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WORK TITLE: Whenever I’m with You
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.lydiasharpbooks.com/
CITY:
STATE: OH
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
Nonbinary; prefers pronoun “they.” * http://www.lydiasharpbooks.com/about-lydia/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: son.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Entangled Publishing, editor. Regular contributor, Writer Unboxed. Has also served as the final round judge Romance Writers of America contests.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Lydia Sharp is the author of the young adult novel, Whenever I’m With You. The story is narrated by a young girl named Gabi and it follows her as she deals with her parent’s divorce and all that comes after. Gabi was born and raised in California, and her mother is a famous actress. When her mother’s extra-marital affair goes public, Gabi and her father move to Alaska in order to avoid the media fallout. Gabi struggles to adjust to her new surroundings, but she does meet and fall for a boy named Kai, and the pair quickly becomes a couple. When Kai’s father goes missing in the Alaskan wilderness, Kai sets out to find him. Worried that both Kai and his father will be lost, Gabi turns to Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, for help. Gabi and Hunter then set out into the wild together, and Gabi learns to survive in a world unlike any she can imagine.
Sharing her inspiration for the novel in an online Adventures in YA Publishing interview, Sharp remarked: “Everything about Alaska has been a fascination of mine since I was very young, and I’d always wanted to write a novel that took place there. So that part of the inspiration was already waiting in the wings for me to say, ‘Yes you can come onstage now. I have a story for you to be in.'” Sharp went on to note that “Gabi’s internal journey, dealing with her parents’ divorce and the years of family strain leading up to their split, was drawn from my own childhood experience. The circumstances were different, but the emotions are universal. It’s a story I believed needed to be told honestly, no matter how difficult, for any readers currently going through the same type of thing to know they aren’t alone in how they feel.”
Reviews of the author’s efforts were somewhat mixed, however, and an American Indians in Children’s Literature Web site correspondent explained that Kai and Hunter “are identified as having a Tlingit father and a Canadian mother, but no further information is provided. Are they enrolled? What part of Alaska is their father from? Were the two brothers raised outside their Tlingit community, and therefore, don’t know enough about it to say more than they do? The idea of them being Tlingit is so lacking in detail to support it . . . they could even be white and it would make no difference in the story.” According to an online Bookaholic Blurbs columnist, “the story wasn’t really about Gabi’s life problems but the twins’. To tell you honestly, eighty percent of the story is about Kai and Hunter. It just so happens that Gabi was narrating it. I couldn’t remember the best sibling story I’ve read, but this book would have been waaaaay better if romance wasn’t the key factor in getting this book to sell. Kai and Hunter’s bromance was one of those stories that leaves a mark.”
On the other hand, a Publishers Weekly critic felt that Sharp “keep[s] readers turning pages. It’s a gripping wilderness adventure with sturdy romantic underpinnings.” Lynn Rashid, writing in School Library Journal, was also positive, asserting that “the supporting characters are well-developed, and the survivalist elements are authentic.” Echoing this sentiment on the Teenreads Website, a reviewer announced: “I thought the survival element was well done and very realistic. I really liked that Sharp kept things clean and not too dark, as these types of books can get pretty gory and unpleasant. . . . All in all, Whenever I’m With You was solid read for me and I think fans of clean survival stories and contemporaries with depth should give it a try. It’s also a good choice for young teens and tweens.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2016, review of Whenever I’m with You.
Publishers Weekly, November 14, 2016, review of Whenever I’m with You.
School Library Journal, January, 2017, Lynn Rashid, review of Whenever I’m with You.
ONLINE
American Indians in Children’s Literature, https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/ (January 24, 2017), review of Whenever I’m with You.
Bookaholic Blurbs, http://www.thebookaholicblurbs.com/ (June 3, 2017), review of Whenever I’m with You.
Buried under Books, https://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/ (March 23, 2017), review of Whenever I’m with You.
Lydia Sharp Website, http://www.lydiasharpbooks.com (August 21, 2017).
