Happy Thursday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for THE NIGHT WHEN NO ONE HAD SEX! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Kalena Miller to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!
The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller Published on September 7, 2021 by Aw Teen
Genres: Contemporary, Neurodivergent, Queer, Romance, YA
Pages: 304
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.
What would you do if you spent the day with Julia, Alex, Zoe, and Madison? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?
I would love hanging out with any of these characters for the day! My goal was to write a friend group that readers would enjoy spending time with, and I hope there’s a little something there for everyone. Julia is an expert hula hooper, which is a skill I’ve always wanted to acquire, so I would definitely make her give me lessons. With Madison…is laying on a roof and talking about our feelings an option? The same goes for Zoe, actually. These girls really need to talk through their emotions, and I would enjoy playing therapist. With Alex, I’d probably just hang out and play video games (but then ditch him halfway through the day to spend time with his little sister, who is the real star of the show.)
If Julia, Alex, Zoe, and Madison were to hang out with characters from other books, who would they be and why?
This is such a good question! I’ve been thinking about it for days, and this is what I’ve come up with:
I think Madison would hang out with Katniss from The Hunger Games. She’s got that deep-rooted anger but also a keen sense of justice, and I think she would enjoy running around in a forest and learning how to use a bow and arrow (though she would not be cool with actually shooting animals).
Zoe would hang out with Alex and Henry from Red, White, and Royal Blue. I’ve always imagined her as a lover of romance novels, and I think she would enjoy sparring with those two.
It’s been years since Alex read a book that wasn’t assigned for English class—he’s much more interested in watching tv or playing video games for entertainment. So in that case…perhaps Jay Gatsby? Winston Smith?
And this may be cheating, but Julia would definitely hang out with Yesmina from The Legend of Elgorp (a fictional fantasy series she’s obsessed with).
If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?
I grew up reading The Princess Diaries series and always wanted to hang out with Princess Mia, so I would probably pick the fictional country of Genovia—the palace, specifically. I’m pretty sure Mia has to be queen by now, right?
If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?
Definitely a bag of my favorite paperbacks, just in case reading gets goes fully digital in the future. I would not be able to handle that. I’m also an avid scrapbooker, so I would probably include some kind of collection of photos. After that…maybe a Twinkie or a bag of Cheetos? Just to see if they were still edible however many decades from now.
What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?
I did so much research on local congressional districts in Eugene, Oregon and the political demographics of various neighborhoods. The entire storyline involving American politics ended up getting cut, but I spent lots of time on population spreadsheets before that happened.
What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from The Night When No One Had Sex?
I love Madison and Jake’s conversation on the roof. There’s something about playing Fuck, Marry, Kill on the roof at three in the morning while devouring hot Cheetos that feels quintessentially high school to me. Even though I’ve re-read this scene fifty times, I still laugh every time.
About Kalena Miller
Kalena Miller grew up in College Station, TX with her mom, dad, and the most photographed hamster in history. After high school, she moved a thousand miles north to attend Carleton College, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Religious Studies. After a brief stint working as a paraeducator in Seattle, Kalena decided she missed school too much, so she spent the next two years pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Hamline University.
Kalena currently lives in Hopkins, Minnesota with her husband, Kenny, and Toy Australian Shepherd, Toshley. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction and co-authors narrative nonfiction with her mom, Kathy Miller (check out her website here). She loves books that make her laugh and make her cry, preferably at the same time, and she firmly believes all quality novels should feature a cat.
What do you think about The Night When No One Had Sex? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
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