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WORK TITLE: The Accidental Bad Girl
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1983?
WEBSITE: https://www.maxinekaplanbooks.com/
CITY: Brooklyn
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born c. 1983, in Washington, DC; married.
EDUCATION:Received degree from Oberlin College.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Private investigator and author. Worked previously in publishing.
AVOCATIONS:Watching cartoons, reading, eating her husband’s cooking, baking.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Maxine Kaplan primarily makes her living within the private investigation field. However, she has previously worked within the field of publishing.
The Accidental Bad Girl serves as Kaplan’s introductory novel. The book stars Kendall Evans, a high school senior who finds her initially sky-high popularity dwindling after being caught in a compromising position. Prior to the story’s events, Kendall snuck off for a rendezvous with the former boyfriend of her then best friend, only for the two of them to be discovered in the middle of the act. Now Kendall is going through nothing but scorn from her classmates, and especially from her now ex-best friend, who now wants nothing to do with her. Meanwhile, no one has batted an eyelash at her friend’s former boyfriend, despite his mutual involvement. While the situation is definitely unpleasant for Kendall, she does have a silver lining to look forward to. Once she graduates, she has a guaranteed spot with Rice University to study astrophysics.
Yet fate doesn’t intend to let Kendall finish out her final year of high school in peace. Suddenly, she finds herself being blamed for drug theft, having apparently lifted some of the supply of Mason Frye, the school’s resident dealer. It becomes up to Kendall to show that she isn’t guilty—but, luckily, she isn’t alone. Two allies come to her aid in the form of Gilly and Simone, fellow students at Kendall’s school as well as social pariahs. Mason also agrees to cooperate, but at a price. Kendall sets out to discover who truly stole from Mason, while also helping him to distribute his products throughout the school and beyond. In the process of helping Mason out and trying to track down the real thief, Kendall soon discovers that she doesn’t mind going down this path. Yet she just as quickly realizes that far more is at stake for her if she continues down this path. A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked: “This love letter to any girl who’s ever been labeled ‘bad’ will enthrall readers.” In an issue of Booklist, Maggie Reagan called the book “an intriguing look at feminism in American culture and the price we pay for our reputations.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews expressed that the book is “genuine high school drama, painfully inspiring for the #MeToo age.” School Library Journal reviewer Tamela Chambers called the book a “page turner that is classic YA mystery with an undercurrent of sex-positive feminism.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2018, Maggie Reagan, review of The Accidental Bad Girl, p. 70.
Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2018, review of The Accidental Bad Girl.
Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2018, review of The Accidental Bad Girl, p. 78.
School Library Journal, February, 2018, Tamela Chambers, review of The Accidental Bad Girl, p. 103.
Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 2018, Laura Woodruff, review of The Accidental Bad Girl, p. 57.
ONLINE
Dana Mele, https://danamele.com/ (May 15, 2018), Dana Mele, “Author, I Never: An Interview With Maxine Kaplan,” author interview.
KidLit 411, http://www.kidlit411.com/ (May 11, 2018), “Author Spotlight: Maxine Kaplan,” author interview.
Maxine Kaplan website, https://www.maxinekaplanbooks.com (July 9, 2018), author profile.
Rights Factory, http://therightsfactory.com/ (July 9, 2018), author profile.
Maxine Kaplan was born in Washington, DC, and now lives in Brooklyn. She studied English and political science at Oberlin College and held a variety of positions in the publishing world before landing at her current job as a private investigator. The Accidental Bad Girl is her first novel.
Author, I Never: An Interview With Maxine Kaplan
Maxine Kaplan
author of The Accidental Bad Girl, out May 15, 2018
Author, I Never is a new segment in which I interview fellow authors about the writing process, breaking into the industry, and breaking rules. I ask some hopefully novel questions along with some of the old standards, and finish it up with a round of I Never to find out what cardinal writing rules we've broken.