Teenreads, http://www.teenreads.com/ (August 4, 2017), review of Whenever I’m with You.*
ABOUT LYDIA
Author bio:
Lydia Sharp worked a number of different jobs, everything from retail management to veterinary medicine, before turning their passion for stories into a career. They are now an editor for Entangled Publishing and write young adult novels with lots of kissing and adventures. Lydia lives in Ohio with their family and an ever-growing collection of owls. When not completely immersed in a book, Lydia binges on Netflix, pines for Fall, and hosts mad tea parties in Wonderland. Follow on Twitter @lydia_sharp for updates.
Editor bio:
Lydia Sharp is an acquiring editor for Entangled Publishing and also works as a copy-editor and proofreader. In the past, they have been a regular contributor to various publishing industry sites, including the award-winning Writer Unboxed, and have served as the final round judge for several RWA chapter contests. Their favorite stories have a brisk pace, crackling chemistry, witty banter, romantic moments that make you melt, a high stakes plot, characters that jump off the page, and a dramatic ending. Lydia is currently seeking young adult, in any genre, and adult contemporary romance. Follow on Twitter @lydia_sharp for updates.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
1Lydia Sharp, author of WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU, on following the needs of the story
We're pleased to have Lydia Sharp join us to chat about her debut novel WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU.
Lydia, what is your favorite thing about WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU?
My favorite thing is that this story has three of my favorite things—adventure, romance, and Alaska!
What was your inspiration for writing WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU?
Everything about Alaska has been a fascination of mine since I was very young, and I’d always wanted to write a novel that took place there. So that part of the inspiration was already waiting in the wings for me to say, “Yes you can come onstage now. I have a story for you to be in.”
Gabi’s internal journey, dealing with her parents’ divorce and the years of family strain leading up to their split, was drawn from my own childhood experience. The circumstances were different, but the emotions are universal. It’s a story I believed needed to be told honestly, no matter how difficult, for any readers currently going through the same type of thing to know they aren’t alone in how they feel.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?
That depends on what you mean by “hard.” Emotionally, the whole book was hard, not only because of Gabi’s situation that was so similar to mine, but also because of Kai and Hunter dealing with loss—of both their father and their own relationship as brothers. The places this story took me were an emotional rollercoaster. So that was definitely hard.
But then there is “hard” in a different way—the actual writing of words and crafting a story that not only makes sense but is also entertaining.
The entire final third of the book was really hard—so hard, in fact, that I had to scrap it and do a complete rewrite on it at least three times during the editing process after the book had been acquired. My editor, bless her heart, was very patient with me, encouraging me every step of the way, letting me know what was working despite so much still needing to be fixed.
And I’d have to say, yes, that is the part of the book I am most proud of now because it represents my determination to keep going, do whatever it takes to get it right, never give up.
There is a scene I really love that takes place in the middle of the book. It is without a doubt my most favorite scene in the whole book. But I can’t even hint at what it involves without giving away spoilers!
How long did you work on WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU?
WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU took about a year to complete, working closely with my editor on revisions after turning in the initial draft.
What did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?
That you never stop learning about writing and about yourself, no matter how much you already know.
How long or hard was your road to publication? How many books did you write before this one, and how many never got published?
Very long and very hard, but also very worth it. WHENEVER I’M WITH YOU was my 8th completed novel-length manuscript but my first one to be published. I average about one novel per year, so that’s 8 years of writing and hoping and “almost but not quite.” Even after I signed with my agent, it was another 2+ years before we got a book deal together. But as so many other authors have said, you never truly fail unless you give up. So just keep writing, keep submitting, keep believing.
Was there an AHA! moment along your road to publication where something suddenly sank in and you felt you had the key to writing a novel? What was it?
Yes! Kind of. ☺ I still learn something new with every story I write, but a major turning point for me was when I began studying story structure and applying it to my work. Everything about storytelling suddenly made sense, and plotting my novels became easier. For the first time, my dream of being a career novelist felt reachable. Writing them is still hard sometimes, though, and I think the only real key to writing a novel is to simply write the novel.
What's your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?
