I’m so pleased to bring you the next installment of Deubt-to-Debut! Today’s interview is with Sarah Lyu, author of the debut YA thriller you’ll want to pack in your beach bag this July: The Best Lies.
If you’re joining us for the first time, here’s what this series is all about: as a debut young adult author myself, (See All the Stars released from S&S/McElderry in August 2018), I found myself eager to start a conversation with a variety of authors in the debut year before, during, and after my own about their books, YA and the writing life more generally, and the experience of putting a first novel out into the world. I wanted their wisdom, and I wanted to share it with other authors, emerging writers, and readers. So every month or two, I chat with a fellow young adult debut novelist, and then I share our conversation with you. You can find all the interviews in the series collected right here.
I recently corresponded with Sarah Lyu about her debut young adult novel, The Best Lies (S&S/Simon Pulse, July 2, 2019).
From the jacket:
Remy Tsai used to know how her story would turn out. But now, she doesn’t even know what tomorrow will look like.
She was happy once. Remy had her boyfriend Jack, and Elise, her best friend—her soulmate—who understood her better than anyone else in the world.
But now Jack is dead, shot through the chest—
And it was Elise who pulled the trigger.
Was it self-defense? Or something deeper, darker than anything Remy could have imagined? As the police investigate, Remy does the same, sifting through her own memories, looking for a scrap of truth that could save the friendship that means everything to her.
KIT FRICK: Hi, Sarah! I’m so excited to chat with you about your debut novel, The Best Lies. The book follows a dual-timeline format, with events unfolding for your protagonist Remy in both the present, as she meets with her lawyer and the police following her boyfriend Jack’s tragic death, and past, as her relationships with Jack and her best friend Elise develop. Tell us a bit about how the structure came into being for The Best Lies and how it helped you tell Remy’s story.
SARAH LYU: Originally, the story had been told linearly but something wasn’t working, and I realized that the emotional arc of the story would only make sense for Remy if she was looking back and seeing everything in a new light, so that was how I came to the back-and-forth structure of the book. Sometimes a traumatic event forces us to reevaluate everything that came before and forces us to really see some of the warning signs we worked so hard to ignore, and I think that’s what happens to Remy.
KIT: Thanks for those insights! I’m glad you arrived at the structure you did—it works so well.
I love digging into messy female friendships in YA. In The Best Lies, Remy’s friendship with Elise could be described as complicated at best and obsessive or toxic at its darkest moments. What drew you toward the idea of exploring this friendship dynamic in your debut?
SARAH: I’ve always thought there was something special about female friendships and in the period of my life before I wrote The Best Lies, my relationship with my best friend was absolutely everything to me. When we fought, it felt worse than a romantic break up, and when we were happy, I felt complete. Like Remy and Elise, we called each other soulmates. Our friendship has certainly shifted over the years into something much healthier but I’ll always remember that feeling, a love so strong that it felt like a craving, and that was what I wanted to explore most of all.
KIT: As Jack would say, “tell us something true.” Specifically, tell us something about The Best Lies that isn’t apparent from the book cover or flap copy. We want the inside scoop!
SARAH: Remy’s name was partly inspired by someone I used to work with. Like Remy, her first name was Katherine and she went by her middle name, which was like “Remy” in the sense that it was cute but not super common. I loved the symbolism of that—a first name as this identity that’s been imposed on Remy, a name others see first but not one she likes. There’s a scene early on in the book when the detective investigating Jack’s death calls Remy by her first name, Katherine, and it’s actually jarring to her. There’s a tension within her between the person other people see her as or want her to be, and her real self, as represented by her middle name.
KIT: As someone who goes by a nickname instead of my given full name, that resonates a lot!
What gives you the most joy about your life as a YA writer right now? What’s bringing you satisfaction at this moment in time?
SARAH: Reader responses, for sure. (Confession: I stalk my Goodreads, though I probably shouldn’t!) We writers work largely in isolation, so seeing others connect to the story has been the most rewarding experience for me. I know the book won’t be for everyone, but just seeing that there are readers out there who just completely get what I was trying to say—it’s incredible, and I’m so grateful.
KIT: Isn’t connecting with readers the best? (Although tread carefully with the review-reading!)
The publishing journey is unique for every author, but it’s safe to say that the road to book publication is filled with surprises, twists, and turns for all of us. What has surprised you most about the process of putting a first book into the world?
SARAH: I was most surprised by myself and by my reaction to the entire process. I was quite lucky in that I found my agent relatively quickly and once we went on submission, the book also sold relatively quickly. I always look back and just marvel at my luck. But I didn’t actually react in the best ways to both events. Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely ecstatic at the time, but once the excitement wore off and it was time to do the work, I felt paralyzed with anxiety and struggled with that as well as depression. It took over a year between signing with my agent to when we went on sub, and two years between selling the book and having it ready for copyediting. Now that I’m working on my second book (tentatively out in 2021, also with Simon Pulse!), I’m trying to approach the work with less terror and more faith. I have an awesome team though—the best agent and editors—and I’m always grateful for their patience with me.
KIT: Congrats on your book two! I’m looking forward to reading. And thanks for sharing your experience; I know it’ll be helpful for other debut and soon-to-be debut authors who are going through something similar. It’s not always smooth sailing.
Drawing from your own unique experience, what advice would you to give to future young adult debut authors, or debut novelists in general?
SARAH: Don’t stalk your book’s Goodreads page? Ha, just kidding (sort of). A good piece of advice, albeit one everyone already knows, is to keep writing. This is advice I should honestly follow more!
Thank you, Kit, for these thoughtful questions–it’s been an absolute pleasure! If I may, I’d like to plug a couple things.
KIT: Of course!
SARAH: First, in place of a pre-order campaign, I’m doing a thank you campaign (basically the same thing as a pre-order campaign but it’ll keep running after pub day) where readers can get a mini-polaroid with a handwritten quote from the book with my signature on the back. And second, readers can win a chance to “meet” me via Skype/Hangouts and a Best Lies-themed gift pack that includes both Kill Bill films. Info on both here! Thanks again, Kit!
KIT: That’s so awesome! Everyone go check out Sarah’s thank you campaign!
Sarah Lyu grew up outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and dogs. She loves a good hike but can often be found with a book on her lap and sweet tea in hand. The Best Lies is her first book.
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Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press, edits for private clients, and mentors emerging writers through Pitch Wars. She is the author of the young adult novels See All the Stars and All Eyes on Us (out now from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books) and a third YA thriller will follow in 2020.
The Best Lies is out now! Allow me to recommend your local indie, in addition to Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Stop back soon for future posts in the Debut-to-Debut Interview Series. I’ll be chatting with more fantastic authors throughout 2019!