Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Lies They Tell
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://gillianfrench.com/
CITY:
STATE: ME
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2017062181
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2017062181
HEADING: French, Gillian
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040 __ |a ICrlF |b eng |e rda |c ICrlF
100 1_ |a French, Gillian
370 __ |e Maine |f Orono (Me.) |2 naf
372 __ |a Young adult fiction |2 lcsh
374 __ |a Authors |2 lcsh
375 __ |a Women |2 lcsh
377 __ |a eng
670 __ |a French, Gillian. Grit, ©2017: |b t.p. (Gillian French) About the author page (Gillian French holds a BA in English from the University of Maine and lives in rural Maine with her husband and sons, has written the YA novel The door to January)
PERSONAL
Born February 13, 1983, in Rockland, ME; married; children: two sons.
EDUCATION:University of Maine, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former librarian.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Maine writer Gillian French is the author of three young adult novels: Grit, The Door to January, and The Lies They Tell. French credits fellow Maine author Stephen King with playing a large influence in her writing. “[King] is everywhere,” French told Monique Labbe in a Castine Patriot Online interview. “Growing up in Maine there isn’t a single person who doesn’t know who he is … . I’ve taken so much from advice that he has written about in terms of becoming an author and getting your work published.” She has also become influenced by King’s themes, being “drawn to the literary world of dark and scary,” according to Labbe.
French accumulated seventeen years of rejections slips before she was finally able to sell her first manuscript the HarperCollins. That sale enabled her to leave her job as a librarian and write full time. “I loved my job here,” French further remarked to Labbe. “I enjoyed my time here, but it was also difficult to work full-time and write.” French added: “[W]hat I want to do, always, is write honestly and be able to hopefully connect with these kids through the writing.”
Grit
French commented on the inspiration for her debut novel, Grit, in a Geeky Yogi website interview: “Growing up in rural Maine with wild blueberry barrens on all sides, I was fascinated by the annual August harvest. The empty, rocky fields would suddenly be full of rakers and trucks, everybody working to bring in the berries. My older brother raked one season, and I was blown away by how intensely physical the work was. It struck me that the harvest could be the perfect pressure cooker for a small-town teen girl struggling with secrets and lies—everything could come to a nice boil within that month-long timeframe.”
At the center of Grit is Darcy Prentiss, who is plagued by rumors about her misbehavior at parties and with various boys. Her sister, Mags, is Darcy’s opposite: a girl who follows the rules. Their cousin, Nell, is cognitively challenged, and Darcy plays the role of her protector and defender from anyone who might make fun of her. The three girls work in the blueberry harvest alongside migrant workers the summer before Darcy’s senior year in high school. The work is hard and made even more difficult under the heat of the summer sun in Maine. One of Darcy’s mistakes, a boy named Shea, likes to taunt her about a possible indiscretion that took place last Fourth of July, but Darcy has larger problems to deal with. The police seem to be interested in her every move, as if they believe she might have had something to do with the disappearance of Darcy’s ex-friend Rhiannon the summer before. Actually, Darcy knows nothing about that, but she does hold a dangerous secret of something else that happened the very night that Rhiannon went missing. If this secret gets out, it could ruin her family. Then someone nominates her for the Bay Festival Princess, and this could threaten to bring out her secret.
“French’s debut novel slowly builds in intensity as more pieces of the truth come to light one by one, creating suspense that will keep readers turning pages,” noted Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Heather Christensen of Grit. Christensen added: “Give this to fans of candid, character-driven novels.” Further praise came from a Kirkus Reviews critic who commented: “Small-town claustrophobia makes it difficult to define who she is for herself, but rumors, secrets, and even trauma are no match for Darcy’s grit. … The mysteries of the previous summer weave together beautifully, and the fallout is achingly real. Gorgeously written and helmed by a protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart.” Booklist writer Diane Colson similarly observed: “Keen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization make French a writer to watch.” Horn Book reviewer Rebecca Hachmyer also felt that “[c]omplex but patient plotting and evocative prose elevate this moody coming-of-age novel.” Likewise, a Publishers Weekly Online contributor noted: “Darcy, her family, and the Maine setting come alive, and the ending lands an effective punch as seemingly disparate threads join up.”
The Door to January
French’s second novel, The Door to January, also deals with secrets from the past, but this time with a paranormal twist. Natalie Payson is sixteen and still haunted by nightmares even though she has moved away from evil memories of her hometown, Bernier, Maine. These nightmares are actually inside Natalie and she determines to return to her hometown to deal with her past and also to confront a door that plagues her dreams. When she finally comes to the door in a barn and opens it, she is led into someone else’s world and nightmares and now she is the only person who can heal these dual worlds.
Reviewing The Door to January in the Portland Press Herald Online, Frank O. Smith noted: “Maine author Gillian French winds the tension … ever tighter in both storylines. Natalie pursues her time travel, desperate to learn what in her dreams has called her back to Bernier. But her returning puts her at grave risk in both worlds. The author sets up and handles the paranormal dimension of the book with surety.” Similarly, Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Kim Carter commented: “Readers looking for a frisson of fear and/or seeking a sense of justice will find this compelling suspense story worth the effort.” Likewise, a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded: “Chilling and suspenseful, this paranormal thriller with a touch of romance will keep readers on the edges of their seats.”
The Lies They Tell
The Lies They Tell is also set in Maine in a coastal tourist town. Young Pearl Haskins lives with her father in Tenney’s Harbor and works as a waitress at a country club, serving the rich tourists who descend in the summers and treat the locals like servants. Pearl has a mission: she wants to clear her father’s name for the responsibility of the murders of nearly all of the wealthy Garrison family. Pearl’s father was the night watchman when the murders occurred and thus people blame him for the tragedy. The murders have gone unsolved and now six months later the surviving son, Tristan, shows up at the country club in the company of other wealthy young men. Pearl lets herself be drawn into their world in hopes of exonerating her father.
