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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: Not About a Boy
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.myahhollis.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Temple University, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and screenwriter. Founder of the Holli Baker blog, 2012—; Pretty Thing (production company), Los Angeles, CA, cofounder; creator of the series, Or Die Trying.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Myah Hollis is a writer and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. A graduate of Temple University, she is the founder of the Holli Baker blog, the cofounder of a female-centered production company called Pretty Thing, and the creator of a series about female members of the film industry called Or Die Trying. In an interview with a contributor to the VoyageLA website, Hollis described her work, stating: “What I’m known for is being influenced very heavily by psychology and why people think the way that they think or do the things they do. I allow that to inform all of my work because I only want to tell truly human stories.”
That emphasis on psychology figured into the plot of her first novel, Not About a Boy. The volume’s main character, Amélie “Mel” Coeur, has borderline personality disorder and has had a difficult early life. Having grown up in the foster care system, she has not had a solid family environment, and she has just lost her first love, Darren, to drugs. As she approaches the age of 18, she is surprised to be adopted by Dave and Sue, a wealthy couple in Manhattan, leaving her two close friends in Connecticut behind. In her new private school, Mel falls into a relationship with basketball star Hayden. She also happens to discover that her long lost twin sister is living in Brooklyn. As Mel faces hard truths about her childhood, her mental health begins failing.
In an interview with a contributor to the School Library Journal website, Hollis explained that the popular “Twilight” series inspired her to begin writing Not About a Boy. She stated: “I read New Moon and I suddenly needed to write a story about heartbreak and depression. Stephenie Meyer changed my life by including those blank pages after Edward left Bella. I was 17 when I finished reading the series and immediately started writing the first draft of this story in a notebook.”
Critics offered favorable assessments of Not About a Boy. A Publishers Weekly critic suggested: “The slowly unfolding narrative presents a compelling look at Mel’s past.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers.” Margaret Auguste, contributor to the School Library Journal website, called it an “emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story” and commented: “Amélie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2024, review of Not About a Boy.
Publishers Weekly, April 8, 2024, review of Not About a Boy, p. 71.
ONLINE
Casha Doemland, https://www.cashadoemland.com/ (December 18, 2024), author interview.
Myah Hollis website, https://www.myahhollis.com/ (December 18, 2024).
School Library Journal Online, https://www.slj.com/ (August 1, 2024), Margaret Auguste, review of Not About a Boy; (August 7, 2024), author interview.
VoyageLA, https://voyagela.com/ (September 3, 2018), author interview.
Myah Hollis is a Pennsylvanian writer living in Los Angeles. She specializes in Sad Girl Lit, mainly due to her chronic fascination with psychology. Not About a Boy (HarperTeen) is her debut novel.
Myah is represented by Park & Fine Literary and Media and Independent Artist Group.
QUOTED: "I read New Moon and I suddenly needed to write a story about heartbreak and depression. Stephenie Meyer changed my life by including those blank pages after Edward left Bella. I was 17 when I finished reading the series and immediately started writing the first draft of this story in a notebook."
Author Myah Hollis on YA Debut ‘Not About a Boy’ | 5 Questions and a Rec
by SLJ Reviews
Aug 07, 2024 | Filed in News & Features
0
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. In the latest installment, Myah Hollis shares about Not About a Boy.
1. Congrats on your YA debut! How would you describe your book to readers?
Thank you! Not About a Boy is comped as Euphoria meets Girl in Pieces, which I think gives readers an accurate idea of the vibe. I’ve also heard it described as a mix of Gossip Girl and The Catcher in the Rye or The Bell Jar. It’s about a girl named Amélie who grew up in an elite boarding school in Connecticut, under the guardianship of a private adoption agency. Fresh out of a toxic relationship and grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend, she gets sober and moves to NYC to live with the latest in a string of wealthy foster families. Mel meets a boy named Hayden at her new school and starts an emotionally triggering friends-with-benefits relationship with him. She's barely coping with that when she discovers she has a twin sister living nearby, whom she has no memory of. Soon after, she breaks her sobriety and things spiral out of control.
2. What drew you to YA to tell this story?
I love this question because it was Twilight. I read New Moon and I suddenly needed to write a story about heartbreak and depression. Stephenie Meyer changed my life by including those blank pages after Edward left Bella. I was 17 when I finished reading the series and immediately started writing the first draft of this story in a notebook in the Hollis Myah potraitback of science class. I've also been studying psychology as a hobby since high school and I'm fascinated with older YA from a psych perspective. Sixteen to nineteen is such a complex period to live through. Britney said it best: Not a girl, not yet a woman. I'm always trying to find new ways to explore the full range of that experience as authentically as I can.
