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Booklist vol. 121 no. 19-20 June, 2025. Karis Rogerson, “Rewind to Us.”. p. 104.
Kirkus Reviews Apr. 15, 2025, , “Morris, Molly: REWIND TO US.”.
School Library Journal vol. 70 no. 7 July, 2024. Milillo, Linsey. , “MORRIS, Molly. Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet.”.
Kirkus Reviews Apr. 1, 2024, , “Morris, Molly: ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET.”.
Publishers Weekly vol. 271 no. 12 Mar. 25, 2024, , “Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet.”.
Molly Morris is a California native with a penchant for the bizarre. After living in the Washington, DC area for university, she moved to the UK to study on the Creative Writing MA at UEA. It’s here where she honed her love for all things magical realism and Young Adult fiction, her writing and reading true love. These days she lives in Norfolk with her husband, daughter and their cat, Lemon.
About Molly Morris.
Molly Morris is an author of YA fiction and lover of all things weird. She adores everything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, candy and crafts. After three very strange years at a California Baskin Robbins, she does not like ice cream. Molly is a recipient of a Prose MA from the University of East Anglia, and currently resides in the UK with her husband, daughter and their cat, Lemon. THIS IS NOT THE END is her debut novel.
Molly Morris talks teenagers coping with grief in her unforgettable novel, This Is Not the End
By Tacye On Jun 23, 2022
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Part road-trip drama, part comedy and part romance, This is Not the End is a super fun summer read packed with twists and heartfelt conversations.
Ever since the sudden deaths of his parents, seventeen-year-old Hugh has developed a serious preoccupation with endings – and things get a little complicated when he meets Olivia Moon, a high-school outcast who can’t die.
We chatted with Molly Morris on her unforgettable YA contemporary debut.
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Congratulations on this amazingly weird (and I 100% mean it as a compliment) debut novel! Everything is so creative – from the ice cream truck, to the Spoiler Alert blog, to Macaulay Culkin. What an exclamation. Please tell us where you get all the inspirations from.
Having my novel called “weird” is the best compliment I could’ve asked for, so thank you! It is insanely weird.
I’d like to say I sit and ponder all the ways in which I can make my writing weirder, but if I’m being honest, this is just how my brain works. I think in pop culture references; it’s just how I relate to the world. When I say or hear things, I’ll often say them as I hear them in my favourite shows (usually the US version of The Office or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and all my comparisons are references to my favourite books and movies.
People often say it’s numbers that bind us as humans because they’re the same in every culture, but I feel the same way about pop culture. If I compare something with a reference to the Kardashian family or the movie School of Rock, there’s a good chance somebody’s going to instantly know what I’m talking about. It’s a really deep (and I’ll be honest, convenient) form of connection and communication, so I like to bring that into my writing. And because I’m in to things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other weird stuff, the weirdness just sort of naturally comes out on its own.
Which ice cream flavour from Killer Ice Cream truck would you personally want the most? And which pun are you proud of the most?
You know what? I actually hate ice cream. Okay, that’s not entirely true, but it’s definitely not what I go for when I want something sweet. I worked at an ice cream store for the better part of three years as a teenager and it was a deeply strange experience (YOU try helping your boss pick out lingerie for a party). I also ate ice cream on almost every shift, so this, combined with my eclectic array of fellow employees (some of whom were truly delightful) kind of marred it for me.
That said, I think I’d most want to eat Happy Birthday Charlie Manson, which was inspired by my favourite birthday cake-flavoured ice cream at my job. I love buttercream frosting and sprinkles. I’m most proud of Pogo’s Surprise though, because I think that takes a little extra knowledge of John Wayne Gacy Jr. to understand, though I guess that’s not exactly something to be proud of. I actually watched the John Wayne Gacy Jr. series of Conversations with a Killer on Netflix recently—this was after I sent the final draft of my novel to the editorial team—and it was so horrific and traumatising that I thought, “My god, did I go too far?”
Do you also hate those movie endings yourself? How do you pick which movies for Hugh to include on his Spoiler Alert site?
Yes! It was very important to me to only write about pop culture references/books/movies/etc. that I actually have experience with and care about. Initially I tried including references to movies/books I hadn’t seen or read, but it just didn’t work. I have to have a certain energy and passion for what I’m writing about for it to work, and if I don’t have it, I find it really hard to write anything I’m happy with.
That said, I didn’t necessarily hate all the endings I wrote about, but I can definitely see why they’re perceived as “bad.” I actually really liked the endings to Shutter Island, Inception and Avengers: Infinity War, but I can understand why others wouldn’t, especially Hugh – they’re kind of cheap, but if I found them impressive, I tend to let it slide. I actually find it really difficult to disassociate myself from my narrator and not just write them as an extension of myself. There were times when I was writing Hugh and kept thinking, “Hey, he’s actually wrong about this! I can’t write that.” And I actually had to have a talk with myself and be like, “Molly, you know you’re not actually Hugh, right? He’s allowed to have different thoughts than you.” So, I picked the movies/people/shows he would definitely have the biggest problems with, endings that are on the whole unsatisfying to most people or that he himself would have experience with. He loves Motown music, and there are a lot of bad endings in the world of Motown, so it made sense to include those.