A Kirkus Reviews critic had praise for The Lies They Tell, noting: “The final reveal may not be very shocking, but immersion in the world of small-town Maine and Pearl’s dangerous game of chess compensate. … An eerie, well-drawn mystery.” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly Online writer observed: “Pearl is an empathetic character, and French does an excellent job of highlighting the tension between social classes in this slow-burning mystery, as well as the difficulties of navigating family drama.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2017, Diane Colson, review of Grit, p. 50.
Horn Book, September-October, 2017, Rebecca Hachmyer, review of Grit, p. 93.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2017, review of Grit; July 15, 2017, review of The Door to January; March 1, 2018, review of The Lies They Tell.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2017, Heather Christensen, review of Grit, p. 64; October, 2017, Kim Carter, review of The Door to January, p. 73.
ONLINE
Carina’s Books, http://carinabooks.blogspot.com/ (March 14, 2018), Carina Olsen, review of The Lies They Tell.
Castine Patriot Online, http://castinepatriot.com/ (July 7, 2016), Monique Labbe, “Former Castine Librarian Begins New Chapter.”
Geeky Yogi, https://thegeekyyogi.wordpress.com/ (June 8, 2017), “Interview with Author Gillian French.”
Gillian French website, https://gillianfrench.com (June 28, 2018).
Horn Book Online, https://www.hbook.com/ (September 8, 2017), “Publishers’ Preview: Debut Authors: Five Questions for Gillian French.”
Portland Press Herald Online, https://www.pressherald.com/ (October 1, 2017), Frank O. Smith, review of The Door to January.
Publishers Weekly Online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (May 15, 2017), review of Grit; (June 18, 2018), review of The Lies They Tell.
Suspense is Thrilling Me, https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.com/ (May 24, 2018), author interview.
Gillian French is the author of three novels for teens: GRIT (HarperTeen, 5/16/2017), THE DOOR TO JANUARY (Islandport Press, 9/5/2017), and THE LIES THEY TELL (HarperTeen, 5/2/2018). Her short fiction has placed in Writer's Digest and Zoetrope: All Story contests, as well as appearing in Odd Tree Press Quarterly, Creepy Campfire Stories (for Grownups): Tales of Extreme Horror, Sanitarium Magazine, and The Realm Beyond. She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine, and lives in her native state of Maine with her husband and sons, where she's perpetually at work on her next novel.
Gillian French’s debut novel, GRIT, was an Indie Next List pick, a Junior Library Guild Selection, received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and ALA Booklist, was an Edgar Award Finalist, and received both a 2018 Lupine Award from the Maine Library Association, and a 2018 Maine Literary Award from the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.
Her other novels include THE DOOR TO JANUARY, THE LIES THEY TELL, and THE MISSING SEASON (HarperTeen, 2019). Her short fiction has placed in Writer’s Digest and Zoetrope: All Story contests, as well as appearing in such publications as Weirdbook and Creepy Campfire Stories for Grownups.
She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine. Currently, she still lives in her native state of Maine with her husband and sons, where she’s perpetually at work on her next novel.
Drop Gillian a line using the contact form below (note: Sorry, but she has to be a stubborn jerk about not answering questions for school reports. Your teacher wants your words, not hers! 😉):
QUOTE:
Growing up in rural Maine with wild blueberry barrens on all sides, I was fascinated by the annual August harvest. The empty, rocky fields would suddenly be full of rakers and trucks, everybody working to bring in the berries. My older brother raked one season, and I was blown away by how intensely physical the work was. It struck me that the harvest could be the perfect pressure cooker for a small-town teen girl struggling with secrets and lies—everything could come to a nice boil within that month-long timeframe.
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR GILLIAN FRENCH
June 8, 2017
Hi friends!
If you follow me on Instagram then a couple of weeks ago you may have seen that I had the pleasure of attending a book launch for Gillian French, author of the new YA novel Grit. Grit is Gillian’s first published book and so far it seems to be off to a great start, it’s been featured as an editor’s pick on Epic Reads, included in Mays The Bookish Box and of course, I reviewed it myself here (hint: I loved it!). Since attending the launch event at BookStacks, I’ve been lucky enough to chat with Gillian here and there, and was blessed with the chance to interview her! I sent some questions off to her about the book, the characters and some other fun stuff I thought you guys would enjoy.
grit launch(There I am getting my book signed by Gillian! Oh, and my daughter Rachel hehe. )
Here’s my Q&A with her:
What inspired you to write Grit? Growing up in rural Maine with wild blueberry barrens on all sides, I was fascinated by the annual August harvest. The empty, rocky fields would suddenly be full of rakers and trucks, everybody working to bring in the berries. My older brother raked one season, and I was blown away by how intensely physical the work was. It struck me that the harvest could be the perfect pressure cooker for a small-town teen girl struggling with secrets and lies—everything could come to a nice boil within that month-long timeframe.
Who’s your favorite character in Grit? Oh, that’s tough! Darcy’s got my heart, but I love writing antagonists, too. Shea really challenged me; he sees things through such a warped lens, where everything he does is justified and excusable. He can put somebody through the worst night of their life, and still be mystified when they don’t return his phone calls.
Are any of the characters based on real people? Do you feel that you relate to any of them? Everyone is fictionalized, but I definitely pulled inspiration from real people I’ve encountered in this area of Maine over the years. Actually, I’d say that the character I most relate to is Mr. Wardwell, in his moment of disbelief and anger at the lack of empathy shown by some of the locals for the migrant workers. It’s staggering to see the disparity in values among people from the same place, the same background. What we each take away from a shared experience makes us who we are, but at times, you wonder where exactly the stereotype of the idyllic small town came from, and why it persists.