Question the first: Maxine, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I think I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eight years old. Throughout my childhood, I spent most of my intellectual energy doing two things: reading and coming up with elaborate narrative structures in my brain. My sister called them “thinks.” They weren’t exactly stories. They were scenarios, settings, quests, etc., where the basic lines were set up and I plugged in an endless variety of details. It was pretty complicated: I had a system where I’d use the words that people were speaking around me and fit them into descriptions of characters. At first, I didn’t think of it as writing. It was an addiction more than anyone else. But I was lucky enough to have supportive parents and a few wonderful teachers who recognized my talents with language. Soon it seemed like being a writer was the only thing I knew I could succeed at, although it took years to build up the confidence and courage to really try.
Question the second: What has been your proudest or most exciting moment as an author so far?
I think my proudest moment was during revisions. I had pacing problems in early drafts. Pacing was the hardest thing. And, for a long time, I couldn’t fix the pacing in BAD GIRL. There was a dead zone in the middle that I could never infuse with enough life or excitement. Finally I had no choice but to take the book apart, dismantle it completely, and essentially copy and paste the events of the story into a dramatic arc that made sense. It was like breaking twisted bones and re-setting them so that they could heal properly. It was terrifying. But it worked. It took courage and it worked. That was probably my proudest moment.
My most exciting moment was when my agent called to tell me I had an offer. It was my birthday actually.
What amazing timing! Question the third: At what point did you think to yourself "I've made it" or at what point do you think you'll feel that way?
I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’ve “made it.” I don’t think that plateau where I’m “there” exists for me. And, probably, it shouldn’t. But drafting my second book has gone faster than the first. I’ve learned a lot about structure, motivation, and stakes. I have to believe I’ll keep learning. And that will be enough for me.
Question the fourth: Did any experienced authors or industry people mentor or give you helpful guidance on your journey to publication?
Yes! My parents are both authors, in adult non-fiction. And my sister at the time was working as a literary scout. They were all helpful. And a couple of agents gave me feedback early on that was invaluable, even if they didn’t end up representing me. I don’t know the etiquette of thanking them, but I’ll always be grateful.
That's so wonderful. Question the fifth: Have you ever had a time when you've felt like giving up?
On writing? No. I’ve been lucky. I’ve had a lot of creative friends and family who kept me motivated. On THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL? Definitely. After I did a revise-and-resubmit for one of the aforementioned agents and she had declined, I had blown through a bunch of agents already. That made me feel like the book was dead. I did another round of submission essentially on a whim.
Question the sixth: What was the most inconvenient time or place you were struck by inspiration?
Probably at work, at my day job. At home, I usually have a notebook at hand. At work, what am I gonna do, open a Word document? I’ve tried to carry a notebook around, but I’m just too forgetful for that to work, and when I have, the notebooks become knocked around to the point of it no longer being pleasurable to write in them. I still don’t have a good system for preventing ideas being lost to the ether. It happens all the time.
Question the seventh: Can you give us a hint to help us find an "easter egg" or hidden item to look for in one of your books? Maybe an obscure clue if there's a mystery thread, or a reference you threw in to a favorite book or song?
There are a couple actually. Because I took a lot of inspiration from North by Northwest one of my main character’s names is a secret Hitchcock shout-out. My main character’s name is also a Hitchcock shout-out, but that’s made explicit. Also my husband makes a cameo.
I adore Hitchcock! I look forward to hunting for references. Okay! Time for the...
I Never Round
The basic rules of I Never, the kid friendly version- I state a generally established writing rule (or at least a norm). If you've broken that rule, state your guilt for the record.
I never made up a word in my manuscript, and stood by it during copyediting.
Yep. “Uncrumpled.” You will never convince me that shouldn’t be a word.
Love it. I never had an amazing idea right before bed, and decided sleep was more important.
Sigh. Yes. I’m a terrible sleeper, so when I’m really about to fall asleep, I can’t turn it down.
I never started a story with a character waking up, looking in the mirror, or in a bathtub.
Oh god. The first draft of BAD GIRL started with Kendall waking up.
I never worked on two manuscripts at once.
There’s way too much waiting in publishing for you to not have more than one project cooking. IMHO. At least for me, if I lose writing momentum, I’m terrified I’ll never get it back.