I live in a small apartment and don’t have a separate room for an office, so my writing corner is a literal corner of my kitchen table where my laptop is setup. It can be very distracting when the family is up and about—so I often listen to music or rain sounds to block out the noises of cooking, washing dishes, or random conversation.
When I’m drafting, I will usually do a quick review of the scene I last wrote, so the story flow is fresh in my head, and then continue on into the next part. Sometimes I will write out of order, but not often. Some days I spend figuring out what the best next step in the story will be. Some days I spend troubleshooting if it feels like I’ve gone astray somewhere or the characters have surprised me in a way that demands a change in the story. I’m mostly a pantser when I’m drafting, and I just let the story flow. The pre-plotting I do is a guidepost, not a concrete road, and I allow myself to make adjustments as I go, as long as they don’t prevent me from finishing the manuscript.
So my writing routine is never quite…routine. I simply follow the needs of the story from day to day, whatever they happen to be.
What are you working on now?
A few different things! I’m finishing up revisions on a YA contemp project that should be done and in the hands of my agent by the time this Q&A airs. I’m also brainstorming a brand new project, and revisiting an old project that I’d set aside to write WHENEVER I’M WITH YOU. So, lots of fun stuff in the works!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Whenever I'm With You
by Lydia Sharp
Hardcover
Scholastic Press
Released 1/3/2017
After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.
Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.
So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.
Purchase Whenever I'm With You at Amazon
Purchase Whenever I'm With You at IndieBound
View Whenever I'm With You on Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lydia SharpLydia Sharp worked a number of different jobs, everything from retail management to veterinary medicine, before turning her passion for stories into a career. She is now an editor for Entangled Publishing and writes young adult novels with lots of kissing and adventures. Whenever I'm with You is her debut, and she lives in Ohio with her husband and son. When not completely immersed in a book, Lydia binges on Netflix, pines for Fall, and hosts mad tea parties in Wonderland. Life is an adventure. Turn the page.
--
Have you had a chance to read WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU yet? Have you set a novel in a place that's always fascinated you? Do you study story structure and apply it to your work? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Sharp, Lydia: WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU
Kirkus Reviews.
(Dec. 1, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Sharp, Lydia WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU Scholastic (Children's Fiction) $17.99 1, 3 ISBN: 978-1-338-04749-3
When SoCal native Gabi moves to Alaska, she expects to always be a fish out of water, but in just a short time, she
learns to call the frozen tundra home.In an effort to escape the paparazzi, hungry for gossip about her movie-star
mother's recent divorce, Latina Gabi and her father move to Anchorage to hide out until the storm passes. There Gabi
meets her next-door neighbor Kai. His joyful energy keeps Gabi from depression as winter approaches. But when he
disappears, she must turn to his reclusive twin, Hunter, for help. Together they piece together Kai's plan--to find their
Tlingit father in the wilderness. The only problem is that Kai and Hunter's father has been dead for nearly a year. They
decide to follow Kai, unsure of what they will find. While the story of the healing power of love rings true, the cascade
of events that leads two Alaska natives into the wilderness with no food, no phone, and no plan is unlikely. And while
Gabi might be more at home on the beach than in the Arctic, her ignorance is annoyingly over-the-top. A hopeful
premise damaged by an improbable plot and unlikely characters. (Fiction. 12-16)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Sharp, Lydia: WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2016. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471901925&it=r&asid=934b9ccf58c35237a27f27d9ba14b468.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471901925
8/12/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1502577549625 2/3
Whenever I'm with You
Publishers Weekly.