There are some rather difficult subjects brought up throughout the book, did you ever have moments where you found it hard to write or did the importance of the lessons to be learned push you through? Sexuality was at the forefront of GRIT, more so than in anything I’d written before. Though I tried to be subtle and pan to the fireplace when I could, I really wanted to be honest about the situations Darcy put herself in, or was forced into. It was tough at times—I found myself cringing at some of the more graphic descriptions—but I owed it to GRIT’s readers, and the characters, not to cop out.
What is something you want to tell us about the book? Seeing this book in print is the fulfillment of my lifelong dream to be a writer. It’s changed everything for me and my family.
What made you want to write for a living? I love the connection between writer, reader, and story. It’s endlessly fascinating to me how differently each reader interprets a story, right down to the physical characteristics of the characters or how they think the ending will play out.
Any tips for all the aspiring writers out there? Read everything, and write every day, even if it’s only for a stolen half-hour.
This is a tough one, but I must ask, what is your all-time favorite book? It’s a tie: To Kill a Mockingbird probably wins the title of most deeply felt, but I reread The Shining faithfully every year. The character development is amazing in both books.
Finally, to keep up with the truly geeky theme of my blog, do you like Harry Potter? If so what house would you be sorted into? I did read and enjoy the series. I have tons of respect for J.K. Rowling—what a classy, intelligent, talented lady! I must admit that I am a Hufflepuff who wishes she was a Slytherin.
gillian
Gillian has a second book coming out, with Island Port Press, in September, called The Door to January (which I will be a part of the blog tour for so stay tuned) another YA title. You can find her on Instagram, on Facebook or at her website. Gillian lives in rural Maine with her husband and sons.
Publishers’ Preview: Debut Authors: Five Questions for Gillian French
SEPTEMBER 8, 2017 BY HORN BOOK 1 COMMENT
Publishers' Previews: Special advertising supplement in The Horn Book Magazine
This interview originally appeared in the July/August 2017 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Summer 2017 Publishers’ Previews: Debut Authors, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a first book. They choose the books; we ask the questions.
Sponsored by
HarperCollins
In a tough coming-of-age novel (and mystery!) Grit, Darcy, her sister Mags, and their cousin Nell spend one summer haunted by the disappearance of another girl, Rhiannon, from their small Maine town.
Photo: Jacqueline Hall.
1. “Takes to the sky like a bird in flight…” Are your Rhiannon and Stevie Nicks’s related?
You’re the first person to mention that reference! Yes, the song was the inspiration for her name. I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock — still do — and I’m always on the lookout for unique character names. “Rhiannon” was a great fit for my missing girl: both are changeable, magnetic personalities, “taken by the wind.”
2. “Berry picking” sounds so bucolic, but the girls’ summer job raking blueberries is not exactly idyllic. What’s the hardest thing about it?
Working bent over all day is extremely hard on the back, and the August heat is no picnic, either.
3. I want a Mrs. Hartwell, the good-hearted beauty-pageant director, in my life. Who should play her in the movie?
Kathy Bates, without a doubt. She has the perfect homegrown resilience — plus she nailed a Maine accent in Dolores Claiborne.
Do you wonder where Darcy, Mags, and Nell will end up?
4. I think the events of this particular summer — the missing friend, the beauty pageant, the secrets exposed — leave the girls ready for the next phase of their lives, with their bond stronger than ever. All three have their own kind of grit — Darcy’s fierce devotion, Mags’s strong moral compass, Nell’s belief in the goodness of others — and that will see them through.
5. People still drink Moxie?
Absolutely! It’s the official soft drink of Maine.
AUTHOR Q & A, INTERVIEWS
Lightning Round w/ Gillian French
May 24, 2018
The Suspense Is Thrilling Me
Hello fellow readers and welcome to my newest segment, Lightning Round! I’ve realized with the growing community of book reviews and related content posts that it’s difficult to fit in reading all of the things we want to. After brainstorming in an effort to connect readers with authors in a more personal way, I came up with the idea for these “bullet interviews”-think more of a get to know the person who’s writing the book rather than us trying to sell you a piece of merchandise. It’s a fun, fast segment, similar to the templates you currently see in Instagram stories. Today’s guest is Gillian French, author of Grit, The Door To January, and The Lies They Tell. (In case you missed my review and mood board of The Lies They Tell you can find it HERE.) Please join me in giving Gillian a warm welcome and come chuckle along with me at her fabulous answers to my ridiculous questions. 😉
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Name: Gillian French
Birthday: 2/13/1983
Birthplace: Rockland, ME
Current Location: Hermon, ME
Firsts-
Job: Breakfast attendant/housekeeping at Comfort Inn
Car: Hyundai Excel
Pet: Dog
Crush: Ted Danson (I can’t believe I just admitted that)
Favorites-
Color: Red
Food: Dark chocolate
TV Show: The X-Files
Song: This is tough! Going with “Nightrain” by Guns N’ Roses.
Memories/Best Of-
Vacation: Honeymoon in the Adirondacks
High School Prom Theme: OMG—I can’t remember! I think there were stars…?
Award/Honor: 2017 Lupine Award for Best Young Adult Novel from the Maine Library Association for GRIT
Beloved Indie Book Store: Tie between The Briar Patch and Bookstacks
Bookish Favorites:
Book: The Shining
Author: Barbara Michaels
Genre: Mystery
Book to Movie Adaption: Dolores Claiborne
This or That:
Reading During the Day or Night: Both/any/all!
