Topic: Inspiration behind GRAVITY
By: Melissa West
When I sat down to write GRAVITY, I had one agenda—write a novel with a strong, female main character that young readers can look up to. I already knew the plot of the story would involve aliens that host to humans. I already knew that I wanted a lot of tension between my human main character and her assigned alien. But I did not yet have the strong main character that I needed.
So I set in to reading and re-reading YA books with strong female leads that people loved, despite their hard exterior—Katniss, Tris, Katsa. These characters made an impression on readers. They remembered them long after closing the book. I wanted that same level of respect for my main character, Ari.
But respect and toughness wasn’t enough.
I wanted her to have a strong moral compass and to cry when it was warranted. In other words, I wanted a tough female lead that didn’t act like a brooding guy. I feel it’s important that young girls know that it’s okay to be sensitive. You can be strong and caring at the same time, which is very much Ari. She’s smart. She’s tough. She’s fiercely loyal and protective of those she cares about—and even those she doesn’t know.
I hope readers enjoy Ari’s character. She was a blast to write!
Gravity by Melissa West
Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication:
November 20th 2012
by Entangled Publishing, LLC
In the future, only one rule will matter:
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
Gravity. Melissa West. Pre-order Gravity here and here.
I love it! We talk about guys being "man enough to cry." It's high time for a girl who's "woman enough to cry."
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