5 Questions: author Lesley Cowan (Something Wicked)

1. How important to you was it to write a book about teen addiction/depression? I didn’t necessarily set out to write a book about teen addiction/depression, but I suppose that’s what ended up happening. When I write, I start with questions. Why is Melissa so angry? Why does she have such little regard for her body? Then, as I write I try to figure out the answers. Unfortunately, depression seems to often come up as the answer.I’d like readers to understand that teen depression is often masked by disturbing coping mechanisms such as sex, drugs, cutting and criminal activity. As a result, the focus is often directed toward disciplining teens for these acts instead of sending them to a psychiatrist. Also, girls like Melissa are particularly tragic to me because they ‘get by’. If something major doesn’t happen in their lives (like getting charged, hospitalization, etc.) then they sometimes never get the help they need and lose out on many opportunities.2. Do you think teens will benefit from reading books about difficult issues? (As in, perhaps realize they are not alone in their problems and that someone else out there might be just like them.) I hope so. Just as when I wrote my first book, As She Grows, I feel compelled to speak up for those I know will never speak up (write books) for themselves. I want to respectfully share these young women’s life stories, without dumbing-down, sensationalizing, simplifying or tying up loose ends with pretty, gold ribbon. I know I will get criticism from adult readers who will say the book is too depressing or that my protagonists don’t show enough character growth, but I think my teen readers will enjoy the realism and understand that they can pick up another book for a happy read. My hope, really, is that the people in the struggling teen’s life will benefit -- everyone from distant friends to the older people who pass her on the street.3. What was your favourite subject to read about when you were growing up? “Growing up” is such a long time! When I was about six I liked to read about horses. When I was twelve I liked to read about boys. When I was sixteen, I read what they gave me in school (which really killed reading for me). Adolescent fiction has come a long way since my day!4. What were your favourite and most difficult subjects in school? My favourite subject was English. My most difficult was Chemistry. I did okay in school, for someone who never tried much. I remember school being more about the social scene than coursework. I also remember being really annoyed at the teachers who made us position our desks in semi-circles.5. If you could have one super power, what would it be and why? Well… The TV show Heroes really opened the options up from the basic “fly, be invisible and be strong” kind of powers. The hypochondriac side of me says, “I’d like to heal myself like the Cheerleader.” The philosophic side of me says, “The power to live in the present.” The sneaky side of me says, “To be invisible”. And the recent mommy side of me says, “To slow down time.”Thanks much to Lesley and Penguin Canada for this interview and great book!