Today, I’m delighted to be interviewing the amazing April Henry. She’s an author I’ve followed for a while and has published many thrilling YA titles. Yet again, she returns to the scene with the brilliant Girl Forgotten, which blends true crime, small town secrets and an unforgettable mystery that will keep you glued to the page. Intrigued? Read on to find out more.
Hi April! Can you briefly describe Girl Forgotten?
Seventeen-year-old Piper Gray becomes curious about the grave of Layla Trello, a girl the same age as Piper who died nearly 20 years earlier. When she googles Layla’s name, she discovers Layla disappeared from a Halloween party and her body wasn’t found for 12 days. The killer has never been caught. Piper has to choose a senior passion project, and as a big fan of true crime podcasts, she decides to start one about Layla. Of course, the case is not as cold as everyone believes.
What drew you to writing in the YA genre and specifically a mystery?
This is my 28th book, and all of them have been mysteries and thrillers. I love mysteries for their high stakes, the fact that justice almost always triumphs, and the excuse they give me for learning even more about forensics. As for YA, almost 20 years ago I wrote what I thought was an adult book with a teenaged main character. My agent, who represents a lot of YA authors, informed me me that my 13th book was actually a YA. It turned out to be a really good fit for me. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with ideas that will intrigue even reluctant readers. I do a lot of school visits, and I love the passion and intensity that students have. Adults have lost a lot of that.
What songs form the soundtrack to the book for you?
While I listen to music when I write, I use it more to keep up a good pace on my treadmill desk rather than paying attention to the words. I think I was listening to a lot of Elle King, Grandson, Zachary Kibbee, and Larkin Poe – all singers I still like.
True crime plays a large role in Girl Forgotten and I loved the exploration of the morality of some of these true crime investigations. Why did you choose this theme?
I wanted to explore the ethics of using true crime for entertainment. Some podcasts have lead to cases being reopened or even solved. Others … not so much. I myself have used real stories as the jumping off place for novels many times, but I always change most of the facts and almost always the outcome. I also wanted to explore what the late journalist Gwen Ifill called Missing White Woman syndrome.
What are some of your favourite crime podcasts and/or TV shows?
Like everyone, I was enthralled by Serial.
Some of the podcasts I listened to while working on book were: Missing & Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams and Accused, a podcast by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
One podcast I enjoy is called This Is Actually Happening. In each episode, a real person describes what an experience was like, for example, what it was like to be carjacked. I learned about it after an acquaintance was featured after she survived an attack at knife point.
I just finished Bone Valley, about a young man convicted of his wife’s murder in 1987. No longer a young man, he still sits in prison, even though someone else has confessed to the crime and it seems clear that he is innocent.
I’m currently listening to Your Own Backyard, about the disappearance and presumed murder of Kristin Smart. That podcast was cited by the sheriff for inspiring new witnesses to come forward with information. The perpetrator has now been convicted, which is extremely difficult in a case with no body.
I also like documentaries like Making a Murderer, or even the occasional Dateline.
Who would be your ideal casting for an adaptation?
With her mix of vulnerability and risk-taking, Elsie Kate Fisher seems like she would make a great Piper. Millie Bobby Brown would be a good fit for Layla if there were flashbacks. I really liked Sam McCarthy in Dead to Me and think he would make a great Jonas.
Finally, what lasting impression would you like Girl Forgotten to leave on a reader?
I’d like readers to think about what tragedies we pay attention to. And I’d like them to believe that passionate, smart people can accomplish a lot if they don’t give up.
What inspired you to write this book?