“I think every book is always different and always a challenge in it’s own way,” says Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, Canadian bestselling novelist from London, Ontario.“I’ve written three young adult books, but this is my first attempt at writing an adult book.”
‘Last Girls Lied To’, ‘Firsts’, and ‘All Eyes On Her’ are her young adult novels, all centred around this familiar concept of growing up. But she decided to take a different approach for her next debut.
‘The Girls Are So Nice Here’ follows the main character Ambrosia Wellington and her former best friend Salone ‘Sully’ Sullivan in a psychological thriller that dives into revenge, ambition, and toxic female friendships. It follows the characters to their 10-year college reunion, but takes the audience back in time, giving some glimpses into the characters days on campus. Or really, day’s they’ve tried desperately to forget.
As much as ‘All The Girls Are Nice Here’ is a psychological thriller about how the past can come back to haunt you, Flynn wanted it to have that extra layer of social commentary woven into it.
“It’s having these heavy kind of hard hitting themes that people can relate to and see themselves in.. Women, especially, looking at the pages and thinking about the experiences they’ve had with these certain situations.”
Reflecting on the development of her powerfully painted characters, the former model explains how her past career has driven her present interests in writing.
“I find it really interesting the ways that we are kind of programmed to see other women as competition,” she explains,” it definitely sticks with you the way you see those things unfold…. But I’m glad I have that background because writing is not for the weak heart. There is a lot of rejection and uncertainty.”
But even after the uncertainty she found in herself when it came to finishing her novel, ‘The Girls Are So Nice Here’ triggered a long trail of accomplishments after its release. Resulting in publication deals in 11 territories, and landing the rising novelist an option for television with AMC, the producers of The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.
On top of this, the London novelist saw her first adult story becoming an instant best seller in Canada, debuting at #3 on the Toronto Star’s list of bestselling Canadian fiction.
#TheGirlsAreAllSoNiceHere is an instant bestseller in Canada, debuting at #3 on the Toronto Star list of bestselling Canadian fiction!
I am so incredibly honored and at a loss for words (which never happens)! pic.twitter.com/KivO2ykuQC
— Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (@laurellizabeth) March 18, 2021
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn / Photo Credits: Sandra Dufton
“The were times when I just wanted to quit and move on to something else; but I never let myself. If I can make this book what I want it to be and what I want it to look like, maybe it’ll be something good. But I certainly couldn’t have foreseen this.“
The book focuses on a college friendship that takes it’s characters down a section of memory lane they tried so hard to forget. Not only is this book a thriller by depiction, but displays Flynn’s interest in the way today’s society works, especially for the young women within it.
“You might make judgements, I think it’s human that we do that… but you never know somebody’s true story.”
