and refused to leave. It continued to grow and blossom until I had an idea for an entire trilogy. A trilogy that starts with a mysterious plane crash and a single survivor.

I can't wait to find out what will happen to Sera and Zen next. Can you give fans any hints?

Tee hee! Let’s see if I can come up with a few good ones without giving away too many spoilers about the first book for those who haven’t yet read it! UNFORGOTTEN begins 6 months after UNREMEMBERED ends. Sera and Zen have been living in the “secret place” that they travel to at the end of book 1. But they soon discover that this “place” isn’t as welcoming as they thought it would be. And the people who are looking for Seraphina have created a unique new “weapon.” One that she will be very difficult for her to defeat.

Phew! That was hard!

Which character in Unremembered did you enjoy writing the most?

I have to say Cody, Seraphina’s 13-year-old foster brother.

This genre was brand new for me. My first time venturing into the world of sci-fi. And as all my contemporaries were comedies, it was oftentimes a challenge for me to write something darker and more serious. Cody, however, is the comic relief of the novel. So writing him was like a little link back to my comfort zone. I always felt like I was “home” when I wrote him. And it gave me the opportunity to make fun of myself a little. While Sera’s storyline is rather dark and mysterious and all these harrowing things are happening to her, Cody can always be counted on to lighten the mood with a comedic crack.

This book is quite a change of pace from your previous work. Why did you decide to write something in this particular genre?

Well, I’ll start off by saying that I definitely didn’t abandon the contemporary genre. It’s still a genre I adore writing and I actually have another contemporary standalone book coming out in the US in Summer of 2015 that will be really fun. But the idea to try my hand at science fiction was really about flexing my creative muscles and seeing how far I could take a character outside of “normal teen life” and still create a compelling emotional journey for her and the reader. In the end, all my books (regardless of genre) tell stories about discovering who you are and dealing with what life brings you (because that’s universal.) In UNREMEMBERED, all I did was insert this struggle into a science-fiction setting where I could exaggerate the “who am I” question. As a writer it’s fun to be able to create an extraordinary world, drop a character in, and see what she does.

During the editing process I imagine that several scenes must have been cut from the book. Which was the hardest to leave out?

Seraphina has many unique, superhuman abilities in this book. There was one scene that I wrote (that I really loved) in which her doctor at the hospital discovers one of these abilities and calls to talk to her about it. It’s how she first discovers this particular ability. (And it’s a cool one!) I eventually ended up cutting it because it just felt like too much. She was already dealing with so much and learning so much about herself that I feared it muddled the story to add another detail at that point. So I cut the scene. But don’t worry, the ability is still there, she’s just not going to discover it until book 2. 

Which other titles would you recommend for those that enjoyed Unremembered?

Just the other day I learned a new term: “Biopunk.” I was fascinated when I found it in a review of UNREMEMBERED, since I’d never heard of it before, and immediately had to look up what it meant. It’s essentially a genre of science fiction that focuses on the unintended consequences of human experimentation and biotechnology. Which, in the end, is exactly what UNREMEMBERED is about. I’m excited to be part of this new growing trend in YA literature. And especially excited to be in the company of some amazing authors who, like me, are clearly fascinated by how science can change us, and how it can make for a thrilling story.

Some good ones in the YA genre include: ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury, MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza, BETA by Rachel Cohn, and EVE AND ADAM by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate.

Review: Unremembered - Jessica Brody

Unremembered by Jessica Brody, published by Macmillan Children's Books on 28th February 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
A catastrophic plan crash leaves one survivor: a girl with no memory.

Who is she?  Where does she come from?

Nobody knows and no one comes forward to claim her.

Haunted by a looming threat she can't remember and plagued by abilities she doesn't understand, she struggles to recall who she is. But every clue leads to more questions. And she's running out of time to answer them.  Her only hope is a boy who claims they were once in love.

Alone and on the run, who should she trust? And what if she discovers that she is safer with a past that stays unremembered?