Comedy or Drama: Drama
Physical Book or E-Reader: Physical
Road Trip or Plane: Road trip!
Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings: HP
Wine or Beer: Wine
Sushi or Tacos: Tacos
Early Riser or Night Owl: I always get the worm!
Introvert or Extrovert: Total introvert
Breakfast or Dinner: Breakfast FOR dinner
Edgar Award Nominee Gillian French’s debut novel, Grit, was an Indie Next List pick, and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and ALA Booklist. She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine and lives in Hermon, Maine, with her husband and sons. To learn more about Gillian, visit her online at http://www.gillianfrench.com.
QUOTE:
He [King] is everywhere. Growing up in Maine there isn’t a single person who doesn’t know who he is,” she said. “I’ve taken so much from advice that he has written about in terms of becoming an author and getting your work published.”
drawn to the literary world of dark and scary
what I want to do, always, is write honestly and be able to hopefully connect with these kids through the writing.
CASTINE
Originally published in Castine Patriot, July 7, 2016
Former Castine librarian begins new chapter
Former Castine librarian begins new chapter
French signs book deal
Gillian French, former librarian at Witherle Memorial Library, signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins in March of this year.
Photo by Monique Labbe Order prints of selected PBP photos.
by Monique Labbe
Gillian French has a box full of 17 years of rejected manuscripts that will never see the light of day. However, the pages in that box have led her to a two-book deal with HarperCollins Publishers.
French said the deal, which was finalized in March, took a relatively short time.
“I sent the final manuscript to my agent, who then sent it out to a bunch of different companies, and I heard back a week later from interested parties,” said French, of Bucksport, during an interview at Witherle Memorial Library on July 5, where she was employed until May of this year.
French heard pitches from four different editors, who told her their intentions for the book, as well as marketing plans and the like. French then conferred with her agent and ultimately landed on HarperCollins.
HarperCollins will release French’s Young Adult novel, titled Grit, in the summer of 2017, with the second book of her deal scheduled for a 2018 release.
“Reading that email [confirming the deal] was mind-blowing,” said French. “I definitely had a happy cry.”
The book deal has been years in the making for French, who said that after years of not being able to find a publisher she thought that, after the birth of her son two years ago, it might not happen at all.
“There was definitely a time after my son was born that I thought I might not be able to do this,” said French. “But then I just sat down and wrote Grit, which was a story I had wanted to tell for a while, and it ended up being the book that worked out.”
French said that having her son has taught her to crunch her writing time.
“My writing process has definitely changed since my son was born,” she said. “He naps for two hours a day, so during that time I lock myself in the bedroom with my laptop and just write because I know that will probably be the only time I have all day to write. I credit him 100 percent for bettering my writing.”
Recently, French has found herself able to become a full-time writer, something she said she feels fortunate to be able to do.
“I loved my job here [at Witherle], I enjoyed my time here, but it was also difficult to work full-time and write, especially once my son was born. This allows me a little more time, which I feel very fortunate to be able to do,” she said.
The idea of becoming a published author has always been at the forefront of French’s future aspirations. In fact, she remembers wanting to be a writer as early as third or fourth grade.
“I remember reading a [Gothic horror children’s] series by John Bellairs and thinking how amazing the writing was,” said French. “I thought how cool it was that even though he was writing for kids he didn’t pull any punches. That stuff was scary.”
French is drawn to the literary world of dark and scary, crediting Stephen King as one of her biggest inspirations.
“He [King] is everywhere. Growing up in Maine there isn’t a single person who doesn’t know who he is,” she said. “I’ve taken so much from advice that he has written about in terms of becoming an author and getting your work published.”
French describes her writing style as gritty and honest, fitting for an author who’s debut novel is titled Grit.
“I like to compare it to S.E. Hinton, that honesty where, again, though writing for young adults, she still doesn’t hold anything back,” she said. “That’s what I want to do, always, is write honestly and be able to hopefully connect with these kids through the writing.”
Connecting with readers is what French is most looking forward to as she begins this new chapter in her career.
“I want to reach the young readers, and maybe some adults as well,” she said. “That’s ultimately what it’s about, sharing the book with them.”
French also has a book coming out through Islandport Press out of Yarmouth titled The Door to January. That book has a spring 2017 release date.
QUOTE:
The final reveal may not be very shocking, but
immersion in the world of small-town Maine and Pearl's dangerous game of chess compensate.
An eerie, well-drawn mystery.
6/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
French, Gillian: THE LIES THEY TELL
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 1, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
French, Gillian THE LIES THEY TELL HarperTeen (Young Adult Fiction) $17.99 5, 1 ISBN: 978-0-06-
264258-5
After the murder of a wealthy family, a girl is determined to find the killer and exonerate her father.
Pearl Haskins lives with her father in the tourist town of Tenney's Harbor, Maine, where she works as a
country-club waitress alongside her best friend and unrequited crush, Reese. Rich summer tourists descend
upon the town, treating the locals as servants--but this summer is different. Six months earlier, all but one
member of the wealthy Garrison family were murdered while they slept. Pearl's father had been the
substitute night watchman on duty, and, with the murders remaining unsolved, people blame him for the
tragedy. Now her father's business has dried up, the debt collectors are calling, and he's turned to drink.
When sole survivor Tristan Garrison and his friends show an interest in Pearl, she lets herself be swept into
the world of the summer people, aiming to find out the truth and clear her father's name--but getting too
close may cost her everything. A lush summer atmosphere, class tensions, and complex romantic feelings
all hit pitch-perfect notes in this slow-burning mystery. The final reveal may not be very shocking, but
immersion in the world of small-town Maine and Pearl's dangerous game of chess compensate. One tourist
family is Indian; all other major characters are white.
