From hiking trips to four-person birthday parties to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable. But now, with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.
Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them to one another—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, find your calling outside your mom’s Puerto Rican restaurant, finally learn Spanish, and say yes to everything.
But as the year unfolds, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora each tests the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heartbreaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.
You can but the book from:
Indiebound: http://bit.ly/TR_INDIE
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2mvbJbs
B&N: http://bit.ly/TR_BN
Goodreads: bit.ly/TR_GR
Can you tell us about The Resolutions?
Yes! The Resolutions is about 4 Latinx friends – Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora – who were previously inseparable, but now life is increasingly pulling them apart. Nora’s hectic schedule at the bakery has her busy at all hours of the day, unsure about her future Lee retreats into comic books and sarcasm, Jess stresses about college and keeping everyone together, while Ryan chooses to heal his broken heart after his break-up with Jason by ignoring life and his art. As senior year approaches Jess is worried that they’re starting to grow apart, so she hatches a plan!
Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign resolutions to one another. The Resolutions follows them as they complete their resolutions and the heartbreak, first loves, and live-changing decisions that come as a result.
Is there any character in your book that you’re most like?
This is a great question and it’s actually all four of them. I share something with each of my characters, for example Jess and I both have anxiety/stress issues and have a tendency to stretch ourselves too thin. Lee and I are giant comic book and pop-culture nerds. Nora and I share a love of baking (I’m currently been baking several of the treats mentioned in the book over on my instagram) and Ryan constantly feels insecure in his art, which is me every darn day.
Did you ever feel any pressure when writing this story?
Yes, so much yes. With each re-write and edit I worried I was messing up the story, that I wasn’t able to make it as perfect as I wanted it to be; that the story would be a million times better if another author told it. But then it would be a different story, right? When I wrote about my own anxiety and panic attacks I wondered if they felt real enough or too real? Then I worried this story wasn’t Latinx enough (what does that even mean?) and specifically not Puerto Rican enough, like there’s an imaginary quota you have to fulfill to please everyone. It’s difficult and the questions don’t stop even now. I’m very grateful for my editor Alex Arnold, she helped me see through the mess to find the story within. Not to mention the countless friends who read draft after draft and kept me going.
Pressure is normal, I think, it means you truly care about the story and want to make it right. It’s what you do with that pressure that matters. Do you let it stop you or keep going? The answer can be different depending on the day.
I rarely ever make resolutions and if I do they probably last about 5 minutes. Do you always make New Year’s resolutions and do you ever stick to them?
J No. Haha. I did years ago, but realized I didn’t need the pressure. Instead I try to make small healthier choices each day, and try not to stress too much if those choices don’t always happen.
Would you ever let your friends make your resolutions?
Oh, I know what they would pick for me. Ha! If I ever wrote resolutions for my friends it would be “take a nap” or “take a day off” because so many of them work so hard and sometimes you need that friend that says: “Did you relax today? Have some tea, sit down.” Come to think of it, they might write that for me as well!
How do you think friendships change over time and have you ever had any experience with keeping that special bond with your friends as life changes?
I’m struggling to remember this amazing quote an acquaintance once said which was something along the lines of not all friendships are made the same. Some friendships last forever, some last through high school, others college, some last a week and other years. Each is valid, each exists for time that they need to. I talk to some friends every day, others once a week or every other week; there are friends I text maybe once a month and then have a long 4-hour catch up call with them and it works. Good friendships defy time and work on their own rhythm.
Oh – should say, this doesn’t apply to toxic and abusive friendships. Cut those people out of your life and take care of yourself.
Lastly there are a lot of great books out this year so, off the top of your head, what 2019 books would you recommend?
So many fantastic books! I want to start off with mentioning Las Musas, which is the Latinx collective I belong to and features so many amazing Latinx authors that I’m so proud of – I would add every single on of those books to your TBR if you can! I’m also excited for With the Fire on High (Elizabeth Acevedo), Dealing in Dreams (Lilliam Rivera), A Place for Wolves (Kosoko Jackson), and I Wish You All the Best (Mason Deaver).
M. García was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to New York where she studied creative writing at The New School, worked in publishing, and lived under a pile of to-be-read books. She is the author of Even If the Sky Falls and The Resolutions from Katherine Tegen books (an imprint of HarperCollins). You can find her at http://www.mgarciawrites.com.
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