The podcast discusses topics such as crafting compelling query letters, creating morally ambiguous characters, exploring complex themes in YA literature, the power of strong female representation, and the challenges of losing control of the narrative.
The Favorites by Rosemary Hennigan challenges readers to examine their own judgment and reflect on power dynamics and the nature of obsession.
Through the use of an identified second person as the audience, the narrative of The Favorites creates a personal and relatable interaction, enhancing the storytelling and encouraging readers to confront their biases and judgments.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of novels that entertain and intellectually nourish readers, tackling big topics like gender, justice, and privilege, and lingering in readers' minds after they finish the book.
Deep dives
Introducing Challenging Themes and Judgment
The Favorites by Rosemary Hennigan is a thought-provoking novel that invites readers to judge the main character, Jessie, as she recounts her story. Through a first-person narrative, Jessie sets out to reveal the events surrounding her relationship with the charismatic Professor Jay Crane and seeks the reader's judgment on her actions and motivations. By doing so, Hennigan challenges readers to examine their own feelings of right and wrong, and to reflect on the complexities of power dynamics and the nature of obsession.
The Narrative Approach and the Reader's Role
Hennigan skillfully structures the narrative by addressing an unidentified second person as Jessie shares her story, creating an intimate connection between the reader and the main character. This narrative choice not only invites readers to evaluate Jessie's choices and their morality, but also encourages self-reflection, as readers must confront their own biases and judgments. The reader's role as judge and jury adds an extra layer of engagement and forces them to question their own understanding of right and wrong.
Evolution of Narrative Structure
The decision to include an identified second person as Jessie's audience evolved throughout the writing process. Initially leaving it open to an abstract reader, Hennigan realized that grounding the narrative in a specific person allowed for a more personal and relatable interaction. It also tied the story more closely to its realistic context and created a stronger motivation for Jessie to examine her actions. The dynamic between Jessie and her audience adds depth to the storytelling, enhances the sense of realism, and further challenges readers to grapple with their own judgments.
Encouraging Reader Engagement and Reflection
The Favorites demands active engagement from readers, urging them to question their own perceptions of right and wrong while following Jessie's journey. By inviting judgment, challenging biases, and exploring complex emotions, Hennigan creates a gripping and thought-provoking reading experience that lingers long after the final page. Through this approach, readers are not only drawn into the story itself but also prompted to examine their own beliefs and reflect on the shades of gray that exist within the human experience.
Exploring Complex Themes and Reflection
The podcast episode discusses the importance of novels that not only entertain but also offer readers a chance to reflect on complex themes. The speaker emphasizes the value of books that tackle big topics like gender, justice, and privilege, providing a space for thoughtful exploration. Novels, in the speaker's view, have the power to entertain, captivate, and linger in the minds of readers long after they have finished the book.
Navigating Nuance and Questioning Justice
The podcast episode delves into the protagonist's journey, highlighting her initially single-minded and calculated approach to seek justice for a personal loss. However, as she gets closer to her goal, she begins to question her actions and the complexity of the situation. The story explores the difficulties of navigating cases that lack clear-cut answers and emphasizes the challenges in finding justice. It also touches on the limitations of the legal system and the need for productive, nuanced discussions around these issues.
In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and CeCe critique two query letters. They discuss a good example of the concept of 'curiosity seeds'; the importance of expedience when getting a character from point A to point B; the creation of immediacy through present tense; how to give specifics in the query letter without ruining the curiosity seeds you want to plant in the pages; how the discussion of money in pages allow for various opportunities to reveal details about a character; and the need for a balance between interiority and emotionality.
After which, Bianca chats with Rosemary Hennigan, author of The Favorites. They discuss framing the narrative by doing heavy lifting in the opening pages; having your character make the reader ask some big questions; stories that both entertain and intellectually nourish readers; not giving the reader all the information; choosing a specific historical backdrop to mirror themes in the book; how whatever’s happening in politics in that timeframe affect your character’s emotions and decisions; and the subjectivity of the industry.
