Trish Doller Interview

Something Like Normal totally rocked my socks, so I am super excited to have the very sweet and very awesome Trish Doller, author of Something Like Normal, over for an interview on this here blog of mine!

Where did the idea for Something Like Normal come from?

Almost a decade ago, when I was working as a staff reporter for my local newspaper, I interviewed a Marine who was home on leave after being deployed to Iraq. It struck me how young he was, and how he'd seen and done things his high school friends would never experience. When I actually started writing what would become Something Like Normal, it was about a girl and Travis was meant to be her love interest. But the memory of that interview came back and I realized he was a far more compelling character. 

I loved that you tackled something I've never read in YA before: war from a Marine's point of view. Did you ever think that a book about a Marine would be to adult for young adult? Was your agent and/or editor worried about it or totally on board?

I did have a moment of worry that a 19-year-old Marine might not qualify as young adult, but coming home from Afghanistan throws Travis back into a world where he's sleeping in his childhood bed, hanging around with his former high school friends, and dealing with the same issues he's always had with his dad. So while he's grown up and gone off to fight a war, he's expected to just fit right back into the space he left. And I think that's very young adult fiction. As for my agent, it was never a question. I sent her the first few chapters to get her thoughts and she suggested we submit it to a few editors. 

While I was reading your book, one of the things that really stood out to me was how much you really seemed to know about what the Marines and the protocol for it, etc. Did you already know this info before writing SLN, or did you have to do a ton of research?

I did a staggering amount of research for Something Like Normal. I started by reading books about the war in Afghanistan, post-traumatic stress disorder, boot camp...basically anything I thought I'd need to know about Marines. I watched movies (I highly recommend The Dry Land) and YouTube videos of Marines in combat; downloaded dozens of pictures; read internet articles about the Marines fighting in Helmand Province; and joined a message board, where Marines talked about everything--from dirty jokes to their experiences in war. Most of the videos, pictures, and articles were following a single battalion--the 3rd Battalion/6th Marines--during Operation Moshtarak, which was the assault on Marjah. Even though I didn't know any of the guys, I cried my eyes out when they came home. The best part of the research, though, was "meeting" one of the guys from that battalion through the message board. He answer questions for me about Afghanistan and when he went back on his second deployment, I sent him care packages.

Tell us something about you that's not on your "About The Author" page.

I have a weakness for guys who smuggle things on spaceships. Han Solo, Malcolm Reynolds...this means you.

Coke or Pepsi?

I'm one of those weird people who likes both and alternates between them depending on my mood. But if I had to choose...Gah! Who knew this question could be so complicated?! I think...Coke. (I'm sorry, Pepsi.)

What's a book you wish got more attention?

I have a list of books I wish got more attention, but I think the one that stands out most in my mind is Blythe Woolston's The Freak Observer. She won the Morris Award for that book, but when the average shopper is going for the blockbusters, that brilliant little book gets overlooked and that's so wrong.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

You know how when you take a multiple choice exam you'll color in the bubble, change your mind, erase furiously, and color in a new bubble, only to find your first answer was correct? This. Don't spend too much time second guessing yourself. Trust your instincts.


Thank you so much for that great interview, Trish! I hope everyone enjoys reading your answers as much as I did.

Something Like Normal Review

Author: Trish Doller

Release date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 224

How I got it: For review via netgalley

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero. 

Something Like Normal is the best 2012 contemporary I've read so far this year. That's saying something, but I have no doubt in my mind that it's a completely true statement.

The fact that this book is YA makes me happy. This could've easily been marketed towards adults but I'm so glad it wasn't. I'm so glad I can shove this book into the hands of YA-naysayers in the future knowing they will say nay no longer because Doller does not hold anything back. SLN is even more heart-pounding intense than I expected it to be, which is saying something. This book is full of solid, real emotion that I appreciated and identified with.

Because of said intensity and emotion, the character it revolves around, Travis, is kinda screwed-up in a few ways. Despite that (or perhaps partially because of it?) I quickly and fully invested in his character. And I was so happy when Harper was introduced because she is just what he needed. She's tough but sweet, and that's also exactly how I'd describe their relationship. It really helped lighten the novel just the touch it needed. Another relationship I really enjoyed was the growing one between Travis and his mom.

Also, let my just point out another thing that stood out to me: the obvious knowledge Doller had on the subject of the marines. (Of course, that could be because that had been pointed out to me before I read it.) I devoured Something Like Normal as fast as possible, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. This one is a must-read for all contemporary fans.

Plot: Unlike anything I've ever read and I loved that.

Characters: Each is fully developed and lovable.

Writing: Great.

Ending: I was worried I wouldn't get closure, but I did and YAY.

Kid friendly? There were mentions of sex, drugs, drinking, and swearing.

Overall:

Good luck prying me away from this one.
Something Like Normal was a wonderfully crafted contemporary that invaded my thoughts even when I wasn't reading, and I had to stay up late into the night to finish it.

Waiting On Wednesday (64)

This week I'm waiting on...

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

A powerful debut novel about a young Marine's return home from Afghanistan and the new life and love he finds while fending off the ghosts of war.

When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.

His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel.

Coming June 19 from Bloomsbury

In a sea of YA novels about paranormal creatures and people falling in love as the world falls apart around them, Something Like Normal sounds like it will be completely different, important, and powerful. Plus, it's a debut. And a contemporary.

I'm ALSO looking forward to the sequel to The Rise of Renegade X, one of my very favorite books. There's no cover or title yet, but that does not make me any less excited. Read more about it here.