3. What, if anything, surprised you while writing it?
Initially, I intended for Mel to have bipolar disorder. I tried for years to make it fit, but it never lined up with her characterization. It got to the point where it felt like I was trying to force her into a manic episode to make the diagnosis make sense. One night I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a video on borderline personality disorder. I realized the condition fit Mel's backstory and symptoms perfectly. I didn't even have to rework anything. I couldn't believe I misdiagnosed my own character.
4. Tell us more about the characters. Which character do you most identify with and why?
When I started working on the book I had nothing in common with Mel, besides our dry sense of humor. Unfortunately, a few years later, I could deeply relate to the grief of losing a partner at a young age. I learned a lot from her, and as I got older I was able to offer her the wisdom of my own experiences through other characters in the story. I especially enjoyed writing her best friend, Rena, and Hayden's best friend, Trey. I love to make readers laugh to keep from crying, and those two are the funniest to me. I also relate more to her foster mom, Susan, now, too. When I started working on this book I was Mel's age. Now that I'm closer to Sue's age, it's interesting how my perspective on the story has changed. It’s like I'm co-parenting Mel with her.
Not About a Boy cover image5. What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
Based on the messages I’ve been receiving from readers, they seem to be taking exactly what they need from the book. That’s all I can ask for. It makes me so happy. They’re connecting to Mel’s story in really personal ways, and I’m honored when they share their experiences with me.
The Rec: Finally, we love YA and recommendations—what’s your favorite YA book you've read recently?
To be honest, I’m in the middle of like 20 books. Debut year has left my TBR in shambles. Right now, I’m reading an upcoming debut by my friend Alyssa Villaire called The Glittering Edge. It comes out next summer with Little, Brown and it’s brilliant. There’s nothing I love more than fangirling over a book before it’s even out. I can’t wait for readers to experience the world she created.
Myah Hollis
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Name: Myah Hollis
Current City: Los Angeles, CA
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Writer, Founder of Holli Baker and Co-Founder of Pretty Thing
Myah is the founder and editor-in-chief of Holli Baker, as well as screenwriter & lifestyle blogger based in Los Angeles, CA. Combining her love for the arts and her passion for holistic living, she established Holli Baker during her senior year at Temple University in 2012. After that, Hollis created the series Or Die Trying and the co-founded Pretty Thing, a female-driven production company. She is also an aerialist, having recently partnered with Athleta for their 2018 campaign.
Between founding Holli Baker, co-founding Pretty Thing and creating Or Die Trying, you're the true definition of a slasher. Let's start by diving into Holli Baker, a millennial lifestyle and wellness brand devoted to finding the balance between life and art. How has it grown over the last 5 to 6 years and what are your goals for it going forward?
The site has intention now, in a way that it didn't when I first started it. It originated as a college project and became a creative outlet for me, but it wasn't until the end of 2016 that I really cultivated a voice and a brand that I felt represented me completely. The name Holli Baker is a combination of my parents' last names, so the branding feels very personal now, given that creativity and wellness are the two halves of what I believe to be my purpose. Moving forward, I want to continue to grow and collaborate with other creatives and people in the wellness space. I want to bring on more writers with different perspectives, and make this a space that feels nurturing and inclusive.
Next, you created Or Die Trying, a series about women in film, by women in film. Can you tell us more about the project?
Or Die Trying is the story of four millennial women trying to find a sense of balance between their personal and professional lives, while living and working in LA. The show was written, produced and directed by women, with a mostly female cast and crew. We shot season one in 5 days, with less than $15k. I still don't even understand how it came together, but I'm so proud of it and proud of my team. We premiered season one in 2017 at The Academy, which was a surreal experience.
ODT premiere
ODT premiere. Photo courtesy of Roy Nelson
How has working with these women inspired you?
With ODT being the first project I produced, it set a precedent for what I should expect from a set and a crew. I don't know anything other than working in a space that is overwhelmingly female, and the dynamic was magical. I don't think I'd tolerate anything less, to be honest. It was empowering, and not just for the women on set, because everyone knew that each person felt like they belonged there and that their voice was being heard. It made it an incredibly collaborative space. I couldn't have been more in awe of my team.
Lastly, you co-founded Pretty Thing, a female production company launching this year. We'd love to have you reflect a bit on what that process was like? What were the highlights and speed bumps along the way?
