Author Interview: April Henry

Dropping in today is April Henry, author of the recent release Girl, Stolen, about a teenage girl who's asleep in the back of her stepmom's Suburban when it's stolen. The kicker? Cheyenne is blind. Great premise, right? Thought so, and it's a great book, too. And now.... April:

How do you think you would react to find yourself in Cheyenne's situation? Anything you would have done differently?

I'm not sure I would have been as brave. I might have tried arguing more with with Roy, which probably would have ended up with me being hit or even beaten.

If Cheyenne could tell Griffin any one thing without repercussion, what would it be?

There's a question he asks her at the end of the book. I don't want this to be a spoiler, but I think she would say yes.

What was behind your decision to write Girl, Stolen in third person rather than first?

The book just came naturally for me that way, so it was more of an intuitive decision than a one where I carefully weighed the pros and cons. My next book, the Girl in the Mini Cooper, is told in three different first-person points of view.

Though the book focuses primarily on Cheyenne, the reader gets a strong sense of Griffin as well. What was the most challenging aspect of developing his character, especially considering the rough start he has?

Making him sympathetic. Showing the reader how he came to be who he is - and isn't. I've known many teens whose parents had troubled lives or made bad choices. That can't help but impact the children they are raising.

If you could pair Cheyenne and Griffin with any character from any book, who would you pick for them?

How about Buck the dog from Call of the Wild by Jack London? I think both would appreciate his intelligence and loyalty.


If you could read only one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Something huge and thick, maybe The Collected Works of William Shakespeare. But frankly, not having access to the wide world of books sounds like the worst kind of prison to me.

What kind of cake/confection would you describe yourself as?

Dark chocolate covered cashews sprinkled with sea salt.


Thank you, April! Now I'm craving some of those cashews.... If you guys haven't checked out Girl, Stolen, or any of April's other works, make sure you do!

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