Six Months Later Blog Tour: Author Interview + Review

Welcome to my stop on the Six Months Later blog tour hosted by Sourcebooks Fire! Today I have my review of the book and a great interview with the author, Natalie Richards, to share with you!

Six Months Later

Author: Natalie Richards

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Description:

Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her?
And why can't she remember? 

1. What was your inspiration for writing Six Months Later?


After a creepy dream about nodding off at work and waking up to an entirely different season, I couldn’t get the chill-factor of a memory loss like that out of my head. Losing time is such a scary concept to me. It made me ask question after question and I just couldn’t let it go!


2. Do you have to do any special research for the book?


I did need to do a good bit of research on psychology, the science of memories, and a few other things that I can’t talk much about without giving some important things away. J But, I enjoy research. It’s always exciting to stretch the old brain out and figure out how to play with new freaky facts.


3. Are any of the other characters based off of people you know?


There are always shades of people I know in the way a character dresses, or maybe how they say certain things, but it’s usually very limited. For example, I have a friend with a daughter named Maggie, and the name really felt right for Chloe’s best friend, but that’s absolutely where the similarities end.


4. How did you become a writer? Was there a person or situation that prompted you to start writing?


As a child, I always wrote—poems and letters and random descriptions. I didn’t realize it at the time, but some part of me was already a storyteller, but it was in the 2nd grade when I was nominated for a special young author conference that I thought, “This is who I want to be.” Mind you, I probably also had similar feelings about being a zoologist or a cake decorator or what not, but the writer thing has been a lingering dream for most of my life. J


5. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?


1. Write as often as possible.
2. Read. A lot. A whole, whole, whole lot. (I believe reading is critical to writing success)
3. Starting books is great, but force yourself to finish at least some of them. You learn things about story and structure you just can’t learn without the ending.
4. Find support. Send out a few Google searches or ask a friendly author you know for writing groups and websites they’d recommend. SCBWI is a great organization for writers of
children’s books and young adult books, but there are organizations for almost every genre and geographical location out there! J
5. Brace yourself for rejection. Writers get rejected. A lot. They just keep trying. If you intend to write, then you will almost certainly be rejected to, so be ready. And be aware that rejection isn’t the end. “No” today does not mean “No” forever. (If you saw all my No’s you’d feel lots better, I promise!)


6. What's next for you?


My next book is another YA Thriller called One Name a Week. It’s about a girl who discovers some pretty unthinkable things going on in her high school. When she gets the opportunity to right the wrongs, it will end up costing her more than she ever dreamed. I’m super super excited about this book. These characters really leapt off the page for me and the whole situation was a tangled mess of moral ambiguity. Really challenging and powerful stuff to write.


Thank you so much for having me here today! I’m super happy to be stopping by the blog and really appreciate you being part of my tour! :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog to chat with us Natalie!

Six Months Later is a phenomenal young adult mystery/thriller novel that tells the story of Chloe - at least the parts that she remembers. Chloe remembers closing her eyes for a quick nap in study hall one day in spring of her junior year. When she opens her eyes, she's horrified to find that six months have passed and she can't remember any of it. She wasn't in an accident and hasn't been in a coma - so where have the last six months of her life gone? Chloe decides that she needs to remember what or who did this to her so she can get her life back. Although, the new Chloe seems to have the perfect life. She's dating Blake, the hottest guy in school who she's been crushing on for the past three years, she has tons of popular friends, amazing grades and she rocked the SATs. So why does all of it seem like such a lie? Why can't she remember any of it and why does the thought of it make her so panicked? Determined to remember what happened, Chloe sets out on a mission to recover her past - although remembering just might get her killed.

I absolutely love thriller novels and this one definitely did not leave me disappointed. I was immediately intrigued by the description of the book - how exactly does one lose six months of memories while being seemingly alive and well? The plot was a unique idea and a fresh breath of air into the YA mystery/thriller scene. I loved trying to piece together the clues that Chloe remembered and what she could dig up, so I could try to figure it all out before she did. I only got so far before the author threw in some great twists and turns, which left me clueless. I know the author has great writing ability if they're able to pull one over on me - especially in a mystery ordeal like this one. The characters were realistic and easy to identify with, especially our main character Chloe. I would've been in the exact same spot she found herself in after realizing she lost six months of her memories and her life. She's resourceful, smart, determined, strong, and dedicated to finding out the truth. The other minor characters in the book were well written too with distinct personalities and flaws that made them unique. The writing was fast paced and kept me on my toes with all the various twists and turns thrown in - I ended up getting sucked into the book from the first page and reading it through in one sitting. I couldn't stop until I figured out what had happened and how it would all play out in the end. This is definitely an author to watch and I'll be eagerly awaiting her next release. Highly recommended for fans of  YA mysteries, suspense, and thrillers.