Founding Pretty Thing was a strangely spiritual experience. My business partner and I had all of these responsible and reasonable plans because starting a company is terrifying and you want to make sure you're doing it properly. We wanted to be prepared, but it became a test of faith, courage and obedience. Everything in life seemed to be conspiring for us to do this sooner than we planned, and even though the choice to make that leap was hard, it's paid off more than we could have imagined. We couldn't have foreseen how well things would work out, but that's God for you. Everything seems to have fallen into alignment this year.
Do you have any other projects/collaborations on the books you'd like the readers to know about?
Things are constantly happening with Pretty Thing and Holli Baker. We have a ton of projects planned for this year, so stay tuned.
Walk us through how you balance your personal and professional life.
Balance is so key for me, primarily because I went through a period last fall when I was really off balance. I was so exhausted and felt so helpless about it that now I know what my threshold is, and I'm careful not to cross it again. I've disabled all notifications on my phone so that I don't feel the need to be constantly plugged in. I have a daily ritual I follow that keeps me grounded and focused on what I want and what makes me happy. I'm more mindful of what I'm investing my time in and who I'm spending my time with. For me, it's become about recognizing when I don't feel right and prioritizing the things that I need to prioritize to feel okay again.
Shooting BTS for ODT
Shooting for Pretty Thing
Where is your favorite place to escape and clear your head?
I love my home. I'm very introverted, so I've spent a lot of time making sure that my apartment feels restorative. The outside world is chaotic, and that's to be expected, but my space needs to be calm with good energy. I'm really protective of that.
Discuss the importance of female friendships in your life.
I'm very intentional about the people in my life. True and authentic friendship is something that took me a long time to find, so it's very special to me. My friends are an extension of myself. They're like body parts; I don't really know how I'd function without them now. My best friends are scattered across the country and I don't always get to see or speak to them often, but there are few things in life that I am as sure about as I am about them.
Who are some of your greatest influences?
I have people who I look up to professionally, who I've learned from and who have contributed to the person that I am now and the person that I want to be, but my greatest influences are my parents. I can trace every good thing in my life back to them. People come into your life and they leave pieces of themselves with you. I'm partially comprised of those pieces, and thankful for each one, but my parents are the foundation on which they are stacked. It's a really solid foundation. I don't know what I'd do without them.
If you could have dinner with any woman in history, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I'd have a dinner party. Shonda Rhimes would bring wine and tell us what it's like to have invented television. Oprah would bring fresh produce from her garden, and allow us to try to absorb some of her Oprah-ness. Gwyneth Paltrow would juice the fruit from Oprah's garden, and teach us how to be our best physical and emotional selves. Chrissy Teigen would cook foods that would make me abandon my vegetarianism. It's a vibe.
What are you grateful for?
I'm grateful for peace. I'm in a very peaceful place right now, and I can appreciate that because my twenties have been so turbulent. I've started keeping a gratitude journal, and through that, I've become even more aware of all of the things I have to be grateful for. I think that's really necessary because it's easy to forget.
Do you have a personal mantra or quote that inspires you?
“Do what you love.”
I have this quote tattooed on my wrist. I think that, along with being a good person, is really the most important thing you can do.
QUOTED: "What I’m known for is being influenced very heavily by psychology and why people think the way that they think or do the things they do. I allow that to inform all of my work because I only want to tell truly human stories."
September 3, 2018Life and Work with Myah Hollis
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Today we’d like to introduce you to Myah Hollis.
Myah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started writing when I was in high school. I initially wanted to be a novelist but I discovered screenwriting in college and loved the idea of taking something from my brain, putting it on paper, and then watching it come to life visually. I started my site, Holli Baker, while I was living in LA for an internship program during my senior year. It started as a class project based on the importance of having a solid online presence and grew into a personal blog. As I got older and really began to understand what it meant to be a working creative in LA, I shifted the blog to be a lifestyle and wellness site for creatives. It combines my passion for holistic living and self-care but is portrayed through the lens of an artist. I now have a team of contributors that write for the site, as well as a separate creative studio, Pretty Thing, that I founded with my producing partner.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. It takes a while to find your voice and become confident in what you have to offer and your unique way of delivering that to the world. Being an artist of any kind means constantly having to remind yourself that what you’re doing is important and that it matters. It’s a constant battle against negative self-talk and insecurity. I’ve had so many different phases of my career and I’ve explored so many different versions of myself along the way, but that’s part of the process. The more that you work at it and invest in whatever it is you’re trying to build, the more confident you become in the fact that you’re building something meaningful.
Please tell us about Holli Baker.
I’m a writer first and foremost. With my site, I’m a blogger. With my company, I’m a screenwriter.