An eerie, well-drawn mystery. (Fiction 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"French, Gillian: THE LIES THEY TELL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528959815/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6d6116a9.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A528959815
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QUOTE:
Readers looking for a frisson of fear and/or seeking a sense of justice will find this compelling
suspense story worth the effort.
French. Gillian. The Door to January
Kim Carter
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.4 (Oct. 2017): p73.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
4Q * 4P * M * J * S
French. Gillian. The Door to January. Islandport Press, September 2017. 200p. $16.95. 978-1-944762-10-0.
Ever since a tragedy caused her family to move away from home, Natalie has had intense recurring
nightmares in which she is drawn toward a door in an old house back in her hometown. Now sixteen,
Natalie is determined to resolve the nightmares and put to rest the events she and her cousin Teddy endured
two years ago. The cousins set out to solve her nightmare mystery, visiting an abandoned house on a hill
(from her nightmares) back in their hometown of Bernier. The two set up a recorder, and after the first
electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings, Natalie becomes increasingly convinced her nightmares are
calling her to solve a crime. With each visit to the house, Natalie is pulled back in time to 1948 where she
witnesses several tragedies unfold in the house through the course of that long-ago year. Teddy and Natalie's
reappearance in town reignites animosities, and two mysteries--one in the present, one in the past--come
together as Natalie and Teddy challenge bullying, abuse, and murder.
Rich characters, paranormal activity, small-town high school bullies, and a hint of romance for Natalie
balance out challenging time sequencing and occasionally ambiguous relationships in this fast-paced
cliffhanger. Readers looking for a frisson of fear and/or seeking a sense of justice will find this compelling
suspense story worth the effort.--Kim Carter.
The Door to January focuses on Natalie Payson and her cousin Teddy. Natalie, who moved away from her
hometown because of intense bullying in middle school, has come back to town with Teddy for a short visit.
She must face the reason she left and not get caught by the ghosts of her past. The characters' interactions
are realistic and the dialogue is short and snappy, moving the story along quickly. Readers who enjoy stories
with a mixture of humor and suspense will definitely enjoy this book. 4Q, 4P. --Anisa Amrani, Teen
Reviewer.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Carter, Kim. "French. Gillian. The Door to January." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2017, p. 73. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A511785084/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f6b3c42d. Accessed 23 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A511785084
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QUOTE:
French's debut novel slowly builds in intensity as more pieces of the truth come to light one by one, creating
suspense that will keep readers turning pages.
Give this to
fans of candid, character-driven novels
French, Gillian. Grit
Heather Christensen
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.2 (June 2017): p64.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
4Q * 5P * S (a)
French, Gillian. Grit. HarperTeen, 2017. 304p. $17.99. 978-0-06-264255-4.
There are plenty of rumors surrounding Darcy Prentiss; rumors about the parties, boys, and general
misbehaving. Her rule-following sister, Mags, and her sweet cousin, Nell, worry about her exploits, and her
mother's patience seems to be running out. None of them understand that the rumors mask a truth worse
than any of the things the people in her small Maine town believe about her. When someone nominates her
for the Bay Festival Princess, probably as a cruel joke, her careful balance of deceptions protecting the truth
threatens to tumble around her.
French's debut novel slowly builds in intensity as more pieces of the truth come to light one by one, creating
suspense that will keep readers turning pages. Darcy is a complex character, loyal and protective of those
she loves, while reckless with her own physical and emotional safety. Her first-person narrative is well
suited to allowing readers inside her head to understand her insecurities, though sophisticated readers will
see there is a group of characters quietly offering their support when she is ready to accept it. Give this to
fans of candid, character-driven novels like Laurie Halse Anderson's The Impossible Knife of Memory
(Penguin Random House, 2014/VOYA February 2014).--Heather Christensen.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Christensen, Heather. "French, Gillian. Grit." Voice of Youth Advocates, June 2017, p. 64. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497860319/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6bd59f17.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497860319
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QUOTE:
Chilling
and suspenseful, this paranormal thriller with a touch of romance will keep readers on the edges of their
seats.
French, Gillian: THE DOOR TO
JANUARY
Kirkus Reviews.
(July 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
French, Gillian THE DOOR TO JANUARY Islandport Press (Children's Fiction) $16.95 9, 5 ISBN: 978-1-
944762-10-0
Natalie has returned to her small, mostly white Maine town for the summer, primarily to figure out why
she's having vivid nightmares about a derelict house.While there she's less interested in making peace with
the three bullies who assaulted her and her brainy cousin, Teddy, with a gun a couple of years previously--
an event that ended with the shooting death of a fourth miscreant, Peter. In her dreams, the house is icy cold.
During visits to the house with ever intrepid Teddy, she's transported back in time to 1948, when an evil
resident of the house is just beginning a career as a serial murderer. As disquieting as those surreal
experiences are--since she can only observe and not intervene to save the three victims--the present is also
disturbing. She repeatedly encounters her former attackers: Lowell, who seems reformed and is becoming
increasingly attractive to Natalie, and the intimidating pair of scarily out-of-control Jason and unstable
Grace, who is devoted to, or perhaps controlled by, him. French neatly manages the complications of three
intertwined storylines: Natalie's emerging peril in the present, the terrifyingly depicted past inhabited by the
three well-realized victims, and the third thread of what actually happened on the day Peter died. Chilling
and suspenseful, this paranormal thriller with a touch of romance will keep readers on the edges of their
seats. (Paranormal thriller. 12-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"French, Gillian: THE DOOR TO JANUARY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498345150/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=763fdf53.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
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QUOTE:
Small-town claustrophobia makes it difficult to define who she is for
herself, but rumors, secrets, and even trauma are no match for Darcy's grit. The mysteries of the previous
summer weave together beautifully, and the fallout is achingly real. Gorgeously written and helmed by a
protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart.
