7 Books Set During The Vietnam War
2 weeks ago
Character Interview: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
Squeee! Guess who we have on the blog guys? Okay so I guess you already know with the blog post title and all but yeah it's Laura Jarratt!! Round of applause people! We have the author of the fabulous book Skin Deep.
Let me just assure you guys that it's more than what meets the eye. I'm sure you've heard of the phrase- "don't judge a book by it's cover" because it's true just don't! Saying that, you should deffo check the Australian cover. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Well, if the neither cover grabs your interest, I'm sure you'll have a reason to read Skin Deep with this interview below!
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Thanks for stopping by to chat guys. We're so excited to have you today. Jenna, I realise it's a touchy subject but we're all keen to know about your experience after the car crash. How did you handle everything?
J – Looking back, I think I did okay. Not amazingly well but not awful either.
At first when you wake up in hospital, it hurts too much for you to care how you look. You want the pain to stop but the painkillers make you woozy so when it does you can’t think straight so at the start, it’s pretty much a blur. People keep telling you it’ll be fine and you just want to believe them. A few days later though, that’s when you start to be scared, when it hits you that it might not all be okay after all. Then you’re faced with the consequences – they get you to talk to staff to try to get you ready but really that just makes you more scared because you know it must be bad if they have to do that. When you do see your face for the first time, there’s a split second where you don’t know it’s you and you see yourself as everyone else will. Then it hits…and you feel so sick you want to throw up right there but you can’t so you scream instead, like you’re in a nightmare and you can make it go away.
It’s the day after day stuff of trying to piece your life back together when the person you were has changed forever – that’s what I found hardest. It takes ages to get to a place where you’re happy with being you again. The accident changed me a lot, not all in bad ways though, but it took me a long time to find out who I am now.
Not forgetting Ryan though. Ryan, you were the perfect knight in shining armour for Jenna. How did your feelings change as you got to know Jenna?
R- I hope my mum doesn’t read this. She’ll go off on one of her feminist rants if she does!
I guess at first I felt sorry for her – and she’s gonna kill me for saying this – but that was because I know what it’s like to have everyone looking at you and judging. Mum used to dress me in all this weird tie-dyed hippy stuff when I was a little kid so all the other kids you met knew straight off you weren’t like them. I reckoned that’s what the scar was like for Jenna. Other kids staring and shutting her out right off because of it. And some people are that stupid.
But then I got to know her and I realised she’d hate me feeling sorry for her and actually there was no reason because inside was this kinda tough, funny girl who might get knocked down by people being dumbass with her, but she was gonna bounce back even if it did take her a while.
And yeah, Jenna, you can stop sticking your tongue out at me!
So I did want to smack anyone who upset her, sure. And the more she got under my skin the more I wanted to make everything okay for her. But a lot of what did make her get under my skin was she is tough and funny, and all the time she was looking out for me as much as I looked out for her. Tough, but tough in a definitely cute way…hehe…Yes! I made her blush.
Aww. Yep. Jenna's face is turning red! Jenna, your life completely changed when you met Ryan. How exactly would you say however?
J – Nobody ever wound me up that much before, that’s how!
No, seriously, I think just making friends with someone who didn’t know me before the accident and so they didn’t have to be friends, it was just something genuine they wanted now…yes, I think it was that. It gave me back a big load of confidence. So even at the start, just hanging out with him when he didn’t have to be with me – it made me feel normal again. Also when we got together, he’s used to dealing with people who look at you as if you’re different to them. And he knows how not to care. That helped massively too.
Um…also I’d never been…um…you know…that into someone before, like going out and stuff, so that was totally different. And good…when he’s not teasing me to death! But I get him back, of course. I always get him back!
Ahem. Ryan. Boxers or Briefs? We're dying to know!
R – Boxers. Always. Black cotton jersey’s my favourite.
J – He’s got no shame, you know. He’ll love you asking him that…see, look at that grin. Mr. Smug!
Tut tut! So, a question for you both. What would be the perfect date?