Regardless of the medium, I always want my writing to be an authentic representation of the world. I aim to be as truthful and transparent as possible and I’m really proud of that. I won’t say that it sets me apart from others because I hope that everyone is also striving for that. What I’m known for is being influenced very heavily by psychology and why people think the way that they think or do the things they do. I allow that to inform all of my work because I only want to tell truly human stories.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Do what you love.
Contact Info:
Website: www.hollibaker.com
Email: hello@hollibaker.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/myahhollis
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hollibakerdotcom
Twitter: www.twitter.com/myahhollis
Other: www.prettythingstudios.com
QUOTED: "The slowly unfolding narrative presents a compelling look at Mel's past."
Not About a Boy
Myah Hollis. HarperTeen, $ 19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06334-198-2
Black 17-year-old Amelie "Mel" Coeur has spent most of her life under the supervision of an exclusive foster care agency in Connecticut. Close to aging out of the system, she is sent to live with affluent white foster parents in Manhattan for a last chance at adoption. Never having known her father and orphaned from a very young age, Mel is also traumatized by the death of her boyfriend less than a year earlier. Despite the support of two close peers back in Connecticut, a new circle of friends at her elite progressive school, and a burgeoning relationship with handsome, wealthy Black classmate Hayden, she struggles to engage fully in her own life. The sudden appearance of a forgotten twin sister threatens Mel's tentative stability, throwing into question her memories about her early childhood. Debut author Hollis constructs a world populated by privileged teens participating in the use of drugs and alcohol. Though the large cast and their relationship dynamics can be difficult to follow, the slowly unfolding narrative presents a compelling look at Mel's past, her endeavors to manage her mental health, and her journey toward wholeness and belonging. Ages 13-up. (July)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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Source Citation
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"Not About a Boy." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 14, 8 Apr. 2024, p. 71. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799269974/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a6632f9a. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
QUOTED: "a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers."
Hollis, Myah NOT ABOUT A BOY HarperTeen (Teen None) $19.99 7, 2 ISBN: 9780063341982
A 17-year-old Black foster kid struggles with mental health, loss, and recovery from addiction.
Thanks to Laurelle Child Services, an upscale adoption agency, Amélie "Melie" CÅur has received one final foster placement before she ages out of the system. She's moved from Connecticut to live in Manhattan with a successful white couple in their late 30s: Sue Romano, a famous stylist, and her attorney husband, Dave, a former foster kid. Unbeknownst to her new private school friends, Melie is grieving the sudden death of Darren, her codependent first love and guide into the world of substance abuse. That trauma is the reason behind Melie's willingness to sneak charming basketball player Hayden (a rich Black classmate) into the apartment for late-night hookups but not agree to the actual relationship he wants. Melie's life begins to spiral even more when she unexpectedly discovers through social media that she has an identical twin sister, Brie, who lives in Brooklyn. Even though the girls were separated at age 5, Melie doesn't have any memories of her twin; Melie is definitely not doing all right. This debut is a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers. Hollis also imbues the text with moments of joy, witty banter, and supportive found-family bonding, for example, through Mel's exemplary, steadfast Connecticut besties, Rena and Cal.
Heartbreaking and powerful. (Fiction. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Hollis, Myah: NOT ABOUT A BOY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793537148/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ffbd77ce. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
QUOTED: "emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story. Amélie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for."
Not About a Boyby Myah HollisHarperTeen. Jul. 2024. 336p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780063341982.COPY ISBN Gr 9 Up–Hollis’s powerful and compassionate debut novel is an intimate and nuanced portrayal of a resilient and troubled young woman’s journey toward self-acceptance. Seventeen-year-old Amélie Cœur has lost hope after several failed adoptive placements have left her feeling disillusioned and resentful. She desperately wants to believe she will someday belong somewhere and be accepted for who she is. However, negative thoughts quickly remind her that “everything that has ever made me happy has broken my heart.” Through insightful and clever dialogue, Hollis draws readers into Amélie’s mind, enabling them to become invested in her search for happiness. Amélie’s life begins to change for the better when she is unexpectedly placed in a pre-adoptive home where she is wanted and loved. However, mental health issues, past unresolved trauma, a new romantic relationship that she both wants and fears, and a twin sister of whom she has no memory transform Amélie’s desire to “simply belong somewhere” into a complicated journey that she must navigate through to survive. Teenage life is sympathetically depicted with its angst, humor, and silliness. Adults are both caring and imperfect, sending the message that no one has all the answers. The excellent exploration of Amélie’s mental health struggles is heartrending in its intensity and authenticity, with the only caveat being that mental health diagnoses, such as depression and borderline personality, could've been clarified more to further readers’ understanding.VERDICT A emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story. Amélie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for.Reviewed by Margaret Auguste , Aug 01, 2024