French, Gillian: GRIT
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
French, Gillian GRIT HarperTeen (Children's Fiction) $17.99 5, 16 ISBN: 978-0-06-264255-4
A girl with a reputation grapples with the secrets of last summer.The summer before her senior year, white
teen Darcy Prentiss, her sister Mags, and their cognitively disabled cousin Nell harvest blueberries
alongside the seasonal Latino migrants in the eastern Maine heat, working hard to save money. But trouble
keeps finding Darcy; she has a reputation, and she's used to rumors swirling around her. It's not just rumors
about boys, although a white boy named Shea needles endlessly about a mistake she made with him last
Fourth of July--there's also Rhiannon, her ex-friend, who went missing last summer. A police officer starts
coming around, suspicious of Darcy's every move. Though Darcy doesn't know what happened to
Rhiannon, she harbors a different secret about the night the girl went missing, one that could tear apart her
family if it got out. Darcy juggles her self-appointed task of defending her cousin, the watchful eye of the
law, and Shea's escalating harassment, all while falling for a fellow white blueberry harvester and
begrudgingly participating in the town's Bay Festival pageant. She's tough and a fierce protector of what she
holds dear, but something has to give. Small-town claustrophobia makes it difficult to define who she is for
herself, but rumors, secrets, and even trauma are no match for Darcy's grit. The mysteries of the previous
summer weave together beautifully, and the fallout is achingly real. Gorgeously written and helmed by a
protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"French, Gillian: GRIT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A485105183/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b7468934.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
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QUOTE:
Keen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization
make French a writer to watch.
Grit
Diane Colson
Booklist.
113.16 (Apr. 15, 2017): p50.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
* Grit. By Gillian French. May 2017. 304p. HarperTeen, $17.99 (9780062642554). Gr. 9-12.
Feisty Darcy Prentiss is drawn to wild times. She'll grab at any kind of dare, chug any kind of liquor, and
kiss any kind of boy just to alleviate the tedium of small-town life. The summer before her senior year,
Darcy joins her sister, Mags, and her cousin, Nell, raking blueberries on a local farm. There's plenty of
tension in the air, as Darcy keeps an eye on her nemesis, Shea Gaines. Only Darcy and Shea know what
actually went down between them, and Darcy's not telling. Then there's renewed interest in Darcy's ex-best
friend, Rhiannon, missing without a trace since the summer before. Is Darcy keeping mute on something
she knows about this as well? And there's something else Darcy is hiding to protect Nell, who is beautiful
but simple-minded. Any of these secrets could explode and rip Darcy's life apart, but debut novelist French
reveals them slowly, stretching the suspense to the very end. French sets the story in a palpably stifling
small town, and her unapologetic main character is resplendent with her untamed sharp tongue, an overdose
of stubborn courage, and a taste for hot sex. Keen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization
make French a writer to watch.--Diane Colson
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Colson, Diane. "Grit." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2017, p. 50. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A492536243/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8e44824e.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
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QUOTE:
Complex but patient plotting and evocative prose
elevate this moody coming-of-age novel.
Grit
Rebecca Hachmyer
The Horn Book Magazine.
93.5 (September-October 2017): p93+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Full Text:
Grit
by Gillian French
High School HarperTeen 294 pp.
5/17 978-0-06-264255-4 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-0-06-264257-8 $9.99
Darcy Celeste Prentiss "lives in the ass-end of nowhere. Rakes berries. Flunks algebra. The end." But that is
not the whole story. It is summer in her small Maine town, and things are complicated for seventeen-yearold
Darcy. There's the matter of the boy she wants and the boy she regrets, both working beside her in the
blueberry barrens. There's the list of "Things We Do" for beautiful Cousin Nell ("even though she's
eighteen, in a lot of ways Nell's like a kid; I guess you could call her a little slow"), such as reluctantly
participating in the town's beauty pageant with her in spite of stares and scorn. And hanging over it all is the
mystery of a missing girl, Darcy's ex--best friend, about which she knows more than she is ready to say.
This gripping novel examines the layers of Darcy's reticence about her own past, and explores how burdens
borne alone in one small town can lead to risky behavior. Complex but patient plotting and evocative prose
elevate this moody coming-of-age novel. REBECCA HACHMYER
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Hachmyer, Rebecca. "Grit." The Horn Book Magazine, Sept.-Oct. 2017, p. 93+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A503641817/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6f9b3517.
Accessed 23 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A503641817
QUOTE:
Pearl is an empathetic character, and French does an excellent job of highlighting the tension between social classes in this slow-burning mystery, as well as the difficulties of navigating family drama.
The Lies They Tell
Gillian French. HarperTeen, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-264258-5
MORE BY AND ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
In this thoughtful mystery from French (Grit), 18-year-old Pearl Haskins was one of the last people to see the Garrison family alive the night their house burned to the ground. Pearl’s father was the gatekeeper at the Garrison house; blamed for the tragedy, he has since lost most of his caretaking jobs on Mount Desert Island, a Maine summer retreat. Pearl’s job as a waitress at the local club brings her into contact with the island’s elite, including the enigmatic Tristan Garrison, the lone surviving family member, who has returned for the summer. Pearl is determined to clear her father’s name and get to the bottom of what happened to the Garrisons, despite the warnings from her fellow townies. But what will learning the truth cost her? Pearl is an empathetic character, and French does an excellent job of highlighting the tension between social classes in this slow-burning mystery, as well as the difficulties of navigating family drama. Ages 14–up. (May)
DETAILS
Reviewed on: 06/18/2018
Release date: 05/01/2018
Downloadable Audio - 978-0-06-284168-1
Ebook - 304 pages - 978-0-06-264260-8
QUOTE:
Darcy, her family, and the Maine setting come alive, and the ending lands an effective punch as seemingly disparate threads join up.
