Hi, I’m Emiko.
When I am not writing, I am reading. Most of my friends are imaginary. Before I became a writer I was an entomologist, a candle maker, a florist and most recently a teacher. I live in Washington (with my husband and very large dog) and love the rain.
My debut novel, WE’LL NEVER BE APART, was inspired by my work with children in foster care, and will be published by HMH Books for Young Readers Oct 6, 2015. I am represented by Erin Harris at Folio Literary Management.
Title: We'll Never be Apart
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication: October 6th 2015
Cover Rating: 5/5
Psychological. Thriller. If there was to be a picture next to the definition of psychological thriller, We'll Never Be Apart, would be that picture.
Alice and Celia are twins. They grew up living with their grandfather. They have a pretty normal life but then one thing goes wrong and the entire balance gets upset.
Alice is the good twin. She is quiet, smart and she doesn't burn things down. But she does her her flaws. Cellie being one of them. She doesn't want to hurt her sister even though her sister has done nothing but hurt her. Loving someone can be a fatal flaw.
Cellie is terrible. She hurts everyone, she starts fires and she is very cynical. She apologizes to Alive after each thing she has done but isn't that what sick people do? They keep apologizing but then they just go and do something horrible again.
Jason is an anchor for Alice and Cellie. He is home. They haven't been given much love or any reason to trust anyone but Jason has given them those things. He sadly gives a little more to Alice than Cellie and he ends up paying the price for it. He seemed like a scumball to me, though. Some of the things he did and said were just nasty.
I liked Chase. He seemed kind of like an asshole for the majority of the book but in the end he was still there for Alice when he didn't have to be. He could have left and moved on with his life but he came back and he was there for her. It's actually kind of sad and spooky, really. He could be the next Jason. I know he felt like he could save Alice and he wanted to try because he couldn't save his sister but he still didn't have to stay after he got out.
The girls have been in and out of foster homes since they were six. They have been to mental health facilities as well, which is to be expected with the whole fire starting thing. But Alice is always punished right along with Cellie. No matter how horrible Cellie's crime is, Alice always says that she did it just to protect her sister.
The way the book is told, you really don't expect the ending at all. At least, I didn't. I cannot comment about how the book ended or anything really because that would spoil everything. Saying the book is a psychological thriller is kind of a spoiler too. But I say, if you liked Mara Dyer then you should give this a try. I got the same mind screwed feeling after finishing this as I did with the Mara Dyer Trilogy.
And, a word of advice, or whatever you wish to take this as, Mother's, Ball's, and Toilet Seats make everything much more enjoyable.
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
1. What was the inspiration behind We'll Never Be Apart?
Firstly, thanks so much for having me on your blog today!
When I graduated from college my undergrad work was in entomology and I spent a very short time working in that field. I love bugs, but I didn’t feel like it quite satisfied my creative drive so during that time I pursued other avenues like candle making and flower arranging J. Finally, I decided to go back to school and become a teacher (I’m from a long line of teachers, education is in my blood). Since the book sold I’ve left teaching. I really loved being a teacher but found balancing writing full-time and teaching full-time was almost impossible!
My first year teaching I worked at a school with a large population of foster kids.
It was there the characters for We’ll Never Be Apart originally appeared to me, inspired by some of the foster kids I dealt with. In my head Alice and Cellie grew as characters taking on their own unique life story until I felt compelled to write it.
2. Can you do Origami?
Yes! Although, I would consider myself a novice at origami.
3. Have you ever been inside a Psychiatric Hospital?
I haven’t, but I did consult with adolescent mental health experts while writing WE’LL NEVER BE APART. I fact checked with them and also ran through logistical details of the novel – such as the schedule, the layout, and the health services provided.
4. How hard is it to write a book?
I won’t lie. It is difficult. Writing a book is a true labor of love. But as difficult as it is, it is equally rewarding.
5. If you have to choose between never writing again or never eating chocolate again which would you pick?
Ha! Tough choice. I eat a lot of chocolate while writing. To me chocolate = writing and writing = chocolate, if you know what I mean. But if I had to make a choice I suppose it would be writing.
6. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be lots of things! A teacher (which I did for a long time), an astronaut (turns out it’s not as easy as it sounds), a photojournalist (I found out quickly this involved more risk than I was willing to take). My path to publishing wasn’t clear from a young age. And as I grew, I tried on different hats to see what fit me best.
7. Are you currently working on any new books?
I am always writing something. Right now, I am working on another thriller. That’s all I am willing to say (don’t want to give away any spoilers J).