263.46 (Nov. 14, 2016): p57.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Whenever I'm with You
Lydia Sharp. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-338-04749-3
Gabi Flores and her father gave up sunny Los Angeles for Anchorage, Alaska, to escape the glare of her starlet mother's
scandalous affair. When her boyfriend, Kai, takes off unexpectedly in search of his father, Gabi braves the wilderness
alongside his twin brother, Hunter, to rescue him. A nod to Into the Wild foreshadows the challenges ahead, including
blinding snowstorms, brushes with hypothe.rmia, and terrifying animal encounters. Debut author Sharp uses the great
outdoors to turn prissy, high-strung Gabi into a stronger, more self-reliant version of herself, introducing Vicki--a
rambunctious survivalist with a knack for hunting and the means to procure snowmobiles and a plane when they're
needed--as a foil. While the romantic dialogue between Gabi and Kai can be sugary sweet, the plot packs plenty of
harrowing surprises--Gabi initially believes that Kai's father simply abandoned the family when he's actually presumed
to be dead, for example--to keep readers turning pages. It's a gripping wilderness adventure with sturdy romantic
underpinnings. Ages 12-up. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Whenever I'm with You." Publishers Weekly, 14 Nov. 2016, p. 57. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473459071&it=r&asid=175d15587f30391bcdcf2e8d979af9dc.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A473459071
8/12/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1502577549625 3/3
Sharp Lydia. Whenever I'm with You
Lynn Rashid
School Library Journal.
63.1 (Jan. 2017): p105.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
SHARP Lydia. Whenever I'm with You. 304p. ebook available. Scholastic. Jan. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN
9781338047493.
Gr 7-10--Gabi and her father have moved to Alaska, a world away from their lavish, paparazzi-worthy lifestyle in Los
Angeles. The anger and resentment Gabi feels toward her mother for ending her parents' marriage are second only to
the isolation she experiences in the remote, cold landscape of her new home. Her father remains emotionally
unavailable to her as he grieves the loss of his marriage and his career as a lawyer. Gabi finds solace in her relationship
with local guy Kai, who has shared his home, family, and friends with her. But when Kai disappears under mysterious
circumstances, Gabi turns to his twin, Hunter, to help her locate Kai before a winter storm hits the area. The effort to
trace his route results in a dangerous trek across wild Alaskan terrain during a blizzard. The plot moves at an even pace
with bursts of tension as the teens encounter various threats, including wild animals and hypothermia. The supporting
characters are well-developed, and the survivalist elements are authentic. Teens may have trouble accepting the premise
for Kai's journey as well as the speedy resolutions to the dangerous situations, and Gabi's internal monologue,
especially regarding her feelings for her mother and Kai, drags at times. Still, the excitement of the expedition may be
enough to keep some readers engaged. VERDICT This is a secondary purchase for collections in need of chaste
romances with a dash of adventure.--Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Rashid, Lynn. "Sharp Lydia. Whenever I'm with You." School Library Journal, Jan. 2017, p. 105. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476559667&it=r&asid=39a2b27eb65d9bc308c353c3b483e8da.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A476559667
Review
Whenever I'm With You
by Lydia Sharp
Buy this book at IndieBound
Buy this book at Amazon
Buy this book at Barnes and Noble
It's been three months since 17-year-old Gabi chewed her mother out at the airport for ruining their family and shipping her off to Alaska. Gabi's father is still absent and depressed, while Gabi herself is struggling with what happened. Meanwhile, Gabi has unexpectedly found love and friendship with her new boyfriend, an Alaskan native named Kai Locklear. His infectious personality, overwhelming optimism and true companionship are just what Gabi needs.
As they get closer to the anniversary of the day that Kai's father disappeared in the wilderness, Kai begins acting oddly. He starts missing dates and becomes more distant. Gabi isn't sure what's gotten into to her usually attentive boyfriend. When she learns that he has gone off alone into the Alaskan wilderness to trace his father’s route, she's more than a little concerned. Determined to help Kai in his time of need, she sets off on an adventure that will change not only herself but all of those around her.
"Debut author Lydia Sharp packs a lot of deep topics into WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU....[It] was solid read for me and I think fans of clean survival stories and contemporaries with depth should give it a try. "
Debut author Lydia Sharp packs a lot of deep topics into WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU. She explores the stages of grief and the many different ways people experience it. Through Kai, for instance, we see the lengths people are willing to go to avoid pain and despair. Through his brother, we see the numbing effect that grief can have. Mrs. Locklear, Kai’s mother, demonstrates how grief can incapacitate and depress.
