We chat with author Sonora Reyes about The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar, which is a poignant and searingly honest companion novel to the multi-award-winning The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, following beloved character Cesar Flores as he comes to terms with his sexuality, his new bipolar diagnosis, and more mistakes than he can count.
Hi, Sonora! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Thanks so much for having me! I’m Sonora Reyes, author of a bunch of queer books, including The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School and most recently, The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar! I love writing about queer Mexicans who struggle to feel seen, and giving them the love stories I wish I could have read about when I was younger.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The BFG by Roald Dahl
- The one that made you want to become an author: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Until The Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow
Your latest novel, The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Messy, emotional, heartfelt, cathartic, healing
What can readers expect?
This book deals with some heavy topics related to mental illness and religious trauma. However, readers can expect these themes to be handled with care that comes from my own lived experience. I write first and foremost for readers who have dealt with these issues, so I hope the writing takes care of them like it did for me.
Where did the inspiration for The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar come from?
The main character, Cesar Flores, is a side character in The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. While I didn’t set out writing that first book with the intention of a spinoff novel following Cesar, his character never stopped growing on me throughout the process until it was clear he had his own story to tell.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved Moni, Cesar’s fellow “problem child” cousin! She was a delight to write about and gave me some much needed levity throughout the writing process. I also adored writing Cesar’s and Yami’s estranged grandma, who holds up a bit of a mirror for how Cesar’s future could look. Some recurring characters I was so happy to bring back were Yami, Bo, Jamal, and Hunter!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This book was by far the hardest one I’ve ever written. Serious mental illness can be so hard to tackle with enough care and nuance to keep from causing more harm. I was also going through my own mental health struggles while writing, and had to take a lot of time for self-care throughout the process. I’m so grateful to my publishing team for being so patient with me through the pushed back deadlines. It was really helpful to be reminded that this story would be here when I felt well enough to work on it, and my most important job was to take care of myself.
Can you tell us a bit about your approach in weaving in topics of sexuality and mental illness?
I try to tell all my stories with care for the demographics represented. In Golden Boy’s case, I decided to use Cesar as the character to explore bipolar disorder through since he was already so deeply beloved by readers of Lesbiana’s Guide. I wanted people to feel compassionate towards him, even while he’s making mistakes and bad decisions, like so many of us do when we’re in the throws of mental illness.
With sexuality, I think it’s different for every story. Cesar has a lot of internalized queerphobia due to bullying and his religious upbringing, so I felt it was very important to make it clear that he is an unreliable narrator. I wanted to address a lot of the issues he has with himself throughout the book as well, so his harmful thoughts aren’t just free to run wild.
What do you hope readers take away from The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar?
I hope anyone with a stigmatized mental illness feels seen and cared for. I hope this book can serve as a reminder for anyone who needs it that we are all worthy of asking for and receiving the help we need. And for anyone who doesn’t struggle in this way, I hope they can see their loved ones in Cesar and come away with a renewed sense of compassion.
What’s next for you?
Without spoiling too much, I’m currently working on a dystopian novel! It’s VERY different from all my other books, and I’m incredibly excited to talk more about it when I can!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I really enjoyed The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum, Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas, and Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love by Jessica Lewis!
I absolutely cannot WAIT to pick up a copy of Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow! It comes out in February, and I couldn’t be more excited!