All these fun little features make This is Not the End so rich and add so much depth to the story. How do you balance between adding the right amount of details and not burying the main storyline?
With great care! Honestly, I write with such bulk in a first draft, I have to go back and make significant cuts so readers can actually see what the story is about. It’s not always easy.
The way I write is, I see the story as a movie in my head. I cast everyone with Hollywood actors and actresses, set the stage in places I usually have some experience with (like my old house in Washington, DC; a music venue I held an event at in Brooklyn) and then watch the scene play out in my head and write down what I see, almost like a transcription. Sometimes it’s too much detail, sometimes it’s not enough, so I generally have to go back and add and subtract after initially taking the scene down.
I just recently wrote a new manuscript, and it had so many character quirks that were just taking away from the storyline, so I had to go back and take a lot out. For me at least, I know when I get it right – when I don’t, it feels almost like a head cold. Reading the story back feels heavy and foggy and just not right, even though it can technically function. So, I smooth things out, move scenes and details around, and I just know when it’s right again. I feel lighter and clearer.
The character developments in This is Not the End are also top-notch. Hugh gets to have a personal in-depth chat with most of the characters and in particular, some great conversations with the adult figures in his life. In YA novels, the protagonist mainly just interacts with people their age. Why do you think it is so important for him to have these confrontations with the adults?
Thank you! While writing this book I worried I was making it the Hugh Show by having him have beef with basically all the other main characters, but this was a big transitory point in his life in which he needed to confront all his own insecurities and demons, so that meant a lot of his friendships were shaken up along the way.
I think people chronically underestimate the depth of teenagers and their experiences. It’s not just (and in all honesty, probably never has been) all soda parlours and prom night; teenagers experience profound loss and love and stress and anguish in the same way adults do and a lot of the time alongside adults, so it was important to me to acknowledge this and give Hugh and his friends the credit they deserved by putting their issues on the same level as their adult counterparts.
Everything Hugh has been through has meant he’s had to grow up quite quickly too, so it made sense that he had to hash out these big emotions with adults. And I always tend to write very immature adults—or adults with younger-sounding voices—so I think Hugh tends to see them on his level anyway rather than as these “superior” adults. He has to work hard to acknowledge that his sister is an adult who deserves his respect, so having him realise this was a natural part of his story arc.
This book is pitched as the next Tik-Tok sensation (and yes I agree). Which type of BookTok trend do you want to try to promote This is Not the End?
Why thank you! I actually quite like the idea of TINTE being paired up with the storyline trend, where people talk about the plot of a novel as though it was their own life. Not only is this hilarious, but I also think it would be something Hugh would do anyway. I can just imagine him being like, “DUDE. SO. I was driving my sister’s van one afternoon when I saw this girl from my high school…”
What are you most looking forward to regarding YALC? (Other than writing your name on your forehead because you have cut your hair)
Oh my gosh, definitely praying they’ve got name tags because those flowing locks (read: scraggly, prematurely greying hair) from my YALC promo picture are a thing of the past.
In all seriousness, I’m unbelievably excited to see Ciara Smyth. I’d heard about her novel Not My Problem from the Waterstones newsletter or something but otherwise didn’t know much about it, so when I did pick it up in preparation for YALC, I was immediately floored by its brilliance and humour. I’m going to fan girl so embarrassingly hard when I see her.
I’m also just excited to get up on stage with other authors as though I’m actually interesting. It still blows my mind to think that anyone would want to hear anything I have to say regarding writing and books and teenagers and everything else, so that’s pretty darn cool.
Rewind to Us. By Molly Morris. June 2025. 336p. St. Martin's/Wednesday, $21 (9781250289728). Gr. 8-12.
The Mulligan family has the ability to rewind time exactly once per person, per life. Dixie Mulligan plans to use her Rewind to fix a mistake she made with her best friend, Sawyer, with whom she's in love. She arrives in Cielo Springs, California, for summer break, desperate to leave behind her life in New York City and make up with Sawyer. Except on the first night there, she discovers he's in some sort of relationship with another girl. So Dixie embarks on her plan to use her Rewind. But life is more complicated than it seems, and messing with time and people's memories has consequences. Morris' follow-up to Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet (2024) is equally tinged with magic, both in the actual speculative elements and the storytelling structure. The book is full of twists that build on one another; reading it is like unraveling layers of brilliance. Dixie and Sawyer's friendship is the foundation upon which this surreal tale of family, film, and friendship takes place. With a cast full of lovable side characters, a vibrant setting, and much to say about the film industry and art, Morris' latest is a fabulous ride that will entice readers across age groups.--Karis Rogerson
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Rogerson, Karis. "Rewind to Us." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 19-20, June 2025, p. 104. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A847198196/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4c320bc3. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Morris, Molly REWIND TO US Wednesday Books (Teen None) $21.00 6, 17 ISBN: 9781250289728
A high school graduate plans to tell her best friend that she loves him during her annual summer vacation to California but winds up wishing she could have a do-over instead.
