Author Interview: Claire Merle previews The Glimpse

For my spotlight on upcoming dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction series, I interviewed over 20 authors with novels coming out in the genre in 2012/13.  These are exclusive first looks at exciting new works.  Enjoy!

Dystopian August gives a warm welcome to Author Claire Merle. Her debut THE GLIMPSE comes out with Faber & Faber in the UK on June 7, 2012 and I’m totally intrigued.

Here’s the summary:

17-year-old Ana Barber lives in a society where the Pures are divided from the crazies on the basis of genetic testing for mental illness. Her geneticist father faked her DNA tests to get her into the community, a safe haven from all the crazies who live on the other side of the wall in the city. Ana is really a sleeper which means one day she’ll go psycho, or schizo, or suicidal like her mum.
 When the authorities discover the truth, the only thing standing between her and banishment to the city on her eighteenth birthday, is her romance with Jasper Taurell, a rich boy from an influential community family who wants to Join with her despite her genetic defects. If she Joins with Jasper before she turns eighteen, she’ll be allowed to stay in the community until her illness activates. But four weeks before their big day, Jasper disappears.

ETA the cover:

And the interview!

Why do you think people are drawn to "dark" stories?

To be honest I’ve never thought of my own story ‘The Glimpse’ as dark, although it is set in a world where ninety percent of the population are mentally ill and a vast part of London is like a giant, chaotic loony bin. So yeah, I guess it is!

One of the things that draws me to ‘dark’ stories is the way they magnify, exaggerate and throw up questions about problems in our own society, (Uglies, Feed, Hunger Games). A world where those running society are clearly evil or corrupt provides a tangible framework for heroes and heroines to fight back; to fight for everything we most value as human beings—humanity, justice, truth. (I do like plenty of action!) By emphasizing the worst aspects of human nature, such as greed, cruelty and the corruption of power, a ‘dark’ story allows the light to shine brightly on deeds of courage, selflessness and justice. As a reader, I find viscerally experiencing the struggles of a character to overcome their fears or limitations and defeat ‘powers of evil’, exciting and uplifting. As the saying goes, ‘in the darkest corners the light shines brightest of all.’ I read dark stories to be uplifted!

If THE GLIMPSE had a theme song, what would it be and why?

Well, Ana my heroine plays classical piano, and while I was writing The Glimpse, I imagined a mix of classical music with pop rock to capture the two divisions of society—the Pures and the crazies. In my head I had a mix going of Black Eyed Peas ‘Meet Me Halfway’, with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor. Course, I’m no DJ! Haven’t got a clue I’ve if it could really be done and work!

What fictional character from another book would Ana chose as her best friend and why?

I’m going to cross time and genre here and go with Elizabeth Bennett from ‘Pride and Prejudice’. She would admire Elizabeth’s wit and intelligence and her ability to show so much self-control in the confines of a small-minded society, while maintaining her integrity. The Pure society where Ana has been raised by ‘accident’, (she’s not Pure), shares this aspect of small-mindedness and has similar pressures on Pure girls to make good matches. When it comes to light that Ana belongs on the other side of the wall with the crazies, (her geneticist father is suspected of changing her Pure test but nothing is proved against him,) Ana has to bite her tongue and suffer the prejudice and judgments of those around her, because being shoved out with the crazies would be even worse. Of course, she can’t restrain herself forever! Once the boy she’s supposed to Join with goes missing, she sneaks into the city to find him and enters a dark, mysterious world that brings her to life.

What are your top 5 Dystopian lit recs and why?

Hunger Games—the best of the best.

Never Let me Go—beautiful, subtle and haunting.

1984—a powerful, frightening classic.

Divergent—great action, romance and intrigue.

Glitch—I’ve had a sneak peek at Heather Anastasiu’s novel out next year, and it’s going to be a very exciting debut! (Lenore here – I’m so freaking envious!)

What's on the top of your to-do list before the world ends? (you know, in case it ends next year)

OK, you need to know a) I’m an optomist and b) I’m a planner. So if the world’s going to end, then I’m going to stop it! And if I can’t stop it I’ll pack up my family and friends and take a boat to the one place where it won’t be flooded, poisoned by nuclear fallout, or burnt to a crisp, and be one of the 10,000 survivors.

 Of course, on a personal note I’d be totally gutted if the world ended next year, because my book’s not out until June 2012!

What makes your book stand out from other books in the genre?