R – Actually we did this on Jenna’s birthday. We both wanted to do something different, and Jenna picked because it was her birthday obviously but it would have been my top choice as well –
J – I picked a hot air balloon ride, but then he went crazy and booked us this sunrise balloon flight for two. You’re in the basket with just you and the pilot and the balloon drifts up over the trees as the sun rises and you feel like you’re rising up into the dawn. It’s the most amazing feeling. A friend of Cole’s did the ride and he took some photos for us.
R – Yeah, they came out really well. He did us a special favour too and landed us down near this horse sanctuary – you know Jenna’s into horses and this bit was a surprise. I’d fixed up for us to have a special visit where they took us round and we got to meet all the residents.
J – They have a lot of horses who’ve been ill-treated there and they nurse them back to health and look after them until they can be re-homed. Some stay forever, and then…no, you can tell them this bit, Ryan, because it was your idea…
R – No, you…I’m not telling them that…
J – LOL! Now he is embarrassed. Okay, he’d adopted one of the horses for me and I got to meet her. She’s called Bonnie and she was found abandoned and starving but she’s getting her strength and confidence back now. She’s a totally beautiful skewbald with the sweetest nature.
R – Er, yeah, moving on at speed… so that was my perfect date because it’s different, you know. Anyone can do cinema and dinner and that stuff but to make it perfect, you’ve got to surprise her with something she’ll remember.
J – It was awesome, it really was.
After reading Skin Deep, we're all ecstatic to read Laura's next book. Ryan, Jenna...Details please!
R – I like the guy in it, that’s all I’m saying. He’s alright – I’d hang out with him.
J – Okay, I’ll leak a little bit. It’s about a girl who goes into the witness protection programme. And hey, if I’m ever tempted to flatter myself I was brave about my face, when I see what she has to put up with… when she could just have walked away…
R – She’s not as cute as you though.
J – Ignore him. He’s just saying that. She’s actually really pretty. I didn’t like her that much at first because I thought she was a bit snobby but people aren’t always what you think from first impressions, especially when they’re not happy.
R – We think you’ll like it anyway! Even if it hasn’t got me in it.
J – Excuse me now, I need to go and deflate his head. Bye, everyone x
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Thanks for stopping by to chat guys. We're so excited to have you today. Jenna, I realise it's a touchy subject but we're all keen to know about your experience after the car crash. How did you handle everything?
J – Looking back, I think I did okay. Not amazingly well but not awful either.
At first when you wake up in hospital, it hurts too much for you to care how you look. You want the pain to stop but the painkillers make you woozy so when it does you can’t think straight so at the start, it’s pretty much a blur. People keep telling you it’ll be fine and you just want to believe them. A few days later though, that’s when you start to be scared, when it hits you that it might not all be okay after all. Then you’re faced with the consequences – they get you to talk to staff to try to get you ready but really that just makes you more scared because you know it must be bad if they have to do that. When you do see your face for the first time, there’s a split second where you don’t know it’s you and you see yourself as everyone else will. Then it hits…and you feel so sick you want to throw up right there but you can’t so you scream instead, like you’re in a nightmare and you can make it go away.
It’s the day after day stuff of trying to piece your life back together when the person you were has changed forever – that’s what I found hardest. It takes ages to get to a place where you’re happy with being you again. The accident changed me a lot, not all in bad ways though, but it took me a long time to find out who I am now.
Not forgetting Ryan though. Ryan, you were the perfect knight in shining armour for Jenna. How did your feelings change as you got to know Jenna?
R- I hope my mum doesn’t read this. She’ll go off on one of her feminist rants if she does!
I guess at first I felt sorry for her – and she’s gonna kill me for saying this – but that was because I know what it’s like to have everyone looking at you and judging. Mum used to dress me in all this weird tie-dyed hippy stuff when I was a little kid so all the other kids you met knew straight off you weren’t like them. I reckoned that’s what the scar was like for Jenna. Other kids staring and shutting her out right off because of it. And some people are that stupid.
But then I got to know her and I realised she’d hate me feeling sorry for her and actually there was no reason because inside was this kinda tough, funny girl who might get knocked down by people being dumbass with her, but she was gonna bounce back even if it did take her a while.
And yeah, Jenna, you can stop sticking your tongue out at me!
So I did want to smack anyone who upset her, sure. And the more she got under my skin the more I wanted to make everything okay for her. But a lot of what did make her get under my skin was she is tough and funny, and all the time she was looking out for me as much as I looked out for her. Tough, but tough in a definitely cute way…hehe…Yes! I made her blush.
