Accidental: Instagram Posts

Here are some amazing pictures of Accidental by Alex Richards that were taken by these lovely bookstagrammers. Check them out and follow them! Also, follow me on Instagram and here on Thindbooks Blog!

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Accidental: 5 Reasons Why You Should Read This Book

5 Reasons Why You Should Read Accidental by Alex Richards:

1) Alex's writing is beautiful and gets readers hooked on page one.

2) This book talks about the mentions of gun control and a teen's emotions after learning about her past.

3) Not only is this book important but has an amazing couple that you would ship!

4) This book sends a powerful and strong message to young readers and adults. 

5) This book is a must-read that is amazing from the beginning to the end. The ending was just amazing and totally worth reading!

Accidental: Interview with the Author

An interview with the Alex Richards about Accidental

About the Book:

1.  How did you come up with the story of Accidental?

I’ve read so many devastating headlines and stories in the news about children finding unsecured guns and accidentally firing them. Understandably, there is little follow up on these stories because the children are minors. As a parent, I can’t help wondering what happens to the children involved in these horrific accidents. Do they grow up knowing what they did? In some cases, were they young enough to forget over time? Johanna’s story is just one hypothetical example of what could happen in the aftermath of an accidental shooting, and I wrote this book in hopes of making people think about gun control from a different perspective. 

2.  Who is the main character(s) in Accidental?

The main character is Johanna Carlson, a 16 year old girl who has been living in Santa Fe, NM, with her grandparents ever since her mother died in a car accident. She loves to sew her own funky clothes, she loves her loyal best friends, she loves music. It’s not until her absentee father comes into the picture that she learns the truth about her past -- when she was 2 ½ years old, she found a gun and accidentally shot and killed her own mother. Now that she knows, Johanna is forced to face the truth and find a way to come to terms with her guilt.

3.  What part was the hardest to write? The beginning, middle, or the end?

Probably the middle? The set up was a lot of fun, introducing the characters (especially the meet-cute scenes with Milo), but the middle is where Johanna really grapples the most with what she has done. She feels lost, alone, grieving and guilty. I both loved and struggled with the challenge of writing a character going through something so heartbreaking. 

 

4.  What is the key message that you are trying to send to readers?

Awareness. The heart of this book is about a girl who accidentally shot and killed her mother with an unsecured gun. According to Giffords Law Center, 4.6 million children live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked. That is a horrifying statistic to me. I hope this book might serve as a reminder or a wake up call to the importance of gun safety. We need gun reform in this country, we need change. 

5.   Where can readers purchase Accidental? 

 Lots of links to buy on my website! https://alexrichards.nyc/

About You:

1.    If you won a prize for something, what would it be and why? 

Karaoke, because I always bring my A game! (Go-to’s include Let’s Hear It For The Boy and Ice Ice Baby). More seriously, winning some kind of writing award for young adult fiction like the Printz Award or the Edwards Award, both of which have been awarded to some of my all time favorite authors, would be beyond incredible. 

2.    If a director wanted to make Accidental into a movie and wanted you to act in it, who would you be and why? 

Ooh, such a fun question! And totally hypothetical because I am way too shy to act (despite having studied acting in high school and college and vowing to become a famous actress). That being said, I would definitely opt for the role of Leah, despite being, oh, 20-ish years too old. Leah is a fun and spunky sidekick who wears her heart on her sleeve. She provides some much needed optimism and comic relief in this fairly heavy book.

3.    What are some of your favorite tv shows or movies?

I am a sucker for teen dramas, but it’s always hard to find shows my husband and I can agree on! I am (was? No, am) obsessed with Veronica Mars and Buffy. Also Riverdale, Normal People, Sex Education, Stranger Things, even my guilty pleasure The OC. Oh, and Schitt’s Creek (which I still haven’t finished. I never want it to end!), The Good Place, Broad City (gah, why do all the best shows end?!).  

4.    If you could have dinner with any 3 people (fictional, real or dead), who would it be? 

I love this question! And it is very tough to pinpoint three people, but I would choose Veronica Mars because she’s smart and snarky and it would be so fun to solve a crime with her. I would love to have dinner with a young activist like Emma Gonzales or Marley Dias. Someone who is fighting for change -- from gun violence prevention, to diversity and inclusion or climate change -- because young people have the most energy and innovative ideas. Lastly, I’d choose my grandmother. All of my grandparents died when I was young, and I would love to hear all of their stories and voices, but the romantic in me would like to hear from my father’s mother, who travelled, married and divorced (in a time when divorce was less common), and became the love and collaborator of a brilliant environmental sculptor.

Accidental: Review

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: This is a powerful and emotional book and the author nailed it with the story. This book was just wonderful and the author did an amazing job tackling the talk about gun violence, losing family, friends, and yourself, plus talking about emotional problems. I was hooked with this book from page 1 because the way the author describes the plot and scenes were very descriptive so it wasn't at all hard for the reader to think hard or imagine it in their heads. I loved how powerful and emotional this book was. It's something most people don't talk about. This book was out of my comfort zone meaning not a fantasy or romance book but I'm glad that the publisher sent me this book. The characters were the main part of why this book was great.

When Johanna finds out that she killed her mom when she was two she pretty much loses her true self and wants to stay away from her love ones. Her boyfriend, best friends, and grandparents help her get through it when she was attacking herself. Usually, in most books I have read, the friends would just leave someone who is in a lot of pain and I love how the author included support characters giving the theme of family love/connections. My favorite part of this book was the supportive characters because they would always be there for Jo even though she was pushing them away. I also love how the author wrote the characters making it an emotional read.

This book was emotional with the talk about gun violence and losing your loved ones. I felt bad about the lie that Jo had to go through and how she got bullied with all the pressure she had. *SPOILER ALERT* The author did end this off with a good note. *END OF SPOILER* This book is one of my favorite contemporary books of this year and I totally recommend this to readers.

Criteria:

Plot- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Main Character- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Other Characters- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Writing Style- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pacing- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ending- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Cover- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*This book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Accidental: Welcome Post

Accidental by Alex Richards

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: 13+          

Summary:

This timely, emotionally-resonant story about a teen girl dealing with the aftermath of a tragic shooting is a must-read from an exciting new YA talent.

Johanna has had more than enough trauma in her life. She lost her mom in a car accident, and her father went AWOL when Johanna was just a baby. At sixteen, life is steady, boring . . . maybe even stifling, since she's being raised by her grandparents who never talk about their daughter, her mother Mandy.

Then he comes back: Robert Newsome, Johanna's father, bringing memories and pictures of Mandy. But that's not all he shares. A tragic car accident didn't kill Mandy--it was Johanna, who at two years old, accidentally shot her own mother with an unsecured gun.

Now Johanna has to sort through it all--the return of her absentee father, her grandparents' lies, her part in her mother's death. But no one, neither her loyal best friends nor her sweet new boyfriend, can help her forgive them. Most of all, can she ever find a way to forgive herself?

In a searing, ultimately uplifting story, debut author Alex Richards tackles a different side of the important issue that has galvanized teens across our country. 

Purchase the book here:

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository     IndieBound                 

About the Answer:

Alex Richards has been writing young adult fiction since the age of ten, with stacks of spiral notebooks to prove it. Also a freelance magazine contributor, Alex enjoys making no-budget horror movies, taking photographs, and crafting. Raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Alex lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two very silly kids.