Every novel should have a diverse cast, and not just to make ti believable. After all, the real world isn't all white and black. There are many colours, purple, blue, green, orange, to name a few. And SOUTH is no different. It has a diverse cast of characters of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity, and sexualities -- just like the real world. In fact, SOUTH is a very grounded novel, where the characters are not only relatable, but so are the situations they find themselves in, albeit with a few exceptions. After all, how many people do you know who survived an earthquake? Chances are, not many. (Although surprisingly, I do! But that's another story).
AJ White
One of the two main characters.
Just look at the photos above and below this paragraph. AJ White and Minami Kyuki are the stars of the novel and they couldn't be more different. AJ is American. But she's not just a white girl (no pun intended). She has freckles, and piercings, and even a nice tattoo that she got in defiance to her mom! As for Minami, her face -- and body -- are littered with scars from surviving a devastating earthquake in her home country of Japan. Not to mention, she has rare deep-sea blue eyes that are sure to captivate anyone who dares to take a glance.
Minami Kyuki
One of the two main characters.
My point being, not every character has to be perfect. Nor does every character have to be the usual "oh my God I'm an average klutz and a nobody yet somehow the super-hot people are into me and I don't know who to choose and woe is me because I'm really nothing special" kind of person. *cough* kind of like a lot of YA that I've read recently *cough*
The characters in SOUTH are people you'd meet on the street. People with real stuff going on in their lives. Someone you went to school with. Your best friend. The kid whose really awesome at signing but you wouldn't know it because they're too insecure to show it to anyone. The girl with body issues. The one who's a goofball and is very down to earth. The one struggling with their sexual identity with no one to talk to about it.
This is why SOUTH will be a must read for anyone, regardless of age. The novel may be a YA, but there is someone out there, maybe even in their late 40's, who is being harassed and still doesn't know who they are. This novel is for that 40 something year old who wants someone to relate too and maybe gain that confidence they need to come out of the closet and confront the harasser. This novel is for the teenager whose life hasn't been the greatest and needs someone to talk to.
This novel is for you and anyone who reads this.
PS: As a disclaimer, I'm very tried and have been suffering from some weird thing that hasn't allowed me to fall asleep normally since like 2009. (I've been to many doctors, but no one knows what it is, or how to fix it. It's hard to describe, hence why I call it "the weird thing"). Anyway, my point is that this post is not like my usual style (if I even have one at this early stage) and may also be all over the place. I wrote it because it was on my mind and I just wanted to share this before I went to bed. I thought I'd share my inner ramblings so that you can see a tiny bit more into the insides of SOUTH and be just as excited to read it as I am about releasing it.