I think there are lots of wonderful dystopias out there that are both exciting and thought-provoking. While ‘The Glimpse’ shares similar elements of thrilling action, great romance and strong, enticing characters, what makes it stand out is the frightening and all-too-possible future. Science and the global approach to mental health are currently hurtling towards a terrifyingly similar situation. ‘The Glimpse’ isn’t so much a ‘what if we do?’ scenario—what if there was an operation to make everyone supermodel beautiful; what if love was a disease; what if a genetic virus made everyone die young—(all fantastic books by the way!) 'The Glimpse' is a rather scary ‘what if we don’t?’ scenario. What if we don’t change the direction we’re on—is this where we’ll end up?

Thanks Claire!

Thanks for letting me hang out on your awesome, dystopia-obsessed blog. Love it!

Visit Claire’s website

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Follow Claire on Twitter @ClaireMerle

Add THE GLIMPSE to your GoodReads wishlist

Claire also posts as part of the group blog for YA sci-fi 2012 debuts Brave New Words

First Chapter Challenge (1)

To kick off my first chapter challenge, a personal challenge this summer to whittle down my review pile, I read the first chapter of 5 books that have been sitting on my shelf a long time to determine if I would keep them on my shelf or give them away.

The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer
Publisher: Scholastic
Release date: January 2009
One sentence summary: Bad girl Angela is sent to a reform school whose methods are questionable.
First sentences: All of the girls fell silent. The woman took a few seconds to look around the room, making eye contact with each of us. When she finally spoke, her voice was cold, with a slight accent that said she had lived years in places beyond our reach.
First chapter review: In the space of 8 pages, we are introduced to Hidden Oak, the girls, and a Dr. Spicer who asserts her absolute authority over the girls. We are also teased with flashbacks of what Angela might have done to be deemed dangerous - which is possibly murder. It's a solid start, but it's nothing that can't be put down.
Verdict: Return to TBR. The reviews I've read of this have been mixed, but considering David Levithan edited it, I'll give it a chance.

Suddenly Supernatural Book 2: Scaredy Kat by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Release date: February 2009
One sentence summary: Kat, who has recently discovered that she's a medium like her mother, investigates the disappearance of a boy in the abandoned house next door.
First sentence: The truth is, I find it very embarrassing when my mother talks to plants.
First chapter review: Although this is the second book in a series, I didn't get the sense from the first chapter that I needed to have read the first one to understand this one. The voice is fresh and fun and although I could've done without the e-mail correspondence, this is a nice set-up to what seems like a quick read with some spooky elements.
Verdict: This is one I definitely want to pass on to my favorite 11 year old. If I manage to get to it before I see her again, I'll read it myself. If not, I will pass it on to her with a good feeling.

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)
Release date: March 2009
One sentence summary: 15 year old Catherine Howard catches the eye of Henry the 8th who wants to make her his 5th wife.
First sentence: The Thames is a messenger of fortune, rippling smoothly beneath the prow of this barge.
First chapter review: The first chapter is a mere 2 1/2 pages and has a very reflective, dreamy tone. In order to get more a sense of Catherine, I also had to read chapter 2, which introduces the central tension of the narrative. She's proud of being chosen as Henry's next wife but also terrified (considering what happened to Anne Boleyn). She knows she has to deliver another male heir or else... The writing flows well, but knowing what happens to Catherine is basically a retread of Anne's story, I'm not that intrigued.
Verdict: Pass on to a friend who loves Tudor historicals.

The Dracula Dossier by James Reese
Publisher: William Morrow (HarperCollins)
Release date: October 2008
One sentence summary: Dracula author Bram Stoker is the prime suspect in a series of killings that will be attributed to Jack the Ripper and he must work to clear his name.
First sentence: You do not know me, and you never will.
First chapter review: This dossier starts out with a letter from an unknown collector to a senior editor at William Morrow. With the letter he includes a lost diary of Bram Stoker which tells of his involvement with Jack the Ripper. It's a pretty dry start. I probably would've been more hooked had it immediately begun with Bram's diary whose first line states "It seemed wise to hide the bloodied knife."
Verdict: Meh. It sounds like an ok book, but I have a pile of books waiting with some amazing premises, so I think I'll pass on this. I'll donate it to the library.


Suffer the Children by Adam Creed
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Release date: none in the US yet, May 2009 in the UK
One sentence summary: After a paedophile is brutally murdered, Inspector Staffe must question the families of his victims.
First sentence: Staffe raises his head as high as he can, sucks in the underground air.
First chapter review: To be honest, I couldn't even finish the first chapter. It is written in third person present, which is beyond awkward, and the subject matter is just not my thing.
Verdict: Didn't hook me. Will donate to library. I did like this cover the most of the 5 though.

Anyone want to weight in and tell me if I making a huge mistake keeping or getting rid of any of these?