Another topic discussed is divorce and the affect it has on families. While I've seen divorce explored a lot in fiction, I felt that Sharp explored it more in depth than most other authors I've read. Gabi's parents represent the common reasons for divorce, like fighting, cheating and general unhappiness. Vicki's parents, however, show that couples who disagree aren't always happier apart. Gabi and Vicki display the helplessness, sadness and (in Gabi's case) anger that many children often feel when their parents break up. Sibling and parent/child bonds are explored as is the importance of communication. The author briefly makes the point about the contrast of what we as humans actually need vs. the waste and excess of society.
Gabi has a distinct voice as a character (which I find is pretty rare) and a lot of really positive traits. She has a good head on her shoulders and though a lot of the time she is unable to help with the survivalist stuff, (due to lack of experience) she still tries her best. She's very supportive and mindful of those around her. She's mature for her age without acting too grown up, which I find refreshing. She's a great learner and rarely makes the same mistake twice. All in all, Gabi is a strong and realistic character.
Kai and his family's dynamic was interesting. It was different seeing a survivalist mountain man portrayed as a desirable love interest in young adult fiction. Actually Kai and his family's survivalist nature is, in general, uncommon for the genre. And I think it's nice that author stayed away from the usual stereotypes that would typically accompany the outdoorsy nature of Kai and his brother.
I appreciate that Lydia Sharp chose to have Kai and Gabi's relationship be a healthy and balanced partnership between two people. While their union is good, it's not perfect and both of them work to keep it going. I like how they each have this mutual respect for each other and how they both love and care for one another and try to support each other.
I thought the survival element was well done and very realistic. I really liked that Sharp kept things clean and not too dark, as these types of books can get pretty gory and unpleasant. My only complaints are that the kiss scenes were underwhelming and there were moments throughout the novel where the writing was so jumpy that I had to reread parts.
All in all, WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU was solid read for me and I think fans of clean survival stories and contemporaries with depth should give it a try. It's also a good choice for young teens and tweens.
Reviewed by Rachel A., Teen Board Member on August 4, 2017
Book Reviews: Whenever I’m With You by Lydia Sharp and Keep Me In Mind by Jaime Reed
MARCH 23, 2017 BY LELIA T
2
Whenever I’m With You
Lydia Sharp
Scholastic Press, January 2017
ISBN 978-1-338-04749-3
Hardcover
Gabi’s natural grace is fascinating. Poise, pragmatic manner and confidence rarely coexist in mere human beings; but this 17-year-old possesses all three. Of course, she doesn’t realize that. Her Alaskan acquaintances see only the novelty of a “rich Latina from L.A.” and they don’t even have as much information ‘about’ her as the tabloids do.
Kai is not like that, but he isn’t living the typical teen-age life either. When Gabi and her father moved in next door, Kai’s father had been gone for almost a year. His departure turned Kai and his twin brother, Hunter, from full-time high-school students to home-schooled home-makers. The boys cared for their younger siblings, their mother worked double shifts.
When Kai slips away to search for his father, he doesn’t tell anyone. He’s been alone in the Alaskan wilderness, following his father’s footsteps for a couple of days when Gabi and Hunter figure out where he’s gone. The two immediately realize the dire need to reach him ahead of an upcoming storm. Even an experienced, outdoors-loving-Alaskan could not be prepared for this.
The dangerous expedition is but part of the plot. Each twin has a secret and when secrets are shared it is as if someone pulled the missing piece of the almost-completed-jigsaw puzzle from a pocket and asks, “Were you looking for this?” Fiercely frustrating; a remarkable relief. Each person that participates in this quest has a solid strength inside. The individual discovery and use is a pretty great thing to witness.
Aside: I have a particular fondness for the West-Virginian transplant. Vicki easily embodied traits I recognize in the people from my home state; she amused and delighted me. Special thanks to Ms. Sharp for that.
Reviewed by jv poore, January 2017.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Lydia Sharp's WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU
Lydia Sharp's Whenever I'm With You was published on January 3, 2017 by Scholastic. Here's the synopsis for Whenever I'm With You:
After Gabi's parents' divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment--until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.
