Last Girls Blog Tour: Meet the Characters + Giveaway

Last Girls
Author: Demetra Brodsky
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Tor Teen

Synopsis:

No one knows how the world will end.

On a secret compound in the Washington wilderness, Honey Juniper and her sisters are training to hunt, homestead, and protect their own.

Prepare for every situation.

But when danger strikes from within, putting her sisters at risk, training becomes real life, and only one thing is certain:

Nowhere is safe.

 
The Juniper sisters in LAST GIRLS don't go anywhere without a backpack (what they call an EDC: Every Day Carry) and they take great pride in their artwork. Honey paints, Birdie draws comics, and Blue uses embroidery to fancy up her clothes (when she's not spending time with her beloved falcon, Achilles). To honor the sisters' talents, I'll be sending one lucky winner some artistic inspiration by offering up a fabulous pre-order Grand Prize. But don't worry, everyone who orders will receive a gift with purchase. And, as a bonus, I'm including a 2nd prize that holds a special place in my author heart.

ALL PREORDERS WILL RECEIVE: Last Girls 5x7 Glossy Art Print & Signed Bookplate (see above)

ALL PREORDERS WILL BE ENTERED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE GRAND AND FIRST PRIZE.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: (chosen at random on or before 5/19) will receive a BUILT NY grey & blue camouflage backpack with thermal lunch compartment. Inside you'll find a mini acrylic painting kit (From Honey), a sketchbook & pen (From Birdie), an adorable 10" peregrine falcon plushie and mini sewing kit (from Blue), a flashlight (with batteries), a rosy tinted lip balm, camouflage band-aids, a 3-pack of portable tissues printed with positive messages, and a dehydrated camping meal like the one the sisters eat in the book.

FIRST PRIZE: (chosen at random on or before 5/19) A signed hardcover copy of my debut novel, DIVE SMACK, to round out your collection (Surprise! There's a big Dive Smack Easter Egg hidden in the pages of Last Girls).

TO ENTER: email proof of purchase to demetrabrodskybooks@gmail.com before May 5th. You'll get one entry for each copy of the book you purchase.

Available wherever books are sold.

Whenever possible, please support Indie Bookstores by buying through www.bookshop.org

Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego will have signed copies (not bookplates) and offers Free shipping for media mail rate within the U.S. on orders over $35. https://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9781250256522

VISIT: https://www.demetrabrodsky.com/last-girls-preorder-campaign to learn more!

*Open to U.S.A. Residents Only

*Sweepstakes run and fulfilled by the author

*Share with your friends

MEET THE CHARACTERS

The Juniper sisters spend more time together than most siblings might. They’re lifestyles dictate it, but there’s a deeper, more pressing reason for loyalty to one another that unfolds in the book through its conclusion. While writing them, I took special attention as to not give them similar emotional characteristics so I could differentiate their voices in my head. I hope that spilled onto the pages for you, the uniqueness of each of the girls. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite because they’re all important to the story, and for all intents and purposes pieces of my heart. I hope you love them as much as I do, for all their strengths and faults. Here goes:

Honey Juniper is the oldest of the three Juniper sisters, and the POV character for all three sisters. The one they call that weird chic with the Sarah Connor vibe.

Through her letters to Bucky, their imaginary friend from Childhood further illustrate her love for her sisters and her fear for their safety. A rule-follower with a sarcastic inner monologue, Big R Responsible might as well be Honey’s middle name. A position thrust upon her not just by being the oldest sibling, but from internal past wounds and external expectations. And until you learn why, you don’t understand her obsessions and beliefs. Honey takes responsibility for herself and her sisters at all cost. She is too quick to judge, as evident by her threat assessments. And extremely guarded, to her own detriment, which is why when she finally lets her guard down with Rémy it feels, at least to me, so satisfying. But it’s that balance between her flaws and attributes that made her such a pleasure to write. Honey is guarded, but she’s also an intelligent, unique, caring, and level-headed protector. She can admit when she’s wrong, a characteristic I deeply value in people. I hope you enjoy getting to know her as you experience her character arc. And root for Rémy, too, while you’re at it. Sometimes, it’s another character that teaches us the most about ourselves and that’s certainly true for Honey Juniper.