Grit
Gillian French. HarperTeen, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-264255-4
MORE BY AND ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
In small-town Sasanoa, Maine, everyone knows that 17-year-old Darcy Prentiss has a reputation for being easy, that her cousin Nell is beautiful and a little slow, and that a person can make decent money raking blueberries. And although no one knows what happened the previous summer when a girl disappeared, that doesn’t stop the speculation. Some blame migrant workers who help with the berry harvest, and a local cop thinks Darcy knows something: she was once best friends with the missing girl. There is a lot of plot in French’s debut: a creep Darcy hooked up with is harassing her, she’s being romanced by one of his friends, she and Nell are keeping a secret, and there’s the upcoming Bay Festival Princess pageant that Nell dreams of winning. While the mechanics of the story—secrets and lies, an angry girl who turns out to be loyally doing her best—initially feel overfamiliar, Darcy, her family, and the Maine setting come alive, and the ending lands an effective punch as seemingly disparate threads join up. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alice Tasman, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (May)
QUOTE:
Maine author Gillian French winds the tension in “The Door to January” ever tighter in both storylines. Natalie pursues her time travel, desperate to learn what in her dreams has called her back to Bernier. But her returning puts her at grave risk in both worlds.
The author sets up and handles the paranormal dimension of the book with surety.
A brave time-traveling teen anchors Gillian French’s skillfully wrought YA paranormal thriller
Frightening intertwined plots are set in the fictional town of Bernier, Maine.
BY FRANK O SMITH
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Gillian French tackles a topic that is dark and disturbing and impresses with how she handles it in her new novel “The Door to January,” written for young-adult readers. The novel is really two stories separated by decades told in parallel, both taking place in fictional Bernier, in Hancock County, Maine.
Sixteen-year-old Natalie Payson bridges both worlds – through disturbing dreams and a time portal inside of a decrepit, abandoned farmhouse outside Bernier. Her nightmares and the portal transport her between two hells, one in her life that she knows, and one she doesn’t know but which she is nevertheless compulsively compelled to enter.
REVIEW
“The Door to January.” By Gillian French. Islandport Press. Sept. 5, 2017. Hardcover. 191 pages. $16.95.
AUTHOR EVENT
WHAT: “Stay Up Late! Young Adult Authors Whose Latest Books Keep Readers Wide-Eyed and Turning Pages Far into the Night”
FEATURING: Gillian French, author of “A Door to January” and “Grit”; Maria Padian, author of “Wrecked”; and Shannon M. Parker, author of “The Rattled Bones” and contributing author to “Welcome Home: An Anthology on Love and Adoption”; moderated by Melissa Kim, editor at Islandport Press
WHEN: 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Print: A Bookstore, 273 Congress St., Portland
Natalie has recently returned to Bernier, where she grew up. Her family moved away after a trial regarding the shooting death of a boy. The death was entangled in an incident in which four kids bullied her and her younger cousin Teddy. Her nightmares about the abandoned farmhouse begin soon after she moved away. When the book opens, she has returned to Bernier to live with and work in her aunt’s café, wanting to get to the truth behind the shooting and to the heart of her nightmares about the farmhouse that began soon after that.
“The first night she’d spent in their new house … she’d had the dream, and it had persisted ever since … Something badly wanted her to return.”
Whenever she and Teddy are free from work at the café, they visit an abandoned house outside town. She realizes the first time she enters it that it is the same as the one in her dreams. They set up a tape recorder to see if they can capture evidence of someone or something while they are away. That night in her dreams, as always, she finds herself standing in the kitchen in front of a door. Leaning in, she hears whispers, voices calling her name.
When Natalie and Teddy retrieve the recorder the next day, all they hear is static – and then a man’s voice that commands, “Tell me my regiment?” And a small, timid girl’s voice answers, “Thirteenth Army Infantry.” The man’s voice then demands that she tell him her name, which is followed by “a keening whine” … and repeated pounding.
Natalie dreams of the house again. “In the dream kitchen, flurries drifted. Natalie opened the door with six panes of glass … The girls’ voices whispered around her, calling her name … ‘Who are you? How do you know my name.’ … ‘We are the weavers. We are the shearers … And you are the darning needle.'”
The hell in Natalie and Teddy’s lives is ever-present. They must contend with the presence in town of three of the four tormentors from the bullying incident – Jason, Grace and Lowell. The fourth tormentor, Peter, is dead. Jason, the ringleader, is as mean as ever. Grace is always wasted. But Lowell seems different. Quieter. Even friendly. After a bullet shows up in her and Teddy’s secret hidey-hole in an old birdhouse, Lowell warns Natalie that she should leave Bernier. “That shell was a warning,” he tells her.
Gillian French Photo courtey of Islandport Press
On a subsequent visit that Natalie and Teddy make to the farmhouse, Natalie slips completely into the haunted realm. It is the spring of 1948. There is a young girl, Rachel, with a small kitten and a naked doll. And George, “a queer character … a great big dark fella, six and half feet tall, broad through the shoulders and chest …”
Returning to the present, Natalie and Teddy begin doing research into the history of the house. The dreams persist. When she and Teddy visit the house again, Natalie passes again back into 1948. In repeated visits and passage back in time, she moves through the spring into summer, then fall and finally into winter. Through her time travels and research of back issues of the local paper, they learn that George Dawes, the queer character, is a ‘dark fella’ indeed. He has been kidnapping young women, holding them in the farmhouse, and abusing them.