Kai's twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father's steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There's a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.
So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north--a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.
An Alaska Native reader who is Tlingit wrote to me to share concerns with the book. As regular readers of AICL may recall, I get email from people who prefer not to be identified. Some worry about backlash on them or their children. I respect their requests and am grateful for their careful readings of children's and young adult books.
The Tlingit reader's concerns are as follows:
Ambiguity of Native Characters
The two brothers in Whenever I'm With You are identified as having a Tlingit father and a Canadian mother, but no further information is provided. Are they enrolled? What part of Alaska is their father from? Were the two brothers raised outside their Tlingit community, and therefore, don't know enough about it to say more than they do? The idea of them being Tlingit is so lacking in detail to support it, that they could be Haida or a different Alaska Native tribe.
Because there is so little there, they could even be white and it would make no difference in the story. An example of them sounding white is in the way they speak about hunting. It doesn't sound the way Native Alaskans talk about hunting.
Degrading and Exotic Attitude towards Native Culture
The main character in the story is Latina. She's wealthy. Throughout, she is snobby and says negative and degrading things. One example is the passage about akutaq. Gabi and Hunter are at a restaurant. He digs in to his "dish of chunky fluff" (p. 80-81):
"What is that?" I ask.
He swallows. "Something you should try."
It must be made of dog lips or something. "Don't avoid the question."
"All right, I'll tell you what this is, but only after you take a bite. Are you willing to trust me that it won't kill you? That you might even like it?"
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?" At least, that's what Kelly Clarkson says. And if Hunter can eat it without gagging, it can't be that bad. I scoop out a spoonful and force it into my mouth. It's sweet. The chunky part is definitely some kind of berry. And the rest of it has a consistency similar to... "Mousse? I mean the dessert kind."
Headshake. "It's called akutaq. Do you like it?"
"I wouldn't say like. But I wouldn't say hate, either." I take one more bite and push the rest of it away. That's more than enough sugar for me. "Okay, I tried it. Now, what's in it?"
"Whipped fat and berries."
He can't be serious. "Like, animal fat?"
"Yeah. And berries."
"But it's fat."
"And berries," he repeats, smiling, clearly enjoying my display of culture shock.
"The berries are only there to make it taste good. Because it's fat." How is this a real thing people pay to eat? How does he not understand this is gross? "It's flavored. Fat."
"And it's good." He scrapes the last of his out of the dish. "Even you said it wasn't bad."
"That's not the point!"
Hunter's laugh comes out in spurts, like he's trying to hold it in and concentrate on more important bodily functions, like chewing and swallowing and not spewing his akutaq all over the table. Although it probably wouldn't look much different in vomit form.
The Tlingit reader who wrote to me is offended by the comparison of akutaq to vomit and imagines other Alaska Native readers would be offended by it, too. The reader wonders if--by way of passages like that--readers are supposed to dislike Gabi and her negative impressions of Alaska Native land, people, and culture. The reader further says that these passages mark the book as one NOT meant for Alaska Native readers. Another example of the author not considering an Alaska Native reader is where Alaskan lands are described as a giant expanse of nothing.
While, in some places, Gabi seems to like some aspects of Alaska Native culture, it comes off in a fetishizing way, like when Gabi wonders if a bear is her "spirit animal" (p. 161):
Maybe it's my imagination, but I think the bear is looking right at me. Right into me. My heart thumps hard in my chest, my head, my ears, my throat; I feel it everywhere. But this thing I'm feeling isn't "scared." I don't know what it is. Exposed, maybe. Vulnerable. Or... trust? I'm putting my absolute trust in this creature not to charge and attack me. That has to be it--trust in its purest form--and the realization calms me. Tension falls away like I'm shedding a heavy coat. For the first time ever I let go of my control of a situation without feeling out of control.
Total serenity. From a bear.
It lazily turns its head back to the river, and soon we're riding off, every second giving us more and more distance from a possible threat. The moment is gone, but the impact of it stays with me all the way to Jack Randy's house.