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius (air)

Honey Hug: Loving Side hug

Count on Honey: To be weird with you

Weakness: Runs from emotional expression, temperamental, uncompromising, aloof

Affirmations: I am one of a kind. I make the rules.

Smile: Silly, crooked smile

When Mad: Leave me alone

When Tired: Questions life itself and can’t focus

Best Advice for Honey: You’re not emotionless; open up to someone

Birdie Juniper is the full of rebellion middle sister with a fierce and romantic nature. She draws comics featuring Bucky Beaverman, using the same imaginary friend from childhood as her muse as Honey. To me, she would be the hardest to play because she feels everything so viscerally. I’d say she (the middle sister) is my favorite. I don’t think she’d be the choice of most readers. Maybe that’s why I love her. She is, in my own opinion, the most misunderstood. Headstrong, independent, and impulsive, Birdie rarely shows her more sensitive site. But when she does, it’s visceral. Throughout the story Birdie is the one that suffers the most, and I felt so her emotions viscerally while writing her into the scenes she shares with her sisters.

Zodiac Sign: Aries (fire)

Birdie Hug: Hugs everyone the same except that one person

Count on Birdie: To stand up for you

Weakness: Impatient, moody, short-tempered, impulsive, aggressive

Affirmations: I am strong. I’m the reason we have rules.

Smile: Crinkled eyes, ear-to-ear grins

When Mad: Literally no patience. Threatens to cut someone’s throat then proceeds to cry

When Tired: Tries to take her mind of it

Best Advice for Birdie: Even though you try to appear like a rebel, you don’t always like to come too far out of your comfort zone. Use your abilities to shine like a bird taking flight.

Blue Juniper is the youngest. Quiet and contemplative, but complex. There is so much to love about her. She was born with caul and has prescient thoughts that make her sisters stop and take notice. She is dreamy, vague, sensitive, mystical, and misunderstood. Blue embroiders all her second-hand clothes with feminist sayings and often stitches a little blue beaver into her works of art that are a nod to their imaginary friend from childhood. Blue knows more about her sisters and the greater world they live in than she lets anyone know. But if you pay very close attention, Blue will be the one to clue you into how the story might unfold. She has a pet falcon named Achilles that hunts with her and he can sometimes steal the show when he makes an appearance.

Zodiac Sign: Pisces (water)

Blue Hug: Super chill but secretly really happy to hug you

Count on Blue: To cheer you up

Weakness: Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality

Affirmations: I am good enough. The rules don’t apply to me.

Smile: Sweet. The kind of smile that warms people up.

When Mad: She is unflappable and ignore her feelings

When Tired: She sits quietly and listens, collecting information rather than engaging

Best Advice for Blue: You’ve lived through some heartbreaking experiences and you’re still able to walk around with your head up and heart open. Now that’s strength. Keep doing that.

Here’s what others are saying about the Juniper Sisters: 

“An impressive, immersive, addictive tale of a world that never ends ― the beating heart of sisters, breathtaking and unstoppable.” ―Emily Murdoch, author of If You Find Me 

“The moment I picked up LAST GIRLS I fell in love with the Juniper Sisters. Full of twists, turns, and adventure, this action-packed tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, then left me wanting more.” ―Suzanne Lazear, author of The Aether Chronicles 

 

"A riveting, pulse-pounding story about family, love, and what happens when the end of the world turns out to be the beginning. I loved the fierce, funny, and fantastic Juniper sisters." ―Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces 

"Tense and compulsively readable...I won’t be forgetting the Juniper sisters any time soon." ―Kara Thomas, author of The Cheerleaders 

You can visit the Last Girls Pinterest board to see more: https://www.pinterest.com/demetrabrodsky/last-girls-novel-may-5-2020-tor-teen-macmillan/

DEMETRA BRODSKY writes twisty thrillers about dark family secrets. She is an award-winning graphic designer & art director turned full-time. A native of Massachusetts with a B.F.A from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Demetra now lives in Southern California where she's always exploring and researching, looking for clues to things that might feed into her next book. She is a first generation Greek-American and a member of International Thriller Writers. Dive Smack, her debut YA Thriller, is a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection, an (ALAN) Pick (The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE), and a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Book for Young Adults for Spring/Summer 2018.

Win (1) of (3) copies of LAST GIRLS by Demetra Brodsky (US Only)
Starts: April 29, 2020
Ends: May 13, 2020

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