I never went several days or even weeks without writing.
I took two weeks off after I finished the first draft if BAD GIRL. But, like I said, I can’t afford to do that, really.
I never wrote "for a long moment."
Yeah, I’m pretty sure I have a few of those in BAD GIRL. Eek.
I never cheated during NaNoWriMo.
N/A. Never done NaNoWriMo!
Thank you so much for appearing in Author, I Never! When and where can we look for, preorder, or buy your next or most recent book, and where can we follow you on social media?
Thank you, Dana! My book’s on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34522711-the-accidental-bad-girl. And I tweet at https://twitter.com/MaxineGKaplan.
Bonus question: If your book had a theme song what would it be? Or alternatively is there any music you listened to a lot while writing it?
I listened to a lot of Carly Rae Jepsen and a lot of Garbage and Katy Perry.
Any particular albums or eras?
Late 90s Garbage, a lot of Roar, Emotion Side A and Side B.
DJ Spotify, what are your thoughts?
February 21, 2018 by Dana Mele
Author Spotlight: Maxine Kaplan
May 11, 2018
Today we are pleased to feature YA author Maxine Kaplan and her debut novel THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL (Amulet Books, May 15, 2018).
Cover design © Catharine Casalino
Be sure to enter the giveaway for a copy!
Tell us about yourself and how you came to write for teens.
I think the most important thing to know about me, and about how I came to write YA, is that I grew up reading ALL. THE. TIME. Yeah, I had a lot of interests—theater always, playing recorder (yes, recorder—come at me), later debate, for a brief, shining moment, sports—but on balance and at my core I was a reader first and foremost. And naturally much of what I read as a child was YA. I never let it go. It remained a passion. And when I started to get serious about writing, YA had evolved into the rich and varied genre that we know it to be today. So I think it was a natural evolution from a passionate reader to a writer of the types of stories I first became passionate about.
Congrats on your debut YA novel, THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL! Tell us about it & what inspired you.
Thank you! THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL is my interpretation of a contemporary origin story for a femme fatale. And that was honestly the original inspiration behind it—the bad girls of film noir, Hitchcock, and James Bond inspired me to re-write those tropes with an explicitly feminist angle. I’ve often called it a “feminist revisionist take on North by Northwest” and a “thriller about slut-shaming.” It’s a little hard to encapsulate.
Who would you cast in your book's movie version?
The dream was originally Kiernan Shipka. But I recently added Katharine Langford from Thirteen Reasons Why to my internal shortlist for my main character Kendall – I think she’s amazing.
Was your road to publication long and windy, short and sweet, or something in between?
Definitely something in between: it was slow and plodding. Methodical, but sloooooooow. My journey didn’t take a lot of twists and turns. I followed the standard playbook: write, revise, query, get rejected, revise again, get an agent, revise again, submit, wait, wait, get a book deal. But each step took an eternity. Put it this way: I started this book before I met the man who is now my husband.
What advice would you give to your younger self? Is this the same as you'd give to aspiring authors?
My biggest piece of advice is this: You can’t fix what you don’t write. That’s writing advice, but I think applying it to most life issues makes sense. You can get better at something you don’t attempt.
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
Hmmmmm. I think Daniel Tosh is very funny. Does that count?
Where can people find you online?
I have a website that I don’t keep very well update at MaxineKaplanBooks.com. I tweet and Instagram at @MaxineGKaplan.
Maxine Kaplan was born in Washington, DC. She and her twin sister spent their early childhoods trotting behind their journalist parents as they traveled around the world, eventually settling in Brooklyn, NY. Maxine graduated from Oberlin College in 2007. Following a long stint in the world of publishing, she has worked as a private investigator since 2009. She lives in her adopted hometown of Brooklyn, NY, with her lovely husband and complex cat. THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL is her debut novel. Follow Maxine on Twitter @MaxineGKaplan
Maxine Kaplan was born in Washington, DC. She and her twin sister spent their early childhoods trotting behind their journalist parents as they traveled around the world. When she hit the double digits, they settled in Brooklyn, NY, where she still lives today. She studied English and political science at Oberlin College and held a variety of positions in the publishing world before landing at her current job as a private investigator. It’s a long story. In her free time, she loves to read, bake, eat the delicious items her chef husband cooks for her, and watch cartoons with her overweight cat. The Accidental Bad Girl is her first novel.
