I Read Indie: Interview with Sudipta Quabili, Author of IN THE CASE OF UNDERSTANDING

Title: In the Case of Understanding

Author: Sudipta Quabili

Genre: Young Adult, Coming-of-Age

ISBN-13: 978-1505818994

Short description: When a night away from home results in regret and new secrets, high school friends find their ties tested as they near the onset of adulthood.

Long description: John, Neena, Jemma, Nick and Marie are facing their final year of high school with the threat of the future looming inevitably around the corner. The persistence of their individual challenges and the overarching struggle to make it through the final leg of adolescence comes to full force during an impromptu trip to the Atlantic City coast line. Over the course of a single night, each of the friends must come face to face with their fears while also confronting their desires. What seems like a night that will be full of revelry and youthful carelessness becomes a night of regret and uncertainty. The group returns home, hoping to leave behind the memories of the night that only reflect their own flaws and insecurities. However, the situation is further complicated when a mutual enemy is found dead and one of their own is blamed as the murderer. In light of the events, everyone must learn to fight back against the pressures that their surroundings have placed upon them and become more than the persons that they have defined themselves to be. With a varied look on the final days of high school, In the Case of Understanding provides a glimpse into the minds of those who are traversing the long road to adulthood.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Case-Understanding-Sudipta-Quabili/dp/1505818990/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1421168032&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-case-of-understanding-sudipta-quabili/1120982257?ean=9781505818994

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24720449-in-the-case-of-understanding?from_search=true

Born in Bangladesh and moving to the United States at the age of four, Sudipta Quabili has always had a fascination with language. Determined to learn the tongue of his new homeland, he quickly understood the power of the written word. This inspired him to delve in writing and he has since worked on a number of screenplays, short stories, academic pieces and novels. He now studies at the University of Virginia where he is working toward a degree in computer science.

*What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?

Well, along with being an author, I currently attend college. I go to the University of Virginia and am working toward my degree in Computer Science.

*5 years ago: what were you doing?

I was a high school freshman!

*Do you have a certain writing ritual?

I always wait for a certain scene or theme to pop into my mind. If that relates to the plot outline that I have made, I try to imagine a particular scenario related to the scene or theme and then I just write as much as I can and then I go back a couple days afterward and then I revise and delete a lot of what I have written. However, there is usually still enough left to make some progress!

*What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I've been told that I often spend too much time on exposition and have been requested to get to the action more quickly.

*Ever fangirled over another author? Who was it?

I pre-ordered The Fault in Our Stars almost a year before it was released. When I saw John Green's autograph on the first page, there were quite a few tears.

*Is there an author you'd like to meet?

I'd love to meet John Green. It may sound typical now that he has gained so much popularity (which he rightly deserves). But I have been a huge fan of his for many years and he has been a huge inspiration. Also, David Levithan is another one of my idols that I would absolutely love to meet.

*Biggest writing pet peeve?

Starting a scene without a hook. The better a novel's opening and subsequent hooks are, the more I enjoy reading it.

* Do you read other's reviews of your books?

Absolutely! There is such a great selection of books nowadays and the only things that you can really judge a book on are the cover, the sample pages and, of course, the reader reviews!

Fun Five:

Fav Color: Blue

Fictional Character you'd like to spend the day with?: Ozma of Oz

Fav food: Sushi

Fav song and/or singer: Lady Gaga and Florence and the Machine

Guilty pleasure: Watching nostalgic movies from my childhood and reading middle-grade level books.