Emergent by Rachel Cohn is the sequel to Beta. Get a sneak peek at the prologue of Emergent and learn what Rachel was planning on originally calling the book in our interview with the author.
Emergent releases on October 7.
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
I’m a decent baton twirler.
One time I went to Belgium for 4 days just to eat chocolate.
I’m a compulsive neatnik and my weapon of choice is a bottle of Clorox.
Related, I find The Container Store to be the sexiest store on the planet.
I think you’re awesome.
Describe your novel in five words.
Dangerous. Shocking. Frightening. Silly. Chocolate.
–or–
Weirdly Outdoorsy for Indoor Author
Where did the idea of clones come from?
I don’t usually get story ideas this way, but this one came from a dream, about a teenage girl who was a clone, available for sale at the mall. The ultimate story I wrote evolved into a more sci-fi universe than the original dream, but that’s where the idea came from.
I wanted to call the sequel “First” (which makes sense if you’ve read the original book – it’s the name given to the humans from whom clones are replicated), but wiser business heads prevailed and convinced me a book two called “First” was confusing. So, we chose Emergent, which is the name the rebel clones in the book give themselves, since they were not born as infants, but emerged as fully-formed beings, copied from an adult (or teen) human First.
In Beta we learned about the clones and the world of Desmense. In crafting that story how did you decide on the role of the clones and the way they were treated? Where did you come up with the idea for Raxia?
The Demesne world evolved out of thinking a lot about economic stratification, and how the gap between rich and poor is growing wider and wider, and how increasingly vulnerable that makes poor people to corruption and abuse. The drug “’raxia” is from the Greek word “ataraxia” which means freedom from stress and worry. I stumbled on that word in an ancient civilization class in college and was always fascinated by it. It’s a cool-looking and cool-sounding word, with very exciting promises in its meaning. It seemed a natural choice for a drug that can take its users to a happier, sublime place.
Zhara and Elysia look the same but are very different characters. How did you create the dynamics between them? Do you ever see them as a two halves of a whole?
I definitely see them as two separate and distinct people, with very different attitudes and personalities, and yet, they’re also reflections of the other. They’re not two halves of a whole so much two separate wholes that are uncomfortably bonded.
Any hints on what we can expect from Emergent?
You’ll learn a lot about Zhara, Elysia’s First, and see how her irresponsible actions led to their situation, and also how she grows and changes as a result of having a clone. And you’ll see that beneath Elysia’s docile exterior, she’s a real firebrand.
What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?
The Dangerous Angels series by Francesca Lia Block. Gorgeous writing, Hollywood punk-glam, I would have probably read and re-read these books every day and night as a teen.
What are you working on now?
A YA novel about a girl who throws an epic senior class party at an abandoned theme park in the desert.
Fill in the blank
If I weren’t a writer I would be…………a lot less of a procrastinator, maybe a baker or a special needs yoga teacher, any job where I could still wear pajamas to work and choose my own hours. I know, wish me luck.
If I could have one supernatural power it would be shutting off all social media at will. Also, Opener of Primo Parking Spots.
My Hollywood crush is Patrick Stewart. Engage!
About Rachel Cohn
I never did get that scoliosis diagnosis, but from my favorite childhood authors such as Judy Blume, E.L. Konigsburg and Ellen Conford, I did get inspiration for another goal: to write. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t trying to create stories. When I started seriously writing fiction, I didn’t set out to write specifically for young adults, but as my writing matured, it became clear that when I got stuck writing in teen voices, it was a good place to be stuck. The author question I get asked most often now is how I am able to write from the perspective of a teenager, as if I were in that character’s head. The honest answer is, I don’t know. I try not to think about it too much, for fear of ruining it. But I do feel like I can readily channel my own teenage self and tap into those feelings, and that’s something I try to convey through the written word.