Maxine is represented by: Ali McDonald
Maxine Kaplan was born in Washington, DC. She and her twin sister spent their early childhoods trotting behind their journalist parents as they traveled around the world, eventually settling in Brooklyn, NY. Maxine graduated from Oberlin College in 2007. Following a long stint in the world of publishing, she has worked as a private investigator since 2009. She lives in her adopted hometown of Brooklyn, NY, with her lovely husband and complex cat. THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL is her debut novel. Follow Maxine on Twitter @MaxineGKaplan
The Accidental Bad Girl
Publishers Weekly. 265.12 (Mar. 19, 2018): p78.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* The Accidental Bad Girl
Maxine Kaplan. Amulet, $18.99 (384p)
ISBN 978-1-4197-2858-7
After getting caught with her best friend's ex-boyfriend, Grant Powers, 17-year-old Kendall Evans starts her senior year at Brooklyn's private Howell Preparatory School branded as a "slut." Her best friend, Audrey Khalil, won't speak to her, while Grant is unscathed by the scandal. Kendall plans to keep her head down until she can escape to Rice University's accelerated astrophysics senior semester program, but she's wrongly accused of stealing "doses" from drug dealer Mason Frye. With help from fellow outcast Simone Moody and theater geek Michael "Gilly" Gilbert, Kendall sets out to clear her name and discovers that her inner "bad girl" may not be so bad after all. Kaplan's sharply written, twisty thriller, narrated by the savvy Kendall, deftly explores the shades of gray between "good" and "bad" and the freedom of self-acceptance and shines a light on issues such as rape culture, bullying, and enduring sexual double standards. This love letter to any girl who's ever been labeled "bad" will enthrall readers. Ages 14-up. Agent: Ali McDonald, the Rights Factory. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Accidental Bad Girl." Publishers Weekly, 19 Mar. 2018, p. 78. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A531977429/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9e3348c1. Accessed 6 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A531977429
The Accidental Bad Girl
Maggie Reagan
Booklist. 114.14 (Mar. 15, 2018): p70.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Accidental Bad Girl.
By Maxine Kaplan.
May 2018. 384p. Abrams/Amulet, $18.99 (9781419728587). Gr. 10-12.
Kendall's social life pretty much tanked after she had sex with her best friend's ex-boyfriend. She's on her own for the start of senior year, although honestly things could be worse--she's been accepted into a prestigious astrophysics program that starts in January, so she only has to last one semester. Then Kendall is framed for stealing from a drug dealer. Mason, the dealer in question, doesn't much care that she's innocent but is willing to let her off the hook if she finds the real culprit. To keep her future safe, Kendall has to play a part, and the more she acts like a girl involved with a drug dealer, the more she starts to enjoy herself. But drugs have consequences, and Kendall's about to find out just how far-reaching Masons business is. Some stilted dialogue and one-note characterizations don't entirely detract from the effect of Kaplan's debut, which, more than anything, plays with how girls are perceived in society. An intriguing look at feminism in American culture and the price we pay for our reputations. --Maggie Reagan
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "The Accidental Bad Girl." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2018, p. 70. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533094585/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=51c0a8cd. Accessed 6 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A533094585
Kaplan, Maxine: THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL
Kirkus Reviews. (Mar. 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Kaplan, Maxine THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL Amulet/Abrams (Young Adult Fiction) $18.99 5, 15 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2858-7
A once-popular prep school girl, blackmailed into working for a drug dealer, sleuths out the true criminals.
