Book Tour: ALONDRA by Gina Feria review + interview

Book Details

Title: Alondra
Author: Gina Femia
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Publication Date: April 18, 2023
Genre(s): Young Adult, LGBT, Sports
Pages: 320

     

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Reading Details

Finish Date: April 10, 2023
Format: Physical

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Rating: 4.5/5

Review: 
Thank you so much to Hear Our Voices tour for allowing me to take part in this tour and, especially, for allowing me to be one of the interview stops. Make sure to check out the schedule so you don't miss any of the amazing stops!

I first want to apologize if I ever mistype Alondra instead of Alonda for the main character's name. I try but sometimes I make mistakes.

I honestly really enjoyed this book. I think the author did a really good job at writing compelling dialogue and scenarios. It was amusing but not light (if that makes sense).

Alonda also made for a really amazing main character! The journey she went on through this book was beautifully written and I loved being able to experience it along with her. Alonda's struggles were heart-wrenchingly written and I felt fully encompassed in the feelings she was feeling.

I did struggle sometimes to stay engaged in the book, but I don't think that should be considered a fault of the book or author. It just happens sometimes. It did effect my rating, but only mildly.

All in all, I think this was an interesting book. I don't think I've read a book about wrestling before so it was definitely a new experience to say the least. I thought Alonda was a really interesting character and I enjoyed the cast of side characters as well.

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How old were you when you first started writing?

I was writing before I even knew how to write words. In Kindergarten, our teacher had a little play-table that contained a basket of markets and sheets of paper stapled together in the shape of small books and I used to spend Free Time not playing with blocks or dolls but drawing out (or really writing without words) stories which I would then bring home and "read" out loud to my very patient parents. So that instinct to tell stories has always been inside me.

What made you want to write this book?

This book is based on a play of mine and I wanted to see how it might live in a different form. I love wrestling and, being a lifelong Brooklynite, also love Coney Island so when I thought about creating a story that had those two elements at the heart, Alondra, both the play and the book, were born.

What was your favorite part of writing this book and getting it published?

Getting to work with my incredible, patient editor, Trisha de Guzman was definitely the highlight of both writing and going on this wild publishing journey. She really took a draft that was ragged and unsure of itself and helped me not only gain confidence in myself as a writer, but in the story. I couldn't believe how much more depth and fun this book became under her guidance. And going on a full cycle of the publishing journey was really illuminating - there was so much I didn't know! It was a really remarkable experience.

What was the hardest part in creating this book?

Figuring out how to write all those wrestling scenes! In the theatrical version, we'd physically see the wrestling sequences but putting them into words so that they can be pictured was such an incredible challenge. Also balancing the terminology, assuming that people reading both would and wouldn't have a baseline for wrestling - it was a balancing act that often left my head spinning.

What came first: the main character(s) or the plot?

Neither - the idea of wrestling and Coney Island were the first things that came out and then the rest followed in a kinda fever dream. It's so hard for me to pin down things like plot or character because they really just appear when they need to - and then I begin to think critically about what needs to be done in order to tell the story. It's working in tandem with that magical, invisible, indescribale thing that writing is.

Can you describe your book in five words or less?

(A) summer wrestling in Coney Island.

Did you have to do any research while writing this book?

Yes and no - I already had a baseline for a lot of the book, but in order to get into specifics of wrestling, character building, things like that, I'd have to do a lot of research. I also utilized resources such as Writing the Other and Writing with Color while crafting my many, many characters.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

I've begun writing a second YA novel that's only in an idea phase right now - no idea where it might go but it's got time travel and queerness and I'm having fun writing it! I also continue to work on my many plays, pilots and screenplays.