Carol Dines
Author Interview - Carol Dines
Author of The Take-Over Friend
The story centers on the instant and intense friendship bond between shy and introverted Francis and witty, outgoing newcomer Sonja when they meet on the second day of their freshman year of high school. The two teens are euphoric about their blossoming relationship; Frances is charmed by Sonja’s energy and worldliness, while Sonja adores Frances’s sense of calm and dependability. She’s also taken with Frances’s close-knit family, especially her older brother, Will. Family crises impact both girls—Sonja’s parents are caught in a bitter divorce, and Frances’s father suffers from bipolar disorder. At first those family secrets bond the girls, but when Sonja’s mother attempts suicide, Sonja temporarily moves in with Frances and her family. Sonja’s dominating personality begins to overwhelm Frances, causing her to doubt herself and her own talents. When Sonja’s infatuation with Will becomes obsessive, Frances feels manipulated and attempts to set some boundaries. For Sonja, there is no middle ground, and she sees Frances’ efforts to regain her independence as the ultimate betrayal.
The inspiration for this book came from my own experience with having to end a friendship with my best friend. We knew each other so well that we could intuitively read each other’s feelings, but our intense closeness made it difficult to give each other the space to grow independently. I tried to set boundaries but loosening expectations in a friendship is a difficult task, and she felt hurt and angry. We both lacked the skills to communicate our own boundaries, and in the end, that was why we couldn't transition our friendship. I learned that cultivating healthy boundaries in friendship is one of the most important skills a teen can learn, one that will impact friendships into the future.
Author Interview - Carol Dines
Author I draw inspiration from: Richard Powers
Author Interview - Carol Dines | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My bed
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Martha in Sorrow and Bliss, by Meg Mason
Author Interview - Carol Dines | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: Sixth grade when I began to keep a journal noting the details of my life.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback
The last book I read: Richard Powers' The Overstory
Author Interview - Carol Dines | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pen and Paper first, then computer
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: The Truth About Animals by Lucy Cooke
Author Interview - Carol Dines | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Family therapist
Favorite decade in fashion history: Now! I love yoga clothes
Place I’d most like to travel: Oregon Coast and San Juan Islands
My signature drink: Vega chocolate protein shake
Favorite artist: Sharon Singer (New Zealand artist)
Number one on my bucket list: Hike in Calabria, Italy
Anything else you'd like to add: I wrote this novel for teens because I wanted to raise the question of why most teen friendships end. Often the most painful endings are not the casual friendships that drift apart but our closest friendships that have developed habits, rituals, and expectations. We often don't think about our own personal boundaries until conflicts arise, often over boundaries crossed—emotional boundaries (how invested you are in a friendship), time boundaries, money boundaries, boundaries around political beliefs, or boundaries around differing needs (or neediness).Almost always friendships end because boundaries are crossed, and the friendship cannot transition to different expectations. This is such an important topic for teens to discuss, the topic of healthy boundaries and how to reset boundaries in friendship as we grow.
Find more from the author:
https://www.facebook.com/Caroldinesauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/authorcaroldines/
@Caroldines5
Author Bio: Carol Dines’s new young adult novel, The Take-Over Friend, finalist for the Achevan Prize, will be forthcoming from Fitzroy Books October, 2022. Her recent adult fiction, a collection of stories, This Distance We Call Love, won the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, 2022 and was a finalist in the National Indies Excellence Award for short fiction. She has also published two novels for young adults, Best Friends Tell the Best Lies (Delacorte), The Queen’s Soprano (Harcourt) and a collection of short stories for young adults, Talk to Me (Delacorte.) She is a recipient of the Judy Blume award as well as a recipient of Minnesota and Wisconsin State Artist Fellowships. Dines received a BA from Stanford University and an MA in English from Colorado State University. She has taught writing to all ages at universities, colleges, and public schools in Colorado, Florida, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Jack Zipes, and their standard poodle.