Review:
I was originally drawn to 'Unremembered' after I saw it described as a perfect read for fans of The Hunger Games, The Bourne Identity and Inception.  Being a big fan of all three, I had a feeling that this was going to be my kind of book and luckily I was right!  It has action, adventure and suspense in bucket loads, mixed with just a pinch of sci-fi and will, I'm sure, appeal enormously to readers who enjoy plenty of thrills and spills.  I finished it in one evening because it was so superb that I could not put it down.

The premise was intriguing from the start.  A girl survives a plane crash which kills everyone else on board.  Found floating in the middle of the ocean, she is rescued and taken to hospital.  However, when she wakes up, she has no memory of who she is and where she came from.  Taken in by a foster family, she struggles to make sense of everything around her and cannot provide people with any of the answers to the questions they keep asking.  That is until a strange boy tells her that he knows her and can reveal her true past.

The story is gripping and the plot complex.  I had to concentrate quite hard in the second-half to make sure that I didn't miss any crucial plot points.  I loved the fact that I had no idea what was going to happen next and I was kept guessing about the main character's true past, until the moment of the big reveal.  It's wonderful to be truly surprised instead of being able to predict the outcome of a book.  I can't say too much about the story itself because I'm so worried about giving something away, but needless to say it's absolutely brilliant and a very clever mind twister. 

Jessica Brody has mixed lots of different genres together, from sci-fi, to romance, to action thriller, but it works brilliantly and there is something to appeal to everyone.  At times, I can get a little tired of books always being part of a trilogy, but for once I'm glad to say that there is still more to come in the series with 'Unforgotten' due to be published in 2014.

Hotly Anticipated Reads 2013: Macmillan Children's Books

Macmillan are one of my favourite publishers and I always look forward to seeing what new books they have out each year.  There's always plenty to get excited about!  Plus they are the UK home of Meg Cabot whose books I absolutely adore.

Here's a selection of some of the titles they have in store for us lucky readers in 2013!

All links go to Goodreads where you can add them to your wishlist

Vortex by Julie Cross, published 3rd January

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, allthat changes when Holly—the girl he altered history to save—re-enters his life. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents find themselves under attack and on the run.

One Crow Alone by S.D. Crockett, published 31st January

The long, bitter winters are getting worse, and a state of emergency has been declared across Europe. In Poland, the villagers are subject to frequent power cuts and fuel shortages. After the death of her grandmother and the evacuation of her village, fifteen-year-old Magda joins forces with the arrogant, handsome Ivan and smuggles her way onto a truck bound for London - where she hopes to find her mother. But London, when they reach it, is a nightmarish world, far from welcoming. Riots are commonplace and the growing chaos is exploited by criminals and terrorists alike. Magda's mother is not to be found, and as the lost girl struggles to come to terms with her changing situation, she eventually becomes friends with a rag-tag group of travellers planning a new home and future. They will need all the cunning and know-how they possess as they realise that the frozen wilderness of Britain has become just as lawless as the city.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody, published 14th March

Sixteen-year-old Jena is the only survivor of an explosion on a plane. She wakes up in hospital to find that she has no memory. The only clue to her identity is a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a top-secret science experiment. The only adult she trusts insists that she shouldn’t believe anything that anybody tells her. In a tense and pacy novel exploding with intrigue and action, Jena must work out who she is and where she came from. Eventually she will learn that the only thing worse than forgetting her past is remembering it.

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin, published 11th April

Reluctant heir of a Mafia boss. Star-crossed lover. Paparazzi darling. Hitman’s target. Anya Balanchine’s amazing story continues in the second part of the Birthright trilogy.

Abandon: Underworld by Meg Cabot, published 25th April

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.  Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance . . . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.  And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

Goddess by Josephine Angelini, published 6th June

She must rise, or they will fall . . . Helen's powers are increasing—and so is the distance between her and her mortal friends. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a dangerous traitor is lurking among them, and all fingers point to Orion. Still unsure whether she loves him or Lucas, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, or risk all-out war.

Comment and let me know which books you're most looking forward to in 2013!