Aww. Yep. Jenna's face is turning red! Jenna, your life completely changed when you met Ryan. How exactly would you say however?
J – Nobody ever wound me up that much before, that’s how!
No, seriously, I think just making friends with someone who didn’t know me before the accident and so they didn’t have to be friends, it was just something genuine they wanted now…yes, I think it was that. It gave me back a big load of confidence. So even at the start, just hanging out with him when he didn’t have to be with me – it made me feel normal again. Also when we got together, he’s used to dealing with people who look at you as if you’re different to them. And he knows how not to care. That helped massively too.
Um…also I’d never been…um…you know…that into someone before, like going out and stuff, so that was totally different. And good…when he’s not teasing me to death! But I get him back, of course. I always get him back!
Ahem. Ryan. Boxers or Briefs? We're dying to know!
R – Boxers. Always. Black cotton jersey’s my favourite.
J – He’s got no shame, you know. He’ll love you asking him that…see, look at that grin. Mr. Smug!
Tut tut! So, a question for you both. What would be the perfect date?
R – Actually we did this on Jenna’s birthday. We both wanted to do something different, and Jenna picked because it was her birthday obviously but it would have been my top choice as well –
J – I picked a hot air balloon ride, but then he went crazy and booked us this sunrise balloon flight for two. You’re in the basket with just you and the pilot and the balloon drifts up over the trees as the sun rises and you feel like you’re rising up into the dawn. It’s the most amazing feeling. A friend of Cole’s did the ride and he took some photos for us.
R – Yeah, they came out really well. He did us a special favour too and landed us down near this horse sanctuary – you know Jenna’s into horses and this bit was a surprise. I’d fixed up for us to have a special visit where they took us round and we got to meet all the residents.
J – They have a lot of horses who’ve been ill-treated there and they nurse them back to health and look after them until they can be re-homed. Some stay forever, and then…no, you can tell them this bit, Ryan, because it was your idea…
R – No, you…I’m not telling them that…
J – LOL! Now he is embarrassed. Okay, he’d adopted one of the horses for me and I got to meet her. She’s called Bonnie and she was found abandoned and starving but she’s getting her strength and confidence back now. She’s a totally beautiful skewbald with the sweetest nature.
R – Er, yeah, moving on at speed… so that was my perfect date because it’s different, you know. Anyone can do cinema and dinner and that stuff but to make it perfect, you’ve got to surprise her with something she’ll remember.
J – It was awesome, it really was.
After reading Skin Deep, we're all ecstatic to read Laura's next book. Ryan, Jenna...Details please!
R – I like the guy in it, that’s all I’m saying. He’s alright – I’d hang out with him.
J – Okay, I’ll leak a little bit. It’s about a girl who goes into the witness protection programme. And hey, if I’m ever tempted to flatter myself I was brave about my face, when I see what she has to put up with… when she could just have walked away…
R – She’s not as cute as you though.
J – Ignore him. He’s just saying that. She’s actually really pretty. I didn’t like her that much at first because I thought she was a bit snobby but people aren’t always what you think from first impressions, especially when they’re not happy.
R – We think you’ll like it anyway! Even if it hasn’t got me in it.
J – Excuse me now, I need to go and deflate his head. Bye, everyone x
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Links:
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Buy the Book
You have gotta admit. Aren't Jenna and Ryan just an adorable couple. Hearing them talk with each other is just so cute! Just read the book guys. Read the book! You can find so much more about them and how their relationship develops. It's just amazing. I know that you're going to read it now, or go buy it. RIGHT? You know you want to.
And Laura. It's been a pleasure to have her on the blog today.
A big big thank you for this fab interview :D
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Buy the Book
You have gotta admit. Aren't Jenna and Ryan just an adorable couple. Hearing them talk with each other is just so cute! Just read the book guys. Read the book! You can find so much more about them and how their relationship develops. It's just amazing. I know that you're going to read it now, or go buy it. RIGHT? You know you want to.
And Laura. It's been a pleasure to have her on the blog today.
A big big thank you for this fab interview :D
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Great interview with two of my favourite YA characters for ages!
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