Maine author Gillian French winds the tension in “The Door to January” ever tighter in both storylines. Natalie pursues her time travel, desperate to learn what in her dreams has called her back to Bernier. But her returning puts her at grave risk in both worlds.
The author sets up and handles the paranormal dimension of the book with surety. It is the more prominent of the two story lines, often muting the drama around the death of the boy in the woods that prompted Natalie’s family to move away. Perhaps that is inevitable, given the plot anchors of the two. Still, it is an appreciable imbalance that challenges the gravity of the story of the boy’s death.
French nonetheless stands impressively as part a trio of Maine authors with young-adult novels out this summer – each exhibiting strong social consciousness addressing important issues. French joins Anne Sibley O’Brien, whose “In the Shadow of the Sun,” a story about North Korea’s brutally repressive totalitarian regime, came out in June; and S.M. Parker, whose story “The Rattled Bones,” about the shameful dispossession of the residents of Malaga Island, came out in August. These three writers are a great testament to the literary talent resident in Maine.
Frank O Smith is a Maine writer whose novel, “Dream Singer,” was named a Notable Book of the Year in Literary Fiction in 2014 by “Shelf Unbound,” an international review magazine. His novel was also a finalist for the Bellwether Prize, created by best-selling novelist Barbara Kingsolver “in support of a literature of social change.” Smith can be reached through his website:
Review: The Lies They Tell by Gillian French
Carina Olsen
Finishing this book has made me feel so upset and disappointed. Which is such a shame, because this book started out very well. Enjoyed at least half of it so much, and found the small mystery of it all to be interesting and great to read about. Then everything went downhill closer to the ending. And I feel so sad about it all.
I shall start by sharing why I enjoyed this book, at least the first part of it. This is not really my genre at all, but I wanted to give it a try when I read the summary for it, as I thought it looked great and sounded interesting too. And for the most part, that was true. The writing in this book was pretty great, and I enjoyed that a lot.
This is told from the point of view of eighteen year old Pearl. She lives in a small town with her father, whom is a drunk. They are poor too, and she works at the golf club trying to earn enough to live by. In the summer, the place is filled with rich boys and their parents, out with their boats and having parties and such. Pearl was an interesting character to get to know. I liked her a lot, but also didn't know all that much about her. But she was sweet, and I liked her a lot. But oh, I'm not all that happy about her life. She works with her best friend, Reese. She's been in love with him ever since she met him. But they are only friends. He is in a relationship with a girl at work, and she sees them together all the time, and she's full of hurt. Just. Ahh. No. More on that soon.
First I'm sharing more about why this book is a three star for me. The reasons for why I liked it. This book is about Pearl and her life, but it's also about a fire that happened six months before, killing four out of five people from a very rich family. Pearl's father worked for them, and he got blamed for what happened. No one ever got caught for the deaths of the family, and her dad has lost almost all of his jobs. And Pearl is not okay with it at all. She wants to know what happened. Who is to blame. She want her father cleared.
And so this summer, when one of the rich boys starts talking to her, she decides to begin hanging out with them. To try to figure out more about what happened with the fire. So she's hanging out with the boy who lived, Tristan, and his two friends, Bridges and Akil. She's slowly investigating. And I liked this very small mystery a lot. I liked reading about her becoming friends with these boys, and hanging out with them and others too. They are all over eighteen. And at first I liked them all, sort of. But then that changed. So rude.
And sigh. While I did like this book a lot in the beginning, I still did not love it. And then some weird things started happening, and I'm not feeling very pleased about it at all. I'm going to try not to include too many spoilers, but I need to talk about all things romance. I have to. Because it's bothering me beyond words. First I wish to mention that Akil was such an asshole. I hated that boy so much; he was always rude to Pearl and he was not nice to any other girl either. I wanted him hurt, honestly. Shrugs. It did not happen.
In this book, Pearl has not had a boyfriend before. She's in love with Reese. But he's with someone else. And at the end she learns that he is moving in with his on-and-off girlfriend. And so Pearl is heartbroken. And I'm not okay with it at all. This book had no romance. I felt sure that Pearl and Reese would end up together. But they never did. They were just friends. But she wanted more, and I hated reading about it, how it never happened. Reese was mostly a great person, though. And I liked getting to know him a lot.
But yeah, when Pearl starts hanging out with the summer boys, she has to flirt a lot with Bridges. There are some kisses. She doesn't even like him. She was using him, somewhat. And he was using her too, kind of. And I just feel so truly disappointed by all of it. I wanted a good mystery book with an awesome romance too. Mystery was a little tame, and romance completely sucked. Ugh. There was even sexual tension between her and Tristan. What. Yeah. Three boys. No romance with any of them. Disappointed.
That whole drama was not even written that well. Ugh. I wish this book had been without all of it, to be honest. She should have just been friends with all of them. Or had a relationship with just one boy. Hmph. I'm bitter about it, and I feel I will think about it for long now. Ahh. Hope to forget about it soon, because it just makes me sad. But anyway. This book was about the mystery too. About Pearl trying to find the real killer. The ending was kind of good, but also not exciting. I had expected more, to be completely honest.
Overall, The Lies They Tell were disappointing for me. It started pretty strong, then ended really badly. I liked reading about Pearl a lot. But she didn't even get her happy ending, and I am really bitter about it. Ack. But yeah. I'm still glad that I gave this book a try; as it wasn't all bad. I feel sad that I didn't like the book more, but yeah. I do think that a lot of others might enjoy it lots, though. I'm curious to know. Huge thank you to HarperCollins International for sending me a free ARC copy of this book to read and review.