Interview with Jeannine Garsee!

Today I am excited to have Jeannine Garsee, author of two books--Before, After, and Somebody In Between and the recently released Say the Word--here as part of a blog tour! Jeannine was kind enough to answer my somewhat different set of interview questions, so I hope you enjoy and I hope that your interest in her books are pricked by this!

7 Songs/Artists Everyone Should Listen To

1. Elvis
   
2. J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (all of them!)
   
3. Pavarotti
   
4. Soundtrack to ‘Chicago’
   
5. Jimmy Mo Mhile Stor by the Rankins (for those of you who totally love Celtic music)
   
6. Elgar’s cello concerto in e minor
   
7. Chopin’s Piano Concerto #1
   

6 Things/People to Bring to a Tropical Resort

1. Sunscreen
   
2. Laptop
   
3. Cell phone
   
4. Books
   
5. Money
   
6. Money for more books (for the beach, of course)
   

5 Best YA Books You've Ever Read

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
   
2. The Member of the Wedding
   
3. Speak
4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
5. Between Mom and Jo
   

4 Interesting/Fun Things You'll Find in "Say the Word"

1. A character named Mr. Dickerhoof. I stole this name from one of my patients. 
   
2. Shawna lives in the same Cleveland suburb as the main character from my first novel. I don’t think they’ve run into each other yet.
   
3. Shawna’s eating habits are the precise opposite of mine. I thrive on coffee and junk.
   
4. LeeLee is the nickname of my niece, Leah; LeeLee later changes her name to ‘Lia.’
   

3 People Who Influenced Your Life

1. My parents
   
2. My seventh grade music teacher
   
3. My tenth grade drama teacher
   

2 Places You Want to Visit

1. Los Angeles
   
2. New York City
   

One Career You'd Love to Have If You Were Not a Writer

1. I wouldn’t mind starring in a Broadway musical. If I could act, that is. And sing, etc. 
   

Thanks for filling this out, Jeannine! Be sure to check out her books, both out now, and to stop by later for a GREAT giveaway in honor of Support Teen Literature Day!

Review: Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee

Tags: YA, homophobia, anger management, family

Summary

Shawna Gallagher’s mother left her and her father for another woman, Fran, and her two sons, Arye and Schmule, when Shawna was just seven, and now, ten years later, has suddenly died. Shawna doesn’t know how to feel. She can’t be especially mournful about the loss of a mother whom she hardly knew, especially a self-centered mother who abandoned her.

However, things begin to fall apart in everyone’s lives when Shawna’s father, a control freak with anger management issues, insists on staking genetic claim on the son whom he never knew he had, a son whom Shawna’s mother tried to pass off as Fran’s. Shawna’s father is determined to get his way, even if it meets using or hurting a dozen people in the process, including those close to him. Shawna has lived under his control all his life, but now just might be the time for her to take a stance and do what SHE believes is right.

Review

Jeannine Garsee tackles the difficult subjects of homosexuality, homophobia, and family loyalty in SAY THE WORD. In particular, I found the family loyalty issue most striking. It’s incredibly difficult for an author to create a despicable character who we want to beat the crap out of, yet still empathize and understand where he’s coming from. Mr. Gallagher, and, to a lesser extent, Shawna, are two such characters. They’re flawed, sometimes with unadmirable points of view or attitudes, and yet you can’t help but feel for them, can’t help but understand where they’re coming from, even as you wish for them to grow up.

I feel like the issue of homophobia could have been discussed more in-depth, and I certainly wasn’t satisfied with the blasé way in which Shawna’s sex life was treated. The characters of Shawna, her dad, Schmule, and even Shawna’s friend LeeLee were well developed, but something was missing in Shawna’s budding friendship with—and later, romantic attraction to— Arye. That came out of nowhere, and I found myself unable to understand their relationship.

Even with those small complaints, I found SAY THE WORD to be an overall good read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott.

Similar Authors

Sarah Dessen

Elizabeth Scott

Writing: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5