Review and interview by Haylee Hackenberg
Jade Timms’ debut YA novel, Golden, feels like its namesake. It’s the warm sun on your back after a chilly morning. Packed full of love, loss and hope, Jade has infused the story with music and art, giving it a film-like quality that will resonate with even the most reluctant teen reader. I spoke to Jade about her gorgeous story and how to keep teens reading.
Congratulations on Golden, it is a truly beautiful story. Can you tell me a little about what inspired it?
Thank you so much. The initial inspiration was that I wanted to explore a complicated sibling relationship, and I wanted to write a YA story set in my hometown. It was only through working on the first draft that I realised the story I was actually trying to tell was about processing grief and learning to open yourself up to people.
I was really struck by how you balanced the heavy themes with a hopeful tone. Was that a conscious choice?
Yes and no. With the initial draft, I honestly thought I was writing a happy beach story, so I was kind of surprised when the grief/trauma plotline appeared. When I was working on later drafts, I was trying to balance both aspects of the story. I really love YA that deals with real issues, but at the same time, isn’t bleak, so that’s what I was hoping to achieve.
Eddie’s voice was incredibly enjoyable to read. How did you develop her character?
I don’t know that I did anything to specifically develop her character—my POV characters usually turn up fully formed and just never shut up. I’m mostly concerned with making sure that my author voice doesn’t overpower the character’s voice. There were a few examples of this in earlier drafts that my wonderful editor picked up on and just said, “This doesn’t sound like Eddie.” And it didn’t. It sounded like Author Jade.
The gorgeous coastal setting had me dreaming of a beach holiday. How did the setting inform the story?
The setting actually came first, which almost never happens for me, so it did really affect the story. Eddie came to me mostly fully formed, but other characters developed because of the setting. Her parents, for example. I initially asked myself what kind of jobs and people they would be if they’d lived their whole lives in a beach town. Eddie’s brother came to me with just a basic outline, so he was influenced by a lot of guys I knew growing up in a very surf-heavy town. It definitely affected the plot because the characters couldn’t attempt to sneak into a nightclub or visit a fancy museum. They were limited by what’s available in small beach towns, which is why they spend so much time at the beach.
Reading rates in Australia are at an all-time low. What do you think teens need on their shelves to get them reading (aside from Golden, of course!)
I think teens need a range of stuff on the shelves. I work in a public library, so I have a front row seat to this issue. I think there definitely needs to be a priority on Aussie YA. As someone who grew up with only American and the odd British character in the YA realm, it’s so important for young people to see themselves in a story. We need to continue fighting for diverse stories—not everyone is white and/or straight. But also, any reading is amazing. Graphic novels, manga, non-fiction books—whatever. Not everyone is going to be into the same thing or at the same level, so I am a big fan of celebrating books and reading in general.
