Interview With Katie Zhao, Author of How We Fall Apart

Hello everyone! Today Katie Zhao, the author of an upcoming dark academia thriller with an Asian cast has come over to talk to me about her book which comes out in A WEEK! So, without further ado, let’s dive in and talk about it!

How We Fall Apart
By Katie Zhao

Genre: Mystery
Age Group: Young Adult

Trigger Warnings: abuse, self-harm, violence, parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, a student/teacher relationship, racism, suicidal thoughts, murder, blackmail, fire, suicide, death of a friend

Nancy Luo is shocked when her former best friend, Jamie Ruan, top ranked junior at Sinclair Prep, goes missing, and then is found dead. Nancy is even more shocked when word starts to spread that she and her friends–Krystal, Akil, and Alexander–are the prime suspects, thanks to “The Proctor,” someone anonymously incriminating them via the school’s social media app.

They all used to be Jamie’s closest friends, and she knew each of their deepest, darkest secrets. Now, somehow The Proctor knows them, too. The four must uncover the true killer before The Proctor exposes more than they can bear and costs them more than they can afford, like Nancy’s full scholarship. Soon, Nancy suspects that her friends may be keeping secrets from her, too.

Students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets when their ex-best friend turns up dead.

Hello Katie! I am so glad to have you over to talk about your upcoming YA release, How We Fall Apart. How We Fall Apart talks about the stress and pressure to exceed at academics for immigrant children. So, how’d you come up with the this elaborate murder mystery to convey this message?

I’m so glad you brought up the main message of the story. To be honest, the theme came to me first, and then the details of the murder mystery came to me after. I’ve always enjoyed murder mysteries and thrillers, especially when they’re set at school, but I’ve never really read any featuring Asian leads. And I thought that was silly, given that I feel like Asian students (especially those with immigrant parents) are the ones who really have the motivation to commit murder to stay at the top of the class! Once the idea to write such a murder mystery came to me, I couldn’t shake it off. I knew I had to write this book one day.

What do you think would happen to you if you were transported into the book and were the one who was accused of murdering your ex-best friend?

I would definitely not be as resourceful as Nancy or any members of her friend group. I’d probably just deny the rumors and ignore the drama until it dies down, or, if the accusations got serious enough, I’d consider moving schools. I definitely do not handle drama well, especially not if it were aired out to the public.

Let’s talk a bit more about the book itself and what your favourite part of writing this book was! Was there any scene or character you liked to write the most? Why?

My favorite part of writing HOW WE FALL APART was definitely writing the dynamic between Jamie and Nancy. They’re two girls who are ambitious to a fault, and toxic to boot – they’re friends only when not competing with each other, but unfortunately they’re so often competing that they’re really enemies in the end. My favorite character to write was Nancy. I love reading and writing about morally grey characters, and I wanted to show how the toxic, competitive nature of academia could turn an otherwise nice, good girl into Nancy, who stops at nothing to bring home top grades.

Lastly, let’s play a fun game with the main characters of the book and get to know them and how you see them better!

– Your boat is drowning, who’re you throwing off of it?
Nancy, because I know she’d do that to me in a heartbeat if I don’t do it first.

– It’s late at night and you need someone to talk to, who are you calling up?
Akil, because he seems the most well-adjusted in the group (not that that’s saying much).

– You just lost something important to you, who are you asking to help you find it?
Alexander, because he’s pretty resourceful.

– You have an extra ticket to the amusement park, who are you taking with you?
Krystal, because she seems like she’d enjoy the thrills of an amusement park.

Thank you so much for coming over and talking to me about How We Fall Apart!
I am really looking forward to reading the book!

Katie Zhao is a 2017 graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English and Political Science, and a 2018 Masters of Accounting at the same university. She is the author of THE DRAGON WARRIOR series (Bloomsbury Kids), HOW WE FALL APART (Bloomsbury Kids), forthcoming LAST GAMER STANDING (Scholastic), and forthcoming WINNIE ZENG series (Random House Children’s Books). She is represented by Penny Moore of Aevitas Creative Management. She’s a passionate advocate for representation in literature and media.

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Are you excited to read How We Fall Apart? If you’re anything like me and love a good murder mystery with an Asian cast, this book is one I think you will enjoy, so add it to your TBRs!

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