We’re shifting gears today to celebrate the YA debut
of NYT Bestselling & multi-award-winning author Megan E. Freeman’s
(Atheneum/ Simon & Schuster)
About the Book
THE SECRET TO BELONGING, follows a neglected teen as she travels to Norway for a fresh start in this coming-of-age novel in verse about longing, love, and the courage to create joy from the ashes of despair.
Three STARRED Reviews:
”Spare yet powerful language relays sensate descriptions of the Norwegian backdrop and the cathartic, everyday pleasures the protagonist experiences during her retreat, which expertly juxtapose the profound isolation she feels at home. Restrained and condensed second-person narration cultivates a persuasive sense of immediacy throughout this aching exploration of heartbreak and hope.”
— Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
VERDICT A searing, character-driven exploration of family obligation and the pain of being left behind; a must-have for high school collections. — SLJ STARRED REVIEW
Check out the YouTube excerpt read by Megan here.
About the Author:
Multi-award-winning and New York Times bestselling Megan E. Freeman is the author of the widely celbrated middle grade series which began with ALONE, and was followed by AWAY, and the upcoming AFAR. She attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and has been a writer ever since. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students of all ages. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet. She divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast. Readers may remember when we celebrated her very first “Book Baby” ALONE on the blog.
Let’s ask some Questions!
Inspiration
Q 1. What was the inspiration for THE SECRET TO BELONGING?
Megan E. Freeman: The idea for this book grew out of a conversation I had with my friend, the author Olivia Chadha.
We were having breakfast and talking about our childhoods and some of the places we had lived. I mentioned having been an exchange student above the Arctic Circle in Norway, and she said, “I want to read about that.”
So even though the book and the characters are fictional, my insights into the main character’s experience come from a much more personal place than my previous books.
Truth and Hope
Q 2. Advanced reviews have applauded your “raw and honest” (SLJ STARRED) “powerful language “ and “aching exploration of heartbreak and hope…” ( PW STARRED) What challenges did you face in maintaining that sense of hope while tackling the issues of substance abuse and isolation?
Megan E. Freeman: That’s a really interesting question. My only goal was to stay solidly in the perspective of the main character and write her experience as fearlessly and honestly as possible. I wanted her to trust the reader enough—and to be brave enough—to tell the entire truth of her life.
I wanted her to confide in the reader without fear of judgment or condemnation, and for her to always speak from a place of deep integrity. My singular focus was to maintain fidelity to her truth and courage. Where there is truth, there is also hope.
On Process
Q 3. Although this is your YA novel-in-verse debut, the books in your ALONE middle grade series are also novels-in-verse. What comes first in this process that seems so easy but certainly isn’t: World building? The story arc? The poems themselves? Your characters?
Megan E. Freeman: In my experience, every book has been different. ALONE started with a premise, AWAY started with a question, and AFAR started with a voice. THE SECRET TO BELONGING started with a request from a friend. I have a new middle grade prose novel coming next fall that started with a setting.
Sometimes the stories are best expressed in poems and sometimes they’re not. Or in the case of AWAY and AFAR, they’re multi-format novels and use verse and prose. Every story is unique, and part of the challenge—and the fun—is figuring out the right way to tell each story.
Take Aways
Q 4. What do you hope readers will take away from THE SECRET TO BELONGING?
Megan E. Freeman: I don’t really have a specific agenda for any of my books, other than to hope the stories will resonate with readers and inspire them to keep reading. If readers finish my books and can’t wait to pick up another one, then I’m a happy writer.
Coming SOON!
Q 5. What’s next for you?
Megan E. Freeman: I’m very excited about the third book in my middle grade ALONE series, which comes out in February and is called AFAR. It’s a companion novel, like AWAY, and all three books can be read in any order, or each can stand alone.
AFAR is about Emma, the third friend from the ill-fated sleepover in ALONE. We follow her and her mother when they evacuate to a strange compound in the mountains where her cousins River and Mustang live. It’s a multi-format novel told from two perspectives using verse and prose.
One of my middle grade beta readers summed up the series this way: “ALONE is an adventure, AWAY is a mystery, and AFAR is a thriller.” I think that’s pretty accurate, and I hope readers will love the new book when it comes out.
We can’t wait!
Endless thanks to Megan E. Freeman for joining us on the blog today. And Happy Book Birthday to
THE SECRET TO BELONGING.
To learn more about Megan and her work,
check out her website: meganefreeman.com
And follow her on social media:
Insta: @megan_e_freeman_writer
Bluesky: @meganefreeman.bsky.social
Threads: @megan_e_freeman_writer
X : @meganefreeman
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