Today we are very excited to share a special interview with author Alisha Rai (While You Were Dreaming), conducted by YABC Staff Reviewer, Cherokee Crum!
Read on to learn more about Alisha and her book.
Meet the Author: Alisha Rai
Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances and her novels have been named Best Books of the Year by Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. When she’s not writing, Alisha is traveling or tweeting. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.alisharai.com.
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About the Book: While You Were Dreaming
In this debut contemporary YA romance by bestselling author Alisha Rai, a girl with undocumented family members goes viral after saving her crush’s life in disguise. A must read for fans of Sandhya Menon and Nicola Yoon.
A Phenomenal Book Club Pick!
It’s a classic story: girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy finally notices girl when he sees her in a homemade costume. At least, that’s what Sonia Patil is hoping for when she plans to meet her crush at the local comic-con in cosplay.
But instead of winning her crush over, Sonia rescues him after he faints into a canal and, suddenly, everything changes. Since she was in disguise, no one knows who the masked do-gooder was . . .but everyone is trying to find out. Sonia can’t let that happen—her sister is undocumented, and the girls have been flying under the radar since their mother was deported back to Mumbai.
Sonia finds herself hiding from social media detectives and trying to connect with her crush and his family. But juggling crushes and a secret identity might just take superpowers. Can Sonia hide in plain sight forever?
~Author Chat~
Cherokee: What came first: the title or the story?
Definitely the story! The title was inspired by my annual holiday classic romcom movie marathon with my sisters. I may have tweaked a few things after it was titled, though.
Cherokee: Do you feel that While You Were Dreaming is more character or plot driven?
Most of my books are character driven, and this one is no different. I spent almost a year creating character maps for my main characters (especially Sonia!) before I ever wrote a single word of the story.
Cherokee: What inspires you to keep writing?
Readers. Much of this job is solitary and it’s easy to lose steam and focus, so I treasure meeting and speaking with readers who resonate with my characters and stories.
Cherokee: How do you celebrate when you finish writing a book?
I shower and sleep. It’s a very unexciting, yet necessary, celebration.
Cherokee: Would you and your main character get along?
Yes, I think so. I see a lot of friends and family members in Sonia, and I really identify with the maternal figures who step in to help her with her mother gone. I think I’d treat her like a little sister or treasured niece.
Cherokee: What is the main message you would like readers to get from this book?
That anyone can be the hero.
Cherokee: If you had a superpower, what would it be?
This might give away how much of an introvert I can be, but I would love to be able to snap my fingers at any time and be showered, in my PJs, and tucked in bed. What a lifesaver when I’m at a party or dinner, and all socialized out.
Cherokee: Have you ever traveled to research for a book?
I love to travel to research books. This one was a little easy, because I grew up in Western New York, where the book is set (in a fictional city), so I knew exactly how to model the place, but I still paid a hometown visit to my sister and retraced my childhood steps to see how things had changed.
Title: While You Were Dreaming
Author: Alisha Rai
Release Date: 3/21/2023
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Genre: YA
Age Range: 13-17
