If you caught this month’s newsletter (missed it? Catch up HERE) you’ll already know a bit about Naomi Gibson’s gripping new YA cyber thriller, Game Over Girl. In it, Lola moves to an elite boarding school following the death of her mother, and is invited to join a small group of tech-proficient teens in testing a new VR game called Better Than Life. There aren’t many rules to the game… in fact, there’s really only one: don’t recreate anything, or anyone, from real life. But Lola can’t seem to help herself, and soon the game – as well as the real world around her – starts to spiral out of control. This is a game Lola can’t win… but she can’t quit, either.
My newsletter interview focused on Game Over Girl and Naomi’s writing process, but I wanted to find out a few facts her readers might not know about her. Enter the 5 Random Questions!
Question 1: What was the book that made you want to write YA?
Slated by Terri Terry. It’s written in this gorgeous, measured way, and it’s so hooky. It was also the first book I ever got signed when I met her at NYA Lit Fest, and I blabbed something incoherent about how amazing she was.
Question 2: You have a full tank and nothing but time — where are you driving to?
The Isle of Skye. It’s beautiful and so, so quiet. We went one November and it was the perfect Winter getaway. Take me there now!
Question 3: What’s a movie or TV show you’ll watch time and time again?
Jumanji – the first new one with The Rock. (Lol.) There’s something about it. Every character has a really good arc and it really makes me laugh. Plus, you know me, the idea of being sucked into a computer game that’s trying to kill you is totally up my street.
Question 4: One non-writing goal for 2023?
We’ve been building for 2 years now, and I’m desperate to move in! I want to at least be partially moved in by the end of 2023. *Crosses everything* I’m SICK of living in a caravan!
Question 5: Which book by another author do you wish you had written?
The Binding by Bridget Collins. I love it, I love it, I love it.
Thank you, Naomi!
About Naomi Gibson
Naomi Gibson is an author based in Glasgow, Scotland. She grew up in Cheshire, where her childhood was spent with her nose in a book and her hands on a sketchpad, constantly in search of adventure and new worlds. Encouraged by her family to be creative, she developed a love for writing at a young age – something that never left her. She studied Art History at the University of Manchester. Whilst there, she met her husband, someone who continues to tell her all about the latest advancements in AI, space, and consumer technology, even when she’s not listening. Her novels are proof she does in fact listen to her husband.
Find out more about Naomi and her books on her website, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
If you missed my newsletter interview with Naomi, don’t forget to catch up & subscribe here. February’s newsletter goes out 3 February, and will feature an interview with Tess James-Mackey, author of Someone Is Watching You.
Kat Ellis Writes 