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January 25, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS

An Interview with Victoria Schwab

January 25, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS   1 comments

I’ve been following the career of author Victoria Schwab for some time. I was tipped off to her awesomeness by her friend and fellow YA author, Rachel Hawkins, and have no regrets that I immediately began following (author stalking) her on Twitter. Victoria generously shares the experiences of her life as a (frighteningly successful) young author on Twitter, on her blog, and through her YouTube channel. I was excited when she announced her upcoming blog tour for The Unbound (read my review here) and advocated for TLT to be one of her stops. Luckily, I was successful. Read on to find Victoria’s good humored answers to my somewhat ‘author-stalkerish’ questions.


In The Unbound we see Mackenzie attempt to acclimate to life at a private, college-prep high school. How much of what we see on the page was informed by your own high school experience?

I’m excited, because I’ve always wanted to write a prep school, and in THE UNBOUND I finally get to. I myself went to a prep school, but it was an all-girls uniformed prep school in the south, so it was even more intense than Mackenzie’s co-ed one. I definitely pulled on some personal experience though, when it came to shaping Hyde School, from the grounds to the privilege and private school culture.

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One of Mackenzie’s new school friends, Amber Kinney, is described as having “a simple lack of filter between her brain and mouth.” I love this description! (Probably because I enjoy this character trait in others.) Is Amber inspired by anyone?

Nope. I actually never turn people I know into characters, because then I start feeling a loyalty to the inspiration instead of the fiction, and that can be hindering. But I think we’ve all known Amber Kinneys (I certainly knew a few) and she made a really great foil for Mac, a little glimpse of what Mac’s life would be like out of a supernatural context.


Can you tell us a little about your graduate school plans in Scotland so we can all live vicariously through you?

Haha, well, I’m doing a one-year Masters program in Art History (specifically polytheistic imagery) starting in September at the University of Edinburgh. Considering I still have books under contract, it’s going to be a challenge, but I gave up sleep years ago 😉


I know you’re a Doctor Who fan – are you willing to reveal your favorite Doctor and/or companion?

In my opinion there is only one Doctor, and that is Tennant. As for companions, I’m a Donna fan 🙂 

Sherlock or Elementary? Or both? Neither?

Sherlock. Sherlock. Sherlock. 

What books were you obsessed with as a teen?

You know, I was very, very fortunate in that I was the same age as Harry Potter, and so had the opportunity to age with those books. It was an incredible time to live through, fictionally. 

Tell us the story of Tattie Boy? Please?

Haha, there is no story of the Tattie Boy. But hey, when I move to Edinburgh, perhaps there will be. 

If you could meet and/or hug any author you’ve never had a chance to meet – who would it be?

That’s a hard question, since it’s a well-known fact about me that I’ve already been given the chance to hug my hero–Neil Gaiman–three times. But I would say J.K. Rowling. I’ve gotten to see her in person, but no hug…yet. 


What upcoming books are you most excited to read?

Oh goodness, I feel so constantly behind on new books (I tend to read them once they’ve been out for months, if not years) but I can’t wait to get my hands on Leigh Bardugo’s RUIN AND RISING. I need it like fire. 
Our thanks to Victoria for making us one of her stops on The Unbound blog tour. 

Filed under: The Unbound, Victoria Schwab

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About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

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