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Undead Girl Gang
Lily Anderson
At the helm of the undead girl gang is Mila Flores, a black Mexican teen who finds herself navigating grief and frustration in the wake of her best friend’s death. Mila and Riley were inseparable and devoted much of their time to Riley’s amateur witchcraft. When two more girls at school mysteriously die, Mila refuses to believe that her BFF was part of the suicide pact like everyone says. To prove the truth, Mila brings all three girls back to life—none of whom have any recollection of their murders, and only seven days to find their killer. Mila is a girl after my own heart: a stubborn, reluctant leader with a biting sense of humor.
At the heart of every single one of my favorite novels is an iconic main character (or two…or five). Nothing helps me settle into a new book like a character I can relate to, which isn’t to say I’m only on the hunt for books with characters who look like me and share my background. Truthfully, I’ve found that the best reads expose you to a world outside your own, while still tapping into some kind of shared human experience.
In my book Puddin’, Millie and Callie find it nearly impossible to relate to one another at first, but it’s only a matter of time before they find they have more in common than either of them expected. And I guess that’s how a good book makes me feel—like I’m stepping into new territory while still finding something familiar to guide me along the way. And for me, that always starts with a relatable main character.
Catch the movie version of Julie Murphy’s novel Dumplin’ on Netflix, starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald as the super-relatable heroine Willowdean Dickson.
Featured Image: Matt McCarty, Author Photo: Ian Pearce
