We chat with author Christina Li about The Hardest Ones to Fool, which is bold young adult thriller about a teen scammer who won’t let boys, friends, or even murder get in her way.
Hi, Christina! Welcome back! What have you been up to since we last spoke for the release of Ruby Lost and Found?
It’s so great to be back!! Since Ruby Lost and Found I’ve been writing some more!! I wrote a YA romance called True Love and Other Impossible Odds, and I also wrote a multigenerational gothic horror called The Manor of Dreams.
Your latest novel, The Hardest Ones to Fool, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty, suspenseful, girlhood, scammers, multi-layered.
What can readers expect?
That is a great question! I think at the surface layer, readers can expect a con artist story – this is a girl who has told a bunch of lies, and is dating three boys under different identities until her best friend’s death / possible murder change everything. But then it’s when you probe deeper into the novel – when you get into her motives and start to question why she does what she does – that things take unexpected and twisty turns.
Where did the inspiration for The Hardest Ones to Fool come from?
I have always had a fascination with stories about scammers and con artists – particularly female scam artists! I wanted to explore the psyche behind a scammer – what leads them to tell these big, life-altering lies?
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There is an entire section towards the back of the book where I wrote in the second person POV. This was the first time witing in that POV, and it was truly the most fun challenge as a writer yet. I had an absolute blast. I’m excited for readers to get to that section!
Can you share some insight into plotting your twisty YA thriller? Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I definitely am more of a loose plotter – in every book I’ve written, typically I start off just knowing how the book ends. I knew from the get go that this would not be the case for a thriller with several layers of twists. So I had the vision of the ending, and I knew I had to work towards it, but I also had landmarks of “reveals” that I wanted to hit at particular points in the book. Then it was the question of how to properly foreshadow the reveals, but not have them give anything away too soon. I created a very tight outline for this book, and had many, many brainstorming sessions – with my friends, my editors, and many long walks by myself. And then when I had finished the book, the work wasn’t done – I needed to go back and make sure that all the reveals were consistent and properly seeded throughout. It was a lot of work, but so, so fun.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a sweet, YA childhood friends to lovers romance – very different from this book, but still such a fun challenge nonetheless.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I just finished Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte which I loved, read In Between Days by Camryn Garrett which is probably one of my favorites of the year, and am currently reading Unfinished Business by Clare Osongco which I am also loving!!
