Queer horror is honestly one of the best things that has come out of the publishing work these last few years because I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about the other drama that's been going on.
Hey everyone! I could not be more excited to finally share with you all my interview with Kalynn Baron, the incredible author with a tome of books under her belt, and never lacking in variety- from a YA fantasy duology This Poison Heart and standalone Cindrella is Dead, to queer anthologies and middle-grade novels with vampires.
Through the wonderful Hear Our Voices Book Tour, I got the opportunity to talk to Kalynn about her upcoming queer retelling of the classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde called My Dear Henry.
Wow, so the concept sounded so cool when I heard about it the first time and now that I've read the book and fallen in love with the characters, I cannot recommend it enough- the book and the interview- because both serve as great pitches (if i may say so myself ; ))
Table of Contents
Synopsis
In this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.
London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expulsion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.
But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.
In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a strangely familiar young man with white hair and magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.
But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood...
Book Info
Publishing date- 7 March 2023
Publisher- Feiwel & Friends
Genre- Historical fiction, retelling, horror.
Age range- YA
Content Warnings-
Interview
Q1. Aamna - My Dear Henry is part of a larger series that remixes well-known classics. Was there a special reason you chose to do a remix of the story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
A1: I knew immediately that I wanted to tackle the story of Jekyll and Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella is one of my favorite gothic tales of all time. The original is a harrowing tale in and of itself, but I thought about what this story might look like through the eyes of someone who was both Black and Queer. It seemed like a story that would fit nicely into the larger series but it doesn’t hurt that I happen to know this story inside and out because I am obsessed with it!
Q2. Aamna- My Dear Henry strikes the perfect balance between pulling from the original text and adding new twists to the story. How did you choose what elements to keep from the original and how did you manage that balance?
A2: I think the ominous tone of the original novella was something I wanted to keep intact. I went back through and picked apart the passages that were the most haunting and used them as a framework for the retelling. I had to make this story my own, but I didn’t want to change the overall themes as much as I wanted to explore them.
Q3. Aamna- I like to try writing here and there too, and I'd love it if you could talk about your writing process with us a little bit. What are your greatest motivations as a writer?
A3: My biggest motivation is that I have a million stories I want to tell, so I have to keep writing in order to get them all out there! I really love what I do. I take a lot of joy in writing for young people.
As far as process, I try to keep things fluid. I’m constantly learning and trying new things. I work with an outline. I set aside dedicated writing time but I try not to get too down on myself when other things come up. I allow myself to pour everything into a draft—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can always make a first draft better so putting the words on the page is the most important thing.
Q4. Aamna- What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
A4: More than anything else, persistence is what will get you where you want to be in publishing. Skills are important, but so is luck. It also helps to have an unwavering commitment to dusting yourself off and trying again. Don’t give up.
Q5. Aamna- What’s your favorite and least favorite part of publishing?
A:5 My favorite part is crafting the stories and working with a team of people who help me bring the work to its highest potential. My least favorite thing is flying. I’m always so nervous when I have to travel!
Q6. Aamna- Apart from being an amazing writer, you are a classically trained vocalist and dancer (God, you're so talented!). Could you tell us if other forms of art have helped you in your writing? And if you still get time for your other hobbies?
A6: I love storytelling in all forms. I really feel like art, literature, music, and dance—they’re all ways of telling a story. All of my creative pursuits inform each other and make me a better storyteller. My writing takes up the majority of my time but I plan to do some music this year so I’m excited about that!
Q7. Aamna- What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?
A7: The biggest change was the exploration of the relationship between Gabriel and Lanyon. In the first draft, they were simply acquaintances, but by the time we’d worked through the first round of revisions I had fleshed that relationship out quite a bit more to make Lanyon someone with whom Gabriel could be himself. Having that relationship with Lanyon is hard for Gabriel because he desperately wants that with Henry but it’s…complicated.
Q8. Aamna- It's so refreshing to see more Black characters in all kinds of stories. What are some of your favorite YA stories with Black characters?
A8: There are so many. Legendborn by Tracy Deon, A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow who also wrote So Many Beginnings for this Remixed Classics series, Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds, Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters, Rise to the Sun by Leah, Johnson. I could go on and on! I feel very fortunate to have so many to choose from. We didn’t always have that, so it feels good to see my community represented across so many genres.
My Review
About the Author
Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the YA fantasy novels Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart. Her latest works include the YA fantasy This Wicked Fate and the middle-grade paranormal adventure The Vanquishers. She is a CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominee, a three-time CYBILS Award nominee, a LOCUS Award finalist, and the recipient of the 2022 Randall Kenan Award for Black LGBTQ fiction. She is a classically trained vocalist and musical theater enthusiast. When she's not writing you can find her watching scary movies and spending time with her family.
Time to chat!
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed reading Kalynn's answers and liked the review. Please consider giving this post a little heart (see bottom of the post), commenting, or sharing to let me know you liked it.
Until next time,
BYE!
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