Title: The Forsaken
The Forsaken #1
Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Pages: 375
Buy Here: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository
A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.
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Kayla: Where did the idea for The Forsaken sprout from?
Lisa: It came from a nightmare that I had in which I was being chased by men in robes with knives on a terrifying prison island. And at the same time, a friend's sister was stressing about taking the SAT, and the ideas somehow merged in my mind. Like, what if there were a standardized government test that if you failed, you got banished to a horrific prison island? So that was where the idea for "the wheel" (the prison island at the center of The Forsaken) and Alenna's journey came from.
Kayla: Why do you enjoy writing in the Dystopian Genre?
Lisa: There's so much room in it to explore interesting and edgy ideas right now. It also encompasses all the genres that I love (thriller, sci fi, romance, adventure, horror). And it's just so much fun to try to come up with bleak scenarios for the future!
Kayla: What do you do when you aren't writing?
Lisa: Generally I just hang out with my husband and our daughter, who just turned 3. I love going down to the beach. I also love taking photos and watching movies. And cooking too.
Kayla: Could you tell us a little about yourself and your debut novel The Forsaken?
Lisa: I'm a digital librarian at UCLA. The Forsaken is my first book, although I've always wanted to be a writer since I was in high school. I kept trying, but I was never able to finish a book until The Forsaken (although I did write a bunch of stories). It was almost like The Forsaken was writing itself! The characters kept surprising me with their choices.
Kayla: How has the publishing journey been for you?
Lisa: It's been amazing. Definitely stressful at times, but incredibly exciting overall. I'm still learning how everything works!
Kayla: Are you currently working on anything?
Lisa: I'm just finishing up Book 2 of The Forsaken trilogy! It's coming out summer 2013.
Kayla: Do you have any favorite quotes or sentences from The Forsaken?
Lisa: "Freedom means more than just struggling to survive."
Kayla: What is your favorite Dystopian novel?
Lisa: My favorite classic dystopian is probably 1984 (unless Lord of the Flies counts? Then that would probably be my favorite). My favorite recent ones are The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. Oh, and Divergent too.
Kayla: Thank you for answering these questions Lisa. I really enjoyed Interviewing you, and I have to say that I think Lord of the Flies counts, I really loved that book. Divergent is also a fabulous pick! Thanks so much for stopping by Bengal Reads today!
Be sure to leave some comments below for Lisa I am sure she would love to chat!
Lisa M. Stasse was born in New York, and has since lived in Spain, Russia, Hawaii, and North Carolina. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Government and English lit, and is currently a digital librarian at UCLA. Lisa loves watching science fiction movies, cooking Spanish food, and dancing around her house to 80′s music. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband and their two-year-old daughter. All three of them are learning how to surf. Say hi at lmstasse[at]yahoo[dot]com. Find Lisa Here: Goodreads|Facebook|Twitter|Website
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