I am so excited to have had the opportunity to chat with one of my favourite authors, Jennifer Niven, about her newest YA novel, Breathless. After learning that her parents are separating, Claude and her Mother travel to a remote island for the summer. When Claude starts hanging out with Miah, a handsome trail guide on the island, they decide to “just have fun” because they both leave at the end of the summer and there isn’t time to fall in love.
To celebrate the release of Breathless, we chat with Jennifer Niven about writing, book recommendations, film adaptations, and all things Breathless.
Hi Jennifer – I am a big fan of your work! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Thank you so much! I’m the author of ten books, including YA novels All the Bright Places, Holding Up the Universe, and the just released Breathless. I’ve been writing professionally for twenty-two years and first fell in love with writing when I was a child. My mom was also an author, and we had writing time every day, just as soon as I was old enough to pick up a pen. She was the first person who showed me the importance of opening your heart and writing yourself onto the page.
What is the main message that you want readers to take away from Breathless?
I want them to realize that even when the floor is pulled out from beneath their feet, and even when their world turns upside down, they can rebuild that floor because they are stronger than they think. I want them to realize that their voice is unique and important and so is their story.
What makes the love story in Breathless different from love stories in other YA novels?
In Breathless, Claude feels like her world has ended. She is forced to start over and she feels powerless and helpless and like she doesn’t have a say. One of the few aspects of her life where she feels she has any say is her sexuality. A good many YA novels shy away from showing female sexuality in a positive light, and I wanted Claude to own her desires and own her body and not apologize for wanting to have sex. The other way it’s different is that as I writing the book, I met my now-husband, and many of the adventures Claude and Jeremiah had while falling in love are adventures we had while falling in love.
What was your favourite scene / chapter to write in Breathless and why?
I loved writing the ending because of where Claude is as a person and where she is in her journey at the beginning of the book, and who and where she is by the end. I also loved writing the scene when she and Jeremiah drive through the night by the light of the fireflies. That was one of the adventures my husband and I had on our first day of meeting, and I will never forget it.
How did you choose the names of your main characters in Breathless (Claude and Miah)?
For Claude, I wanted a strong, boyish nickname that would just bring the character alive for me. I played with many different names before landing on the name Claudine—I was actually listening to music and came across a song named “Claudine.” And Claudine led me to Claude. As for Jeremiah Crew, that name just arrived one day—some names do that, just come to you out of the blue— and I loved the sound of it. The funny thing is that I met my husband—Justin Conway—after I’d already named Miah, and they share the same initials.
Do you hope that Breathless will eventually be adapted into a film (like your other novel – All the Bright Places)?
Yes! In fact, it’s already been optioned for a film…
Do you have another novel in the works? If so, when can we expect it to be released?
I actually just finished writing a YA novel with another YA author. More on that soon, but we’re hoping it will be released next fall! I’m also writing the screenplay for Holding Up the Universe, which is going to be a movie! And I’m starting work on my next solo YA book.
What advice would you give an aspiring writer/ novelist?
Always believe in yourself and in your work. Never limit your imagination. Write the story you want to read. Don’t be afraid to write something that isn’t perfect—don’t let that fear stop you from writing. You can always go back and edit, but the important thing is to get the words down on the page. And remember that you are the only you there is in all the world, which means only you can write the story you can write!
Do you have any book or author recommendations for us?
I love Jandy Nelson and David Levithan. I’m a big fan of Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown, Grown by Tiffany Jackson, and anything by Jason Reynolds. East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter is amazing, as is The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis. I also love Kami Garcia, Danielle Paige, and Ruth Ware. We Were Liars and Speak are two of my favorite YA novels ever. So is Forever by Judy Blume.
During these uncertain times, what is one thing that you and your family are doing to help you stay positive?
We treasure our time together. We spend time outdoors. We also try our best to be bright places—like drawing messages of love with coloured chalk on the sidewalk outside our house for passersby to read, and leaving chalk for them so that they can write their own messages. <3
