Happy Wednesday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for PRIMAL ANIMALS! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Julia Lynn Rubin to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!
Primal Animals by Julia Lynn Rubin Published on May 24, 2022 by Wednesday Books
Genres: Contemporary, Horror, Mystery, Queer, Thriller, YA
Pages: 304
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Protect the girls
Arlee Gold is anxious about spending the summer at the college prep Camp Rockaway—the same camp her mother attended years ago, which her mother insists will help give Arlee a “fresh start” and will “change her life.” Little does Arlee know that, once she steps foot on the manicured grounds, this will prove to be true in horrifying ways.
Even though the girls in her cabin are awesome—and she’s developing a major crush on the girl who sleeps in the bunk above her—the other campers seem to be wary of Arlee, unwilling to talk to her or be near her, which only ramps up her paranoia. When she’s tapped to join a strange secret society, Arlee thinks this will be her shot at fitting in...until her new "sisters" ask her to do the unthinkable, putting her life, and the life of her new crush, in perilous danger.
What would you do if you spent the day with Arlee? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?
If I spent the day with Arlee, I would definitely want to give this girl a much-needed break! She has so much anxiety and trauma, and I’d love to take her on a peaceful walk on the beach, maybe go to the spa with her, get a nice dinner. I think she needs someone (an adult mostly) to listen to her, validate her and not dismiss her.
If Arlee were to hang out with other fictional characters, who would they be and why?
Good question! I think Arlee would get along really well with the characters in Sophie Gonzales’ novels, especially Darcy from Perfect on Paper. They’re both flawed, complicated teen girls who don’t always do things perfectly, and I think Darcy would help mellow Arlee out. Also, they’re both queer! I can also see her being friends with the characters in my other books, as well as a lot of the characters from the UK show Skins.
If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?
Another intriguing question! As bizarre and potentially frightening as it would be, I would be so excited to spend a day in the surreal fictional world of Twin Peaks. I love all of the characters dearly and it would be fun to try and help solve some strange mystery, hopefully before I got teleported to the Red Room or attacked by Bob!
If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?
I would probably choose a laptop with its charger full of documents, writing, journal entries, videos, music and photos so I could look back years later and not only revisit old tech, but have access to a ton of different older media. I love old tech! I still have a refurbished iPod clickwheel, old school headphones and MacBook 11’ inch. I’d also probably include a handwritten letter to myself, which would be so cool to “time travel” and read as future me, and a newspaper from that day.
What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?
I think I used all of my research for this book! I did a lot on flies and insects and the Jungian shadow, but if I had more time to go back and add more to the book, I’d probably include more details about that woven into the story, and maybe more creepy facts about bugs.
What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from Primal Animals?
That’s so hard to choose! I think my favorite moment is when Arlee and Chantal are sitting by the river and have that long, deep chat, and Arlee realizes that Chantal is not this shallow mean girl she thought she was, and the two have this really special moment where they see each other without the fear and anger and past trauma clouding everything. There’s a lot of growth for Arlee in that scene, and I think for Chantal, as well.
About Julia Lynn Rubin
Julia Lynn Rubin lives the writer’s life in Brooklyn, where she finished an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults at The New School in 2017. For three years she served as a writing mentor for Girls Write Now, New York City’s premiere writing program for high school girls, and she continues to facilitate pre-K literacy programs throughout Brooklyn at libraries and family shelters.
Julia has been writing books, poems, and stories since first grade, and loves reading about everything from film analysis (she’s a film nerd) to psychology and philosophy. Her short stories have appeared in publications such as the North American Review, Sierra Nevada Review, and The Lascaux Review, and she has written for a variety of online publications, including BuzzFeed, The Content Strategist, Fatherly, and Wetpaint Entertainment.
Julia is passionate about realism and diversity in teen literature. She hopes to one day own a French bulldog, pug, Boston terrier, or perhaps a mix of all three. She loves indie films, drag shows, and spending as much time as possible at the beach.
She is represented by Lauren Spieller of Triada US Literary Agency.
What do you think about Primal Animals? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
Leave a Reply