Kendall was once a member of the popular clique of mean girls, until she was caught having sex with her best friend's ex at the end of junior year. Nobody blames Grant for the semi-public sex, but Kendall starts senior year ostracized: Her friends have shut her out, she's being slut-shamed, and she's even physically attacked at school. Someone's hacked her Facebook account, making it look like she's been spending time with a drug dealer. Mason, the young white man who provides Ecstasy to local teens, improbably blackmails Kendall into delivering his drugs. As the wealthy white girl encounters careless malevolence throughout her community, she rages against gender-biased social standards. The boys--college bros, dealers, nerds--all share a sense of entitlement when it comes to the girls' bodies and behavior. Kendall begins by looking out for No. 1, but as she discovers her part in something far more vile than delivering Ecstasy, she considers putting herself on the line to do what's right. Ultimately, the girls, while never holding hands and singing "Kumbaya," do come together to fight against rape culture.
Genuine high school drama, painfully inspiring for the #MeToo age. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Kaplan, Maxine: THE ACCIDENTAL BAD GIRL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528959821/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=94753184. Accessed 6 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A528959821
Kaplan, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl
Laura Woodruff
Voice of Youth Advocates. 40.6 (Feb. 2018): p57.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Kaplan, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl. Amulet/Abrams, May 2018. 384p. $18.99. 978-1-419-72858-7.
3Q * 3P * J * S
Seventeen-year-old Kendall Evans gets caught having sex with her best friend's (ex?) boyfriend in the locker room in view of the entire senior class. To everyone at Howell Preparatory, a school of affluent overachievers whom Kendall has known since fifth grade, including her best friend Audrey, Kendall is now invisible. Miserable, she finds refuge in friendship with outsider Simone, and, through her, meets somewhat older Mason Frye and his sidekicks. Mason is an influential drug dealer who manages to blackmail Kendall into becoming his delivery girl. Kendall hides her new life and her accompanying new personality from her parents, but nerd Gilly (Mickey Gilbert), who has strong feelings for Kendall, trails her, trying to protect her as she falls into increasingly dangerous and eventually life-threatening situations.
This debut novel is somewhat erratic. Kendall shows little evidence of her reputed "good girl" nature and, despite her protestations, falls witlessly into obvious danger. Other characters, particularly parents, are props without development. In a dramatic ending, the belief of readers is tested as Kendall becomes a "good girl," once more accepted by her peers.--Laura Woodruff.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Woodruff, Laura. "Kaplan, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl." Voice of Youth Advocates, Feb. 2018, p. 57. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A529357122/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f9de2587. Accessed 6 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A529357122
KAPLAN, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl
Tamela Chambers
School Library Journal. 64.2 (Feb. 2018): p103.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
KAPLAN, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl. 384p. Amulet. May 2018. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781419728587.
Gr 9 Up--Kendall used to be a "good girl"--an honors student, math and science wiz, and a member of a trio of "it" girls at Howell Preparatory, an elite school attended by Brooklyn's upper echelon. Responsible, attractive, smart, and self-sufficient are all adjectives that would've been used to describe her prior to the day she got "caught" with her best friend's ex-boyfriend at .the end of her junior year. Ostracized, Kendall starts senior year counting down the days until graduation. Just as she is beginning to settle into what she believes will be a year of scornful isolation, she is attacked by a mysterious girl in the school bathroom. To add insult to injury, someone has hacked her Facebook page, and Kendall suddenly is framed for stealing from a drug dealer. Blackmailed into partnering with the dealer to deliver drugs until she can prove her innocence, the protagonist embraces her "bad girl" facade in a wayward attempt to salvage her fractured reputation. This is a simmering, angsty take on the whodunit genre. Kendall introspectively wears the "bad girl" mask while grappling with what it means to be one. The delineation between good and bad characters is blurred, which makes for a great read and lively discussions about decision making and choices. Kaplan cleverly addresses sexuality, gender bias, identity, and rape culture in this page turner that is classic YA mystery with an undercurrent of sex-positive feminism.'VERDICT Recommended for school and public libraries serving older teens.--Tamela Chambers, Chicago Public Schools, IL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Chambers, Tamela. "KAPLAN, Maxine. The Accidental Bad Girl." School Library Journal, Feb. 2018, p. 103. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526734122/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8bfa5762. Accessed 6 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526734122