Even if I had been paying attention to how we got here instead of contemplating whether the brown bear is my spirit animal, I couldn't find this place again if I had to.
Debbie's response
I'll order the book, but I can say right now that my notes and analysis will likely look exactly like what you've read, above. (Note: the quotes above are from what I saw in the book using Amazon's "look inside" and the preview in Google Books.)
Spirit animal?!
Who, I wonder, was the editor at Scholastic?! There are times when I think Scholastic is just a bit ahead of the field in terms of offering readers books with better representations of Native peoples, and then, they publish books like this one.
Posted by Debbie Reese at 2:12 PM
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Labels: Lydia Sharp, Pub Year 2017, spirit animal, Whenever I'm With You
SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017
REVIEW: WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU BY LYDIA SHARP.
Title: Whenever I'm with You
Author: Lydia Sharp
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 3rd 2017 by Scholastic Press
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 304
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
A missing boy.
A road trip into the Alaskan wilderness.
A week that will change everything...
After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.
Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.
So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.
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When I first saw Whenever I'm With You's cover, it screamed fluffy contemporary romance to me. (I wasn't familiar with this title until Scholastic sent the galley! Thank you!) I was expecting a friends-turned-lovers-on-a-roadtrip trope in here because the cover felt like a dead giveaway.
Guess what.
I was kinda right.
But also wrong.
Whenever I'm With You is a heavy type of story that revolves around twin's relationship told from a female love interest's point of view. Gabi is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and a well-sought lawyer in SoCal. She and her dad moved to Alaska to get away from her cheating mother and get over the divorce. She feels she didn't belong there. Her glamorous life in SoCal suddenly becomes a "normal" one because they need to lay low. The only thing that makes her sane in Alaska is her boyfried slash neighbor, Kai. When Kai sets off to find his dad without saying a proper goodbye to Gabi, she's worked up about it and seeks Kai's twin brother's help in going after him. Only to learn the truth about what Kai has been keeping from her and his real reason from leaving.
I don't want to really talk much about Gabi in this story or else I would not probably stop ranting. She's a rich kid alright and I totally get why she's angsty and bratty. She grew up with well-off parents so she's not accustomed to so many things that are normal for regular people. There was just this part where she had too use a squat toilet and she said she became an animal in Alaska. Like, girl. Calm yourself and be respectful because that's the least you could do. Off all the annoying things she's said and done, that's what really made me angry. Just because you're rich doesn't give you the right to say awful things like that. Her character eventually starts to mature (she's proud she's finally doing the dishes, I'll give her that) and I think if she's given some more time, her character would develop but I just couldn't erase her hurtful comment in my head.
But to me, the story wasn't really about Gabi's life problems but the twins'. To tell you honestly, eighty percent of the story is about Kai and Hunter. It just so happen that Gabi was narrating it. I couldn't remember the best sibling story I've read but this book would have been waaaaay better if romance wasn't the key factor in getting this book to sell. Kai and Hunter's bromance was one of those stories that leaves a mark. The feels would just keep tugging your feels. It was honestly surreal that I wanna hug my sibs right now. Their love for each other led them to make choices, choices they thought would benefit the other. But the choices also led them to lose so much time. They could have talked but they spared each other pain. This story is about them figuring out what happened to their dad, how much they shut each other out, how they messed up by keeping to thmeselves. In short, Whenever I'm with You is Kai and Hunter's relationship as brothers told by Gabi. Such a bunpy reading experience this one.
Then there's the Tlingit rep that according to an Alaska Native reader Debbie, wasn't represented correctly which is offensive. Here's the review - click me. In my opinion, the narrator sees everything from an outsider's POV. I believe that she learned to love Alaska and everything about it at the latter part.
Whenever I'm With You is likeable. But it would have been an unforgettable one if the execution isn't that of a let down. Giving it three stars for the attempt to show different sides of relationships which I appreciated and for the potential of the characters to see more of the world than just themselves.
Thank you, Scholastic Asia (Philippines) for the galley!