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The author of the captivating book Out of Reach, Carrie Arcos, kindly agreed to an interview.
What are three fun facts about yourself?
I love Good n Plenty, I’m Italian and Irish, and I’m afraid of mosquito eaters.
When a book is about drug addiction it’s usually in the point of view of the character dealing with the addiction, and the story begins when the character starts using. But your book was completely different, which I really loved. Why did you choose to have it from the point of view of the sister after Micah had already spiraled out of control?
I wanted to look at drug addiction from the view of a family member and the devastating effects that it has on not only the user but on everyone around. I also wanted to explore how our choices and their consequences alter lives for both the bad and good. I hadn’t seen a book explore it from the sibling’s perspective, so I thought that might be a unique take.
How difficult was it for you to write about drug addiction and its effects on the family? It seemed realistically done and believable.
Unfortunately, I have faced addition first hand with a family member. This is probably why the novel feels so real. I was able to include my own emotional truth as part of Rachel’s journey. The truth being that sometimes there’s a time when you have to know when to let go.
As a teacher, what has been your favorite topic to teach?
My favorite topic to teach was American Lit to juniors in HS.
Even though it wasn’t a large part of the book, as a romance lover I have to ask, is there a future for Rachel and Tyler? And if so, care to share?
I think there is a future for Rachel and Tyler. He has cared for her a while in secret, now that it’s out in the open, they’ll be able to pursue it. I just didn’t think it would have been good to start up when she’s looking for her brother. Not the best timing.
What’s next for you?
Next is another contemporary YA about a teen boy, Mark, who is struggling with grief because of the death of his twin sister. It’ll be out summer 2014.
