ReadWonder: An Inside Look #139 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Jess Redman

(Author of Quintessence)

*The first season of interviews ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.

*Season #two ran during the summer of 2017.

*Season #three ran during the school year of 2017-2018.

*The fourth season ran during the summer/fall of 2018.

*Season #five ran during the 2018/2019 school year.

*During summer 2019, the sixth season ran.

*The seventh season of interviews ran during the fall of 2019.

*I'm excited to be back for season #EIGHT with brand new interviews/authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the Eighteenth interview in which I'm calling Season #EIGHT.

*Thank you to Jess for being the One-Hundred Thirty-Ninth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

*Here is my review of the Novel...

Quintessence

Quintessence

by Jess Redman

(July 28, 2020)

JESS REDMAN BIO

Jess Redman has wanted to be an author since age six, when her poem “I Read and Read and Read All Day” appeared in a local anthology. It took a little while though. First, she did things like survive middle school, travel around the world, become a therapist, and have two kids.

But then finally, her childhood dream came true! Her middle-grade debut, THE MIRACULOUS, was published by FSG/Macmillan on July 30, 2019. Her second middle-grade novel, QUINTESSENCE, comes out on May 19, 2020. You can find her at www.JessRedman.com.

QUINTESSENCE SYNOPSIS

Three months ago, twelve-year-old Alma moved to the town of Four Points. Her panic attacks started a week later, and they haven’t stopped—even though she told her parents that they did. And every day she feels less and less like herself.

Then Alma meets the ShopKeeper in the town's junk shop, The Fifth Point. The ShopKeeper gives her a telescope and this message:

Find the Elements. Grow the Light. Save the Starling.

That night, Alma watches as a star—a star that looks like a child—falls down from the sky and into her backyard. She knows what it’s like to be lost and afraid, to long for home. And if a star really is stranded in Four Points, Alma knows she has to get it back up to the sky. With the help of some unlikely new friends from Astronomy Club and the mysterious ShopKeeper, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of science, a little bit of magic, and her whole self.

QUINTESSENCE is a stunning story of friendship, self-discovery, interconnectedness, and the inexplicable elements that make you you.

PRAISE FOR QUINTESSENCE

“A wildly imaginative tale full of wonder and hope that is grounded in our everyday world and the very real problems that today’s children face.” —Megan Frazer Blakemore, author of The Story Web

“A magical, wondrous book. . .The story is beautifully written and gave me chills almost constantly—with that magic-just-around-the-corner feeling.” —Gillian McDunn, author of Caterpillar Summer

“As bright and magical as a falling star, Quintessence is a beautifully told story that collided with my heart and set it aglow.” —Heather Kassner, author of The Bone Garden

“While firmly grounded in real-world issues, Quintessence shimmers with the perfect amount of magic. Redman’s deft, sympathetic portrayal of anxiety, a welcome and important addition to the middle grade canon, blends with scientific references to astronomy that are sure to engage young readers. Well-rounded, relatable, and resilient characters working together in a captivating setting make this the perfect read for fans of STEM and the stars.” —Sarah Baughman, author of The Light in the Lake.

JESS REDMAN LINKS

Website: www.jessredman.com

Book on Macmillan: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374309763

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jess__Red

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jess.Redman.Writes/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40864855

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess__red/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3he1B_ldE3JKb1Qvzx7wQg/

How did you come to know Alma?

Quintessence started off as a book being read by a character in another story I was working on. In that version, Alma was a two-dimensional girl on a quest. But as I worked on the story-within-a-story, Alma took on a life of her own and soon she was big enough and complex enough that I just had to give her her own book.

Alma shares some similarities with me and some with clients I’ve seen in therapy in the past. But mostly, she’s her own person. I spent a lot of time thinking about the ins and outs and whys of what makes her who she is, her Alma-ness.

What do you think is Alma’s most admirable quality?

I love Alma’s passion. She feels things deeply and fully, even if she struggles to say those feelings out loud or even understand them herself. When she sees a Starling fall into her backyard, she decides that she’s going to help send that Starling back home, and then she throws herself into the task, come what may. It is her passion—her determination and energy and love—that carries the quest to save the Starling to the end.

Is there anything you wish Alma would have changed or done differently in her story?

Alma has a panic disorder, but she’s been lying to her parents about her panic attacks and about her anxiety in general. She’s been telling them that she’s doing better, even though she’s doing worse. There were so many times that I wanted Alma to open up to her parents, to tell them her truth and ask for help. Her parents wouldn’t have known what to do right away—but they would have figured it out together, like they do in the end.

What do you think Alma can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly a third of adolescents are experiencing or will experience an anxiety disorder of some kind. That’s a lot of kids going through something that can be very scary and confusing and lonely without support.

My hope is that Quintessence reaches anxious young readers, especially those who seek out stories about magic and adventure. I hope seeing Alma shifting her negative self-talk, practicing breathing exercises, learning about anxiety, and seeing a therapist helps provide these kids with the language to explore what’s happening inside them and the strength to ask for help.

How did you research Alma and the circumstances she found herself in?

I loved researching about astronomy and alchemy for this story! I learned about supernovas and nebula, chemical and classical elements, constellations and meteorites. I had to do a lot of math (thank you to my wonderful copyeditors for getting me to check and double check my numbers!) to figure out how far away different objects are from Earth and how long it would take them to reach Earth. I read works from Paracelsus, Aristotle, and other philosophers and alchemists who wrote about the fifth element, quintessence.

Do you and Alma share any similarities?

At the beginning of Quintessence, Alma has just moved to the town of Four Points. When I was 12-years-old, I moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. I was already an anxious kid, and this move made me exponentially more anxious. Alma isn’t me—I was louder and angrier and more cynical—but there is definitely some of me in her. For example, the scene where Alma climbs into her mother’s car after her first day at her new school and immediately bursts into tears was lifted directly from my own first days.

What was the hardest scene to write about Alma?

There is a scene where Alma, Hugo, and Shirin are at the entrance to a cave called the Deep Downs. In the cave is something that the three of them are searching for, an element that the Starling needs. Alma goes into the cave herself but becomes more and more anxious the farther in she goes, and eventually has a panic attack. In this section, I wrote,

“Alma ran on. But she was tired. She was so tired of running, running from classes and from libraries and from friends. And most of all she was tired of running from her own thoughts, from her own self.”

It was hard to see Alma experiencing such anxiety and panic attacks without support. But it was wonderful to see her ask for and receive help.

Who do you think was Alma’s biggest supporter and why?

I’m going to give this honor to Alma’s parents, although Shirin isn’t far behind. I love stories where warm and supportive families demonstrate what healthy relationships look like. But I also like stories where families are trying their best but not perfect. Quintessence is one of those stories.

Alma’s parents don’t know how to “fix” their daughter. But they love her so much. They want her to be healthy and happy. And when she is able to tell them what she needs, they show up for her, ready to listen and learn.

Why do you think young people, like Alma and her friends, can be so determined and focused to accomplish a goal they have in sight; when some adults are not able to do the same?

I think young people have all kinds of powers that are easy for to lose. Two of those are the power of hope and the power of belief. We adults are often convinced that we know everything. We think we know what’s possible and what’s impossible. We predict failure.

It is Alma’s hope and belief that drives the quest and inspires her friends. And when they are all hoping and believing together, that is when the real magic happens.

What do you think Alma is doing as the present time?

I am certain that Alma is thriving. She has three very special new friends. She has the support and growing understanding of her parents and brother. She’s still meeting with her therapist, working to shift her self-talk, build her support systems, and face her anxiety. She is learning to tell the truth about how she feels—to her parents, to her friends, to herself.