Dixie Mulligan arrives in Cielo Springs with a plan: forget about the fight she had with her parents, help her aunt Kate fix the fire damage to her 110-year-old movie theater, and tell her best friend, Sawyer, that she loves him. The problem is that Dixie hasn't spoken to Sawyer since he visited her in New York over spring break--and everything between them "exploded." But when Dixie sees Sawyer kissing another girl, she decides to use her Rewind. Each member of the Mulligan family has a magical gift that allows them to redo one moment from the past year. Dixie submits her application, and if it's approved, her Rewind will go into effect four days after she watches her Movie, which is "like watching secret CCTV footage of yourself"--showing the alternate timeline of her life. But will this be enough to save their relationship? In this story that's full of secrets, surprises, and unexpected twists, Dixie and Sawyer's relationship isn't the only one affected by her decision. The worldbuilding, including the Rewind rules, is carefully explained, and the chapters open with excerpts from the Mulligans' writings about their magic. The main characters are cued white.
A charming love story that delves into relationships and regrets with a touch of magic.(Romance. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Morris, Molly: REWIND TO US." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A835106463/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fd7a12c2. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
MORRIS, Molly. Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet. 336p. Wednesday Bks. Jun. 2024. Tr $20. ISBN 9781250290069.
Gr 9 Up--What if you could bring a loved one back to life, even if it was just temporary? Morris explores this question in a coming-of-age story that tackles life, love, loss, and friendship with a good bit of humor, too. In the small town of Lennon, CA, the Welcome Back lottery allows one person the chance to bring back someone from the afterlife for just 30 days. Wilson chooses her best friend, Annie, in hopes to make right their estranged relationship prior to Annie's tragic death. When Wil discovers a loophole that could allow Annie to stay for good, she devises a plan to mend the riff between Annie and their third BFF, Ryan. With the clock ticking, are these three friends prepared to confront the feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and deeper emotions of love and attraction that led to their separation? The novel is a charming, mostly realistic story with a supernatural twist. True fantasy fans may feel frustration with a lack of explanation behind worldbuilding; however, character development makes up for any unanswered questions. VERDICT This novel is both sweet and sad but will leave readers feeling hopeful.--Linsey Milillo
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Milillo, Linsey. "MORRIS, Molly. Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 7, July 2024, pp. 70+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806586537/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2b0e5e59. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Morris, Molly ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET Wednesday Books (Teen None) $20.00 6, 4 ISBN: 9781250290069
Drama between friends gets messier when a girl is brought back from the dead.
When 17-year-old Wilson Moss enters Welcome Back, the competition held in her hometown every decade that allows the winner to bring one person back from the dead, she never expects that she'll win, but that's exactly what happens. Wilson chooses Annie LeBlanc, her former best friend who died on her 18th birthday, to be resurrected. Complicating matters, Annie has only 30 days on Earth before she must return to the afterlife. Ryan, the third member of their formerly close-knit trio, is furious--she's still angry about the falling out between the three of them prior to Annie's death. For her part, Wilson is desperate to fix the trio's friendship--she's been incredibly lonely since their fight, and she thinks there might be a way to keep Annie alive for good. As the days to Annie's second death rapidly count down, Wilson must navigate a complicated web of past hurts and lies to bring both friends back in her life. The story is fresh and well executed, simultaneously feeling both perfectly convincing and truly bizarre. Wilson herself acknowledges that her obsession with reuniting her friends can come across as off-putting, truthfully mirroring the challenges of navigating the ebbs and flows of teenage friendships. Wilson's and Ryan's queerness is thoughtfully written, and the romantic relationships are tender and believable. Main characters are cued white.
A sweet story that combines realistic relationships with an intriguing, fantastical premise. (Fiction. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Morris, Molly: ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A788096743/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=14a6f932. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet
Molly Morris. Wednesday, $20 (256p) ISBN 978-1-250290-06-9
As the winner of small-town Lennon, Calif's decennial contest, Wilson Moss brings her deceased former best friend Annie LeBlanc back from the dead. But there's a catch: those resurrected only have 30 days in the mortal realm before returning to their eternal rest. Wil struggles to reconcile buried hurt feelings regarding the abrupt end of their friendship pre-Annie's death. As Wil endeavors to gain closure, romance blooms and secrets emerge surrounding the truth about Annie's final days. So, when she discovers a loophole that might let Annie stay alive for good--and that the key is to restore the relationship she and Annie had with sardonic, acid-tongued Ryan Morton--Wil sets out in a race against the clock. Abundant pop culture references often overshadow emotional plot beats, and a lack of urgency despite the novel's ticking clock premise--depicted via a countdown at the beginning of each chapter--results in a too-convenient conclusion. Nevertheless, British author Morris's deft handling of the teens' intertwining histories and the little mythologies that make up the language of adolescent friendships imbues this speculative rom-com with well-timed comedy and plenty of angst. Protagonists read as white. Ages 13--up. Agent; Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 12, 25 Mar. 2024, pp. 60+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799108043/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3bfb0498. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.