Alex Thayer's debut, "Happy & Sad & Everything True" ~Christy Mihaly

Alex Thayer

Last month at the inaugural New England SCBWI Acadia Retreat, I had the great pleasure of meeting Alex Thayer. She is delightful and talented, and, if you haven't heard Alex's name yet, I predict you soon will. That's because her new novel is sure to make a splash. 

Happy & Sad & Everything True (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Nov. 12, 2024) involves middle grade issues of family, new friends and old ones, true friends and fake ones. The protagonist, Dee, is devastated when she and her best friend Juniper are assigned to separate classes for sixth grade, and she is lonely and increasingly confused about Juniper's odd new behavior. She's also embarrassed about her eccentric single mother and has questions about why her dad left. 

Dee starts hiding in the girls' restroom each day to avoid the dreaded "Snack & Stretch." She discovers that a grate in the wall communicates with the boy's restroom, and before long she is dispensing advice and support through the grate to students with all kinds of worries. Word of Dee's good counsel spreads and more students approach her for advice. Dee enjoys listening and helping people, but meanwhile, her attempts to make a new friend seem to result only in more embarrassment. 

Hurtful discoveries, academic failures, mysterious secret notes, and unexpected treachery all come to a head in a satisfying series of resolutions. Dee realizes her own strengths and gains pride in being herself. I devoured this book (in ARC form) straight through in a day and a half, and Dee and the other characters have taken up residence in my brain. Nicely done, Alex! This is a beautifully engaging novel. I highly recommend it. 

Below, Alex answers some questions I had about her book and her writing (and other) life. So read on!  

GROG: When you began writing, did you know you wanted to write for the middle school crew?

Alex: I love the middle school crew. It’s a time when so many things might be changing. Schools, teachers, friendships, families, bodies, ideas, beliefs… The list of possibly changing things is endless. Which makes it an interesting age to write about.

Alex and friends at the Acadia Retreat last month

GROG: Exactly! An age group that presents rich dramatic possibilities, right? And speaking of drama, your first career was acting, for TV and movies. I happen to know you have some juicy stories from those days. Does that dramatic background affect your writing?

 

Alex: Great question! Absolutely! There’s something in acting called “Method Acting” when an actor stays in character on set. Even when the camera is not rolling, the actor doesn’t break character. I think I might do this as a writer. “Method Writing,” if you will! Sometimes I’ll dress up like my character to get myself going. Sometimes I’ll bake something that my character would love to eat. Sometimes I’ll write in my journal as if my character were writing in her journal. Sometimes I’ll pretend I’m on stage and I’ll speak as if my character’s giving a monologue to the audience. I think the element of play is very important in writing. Play takes the pressure off! Acting is a great way to play around as a writer.

GROG: I love that! Method writing! It seems to have worked for you. Dee comes across as genuine and real.

I'm wondering about the delightfully original premise of Happy & Sad & Everything True. Where did you get the initial idea?

 

Alex: Thank you! I’m glad you like the premise. I wish I could say it was my great idea, but really, the premise came from my main character, Dee. I thought about Dee for a long time before I started writing this book. I knew what she looked like, her personality, what people in her life would say about her. I also knew the things she would never tell anyone. I knew Dee very well, but I felt overwhelmed about writing a whole book. So, I started small. I put Dee in a place, a bathroom, and I listened. I realized other kids come into the bathroom and speak to Dee. I knew Dee would want to help them. Voila! My premise was born.

GROG: Beautiful -- I guess this is how your "method writing" works.

I also love how in the book you gradually reveal the depth of the relationship between Dee and her mother, with Dee's impatience/annoyance/embarrassment gradually giving way to understanding and appreciation of their mutual love. Was that always a main focus of the book?

 

Alex: The mom character really surprised me. When I first started writing this book, I thought the mom was humorous and quirky. But, as the novel moved along, I realized the mom cared deeply about her daughter. I think Dee realized this, too. The arc that Dee and her mom were able to make together was very satisfying to write.

GROG: Which character in Happy & Sad is most like you?

 

Alex reading at her launch,
shortly after publication

Alex: I think all the characters have little pieces of me in them. That said, Dee is probably the most like me. Like Dee, I make lists in my head. Like Dee, I like to help people. Like Dee, I feel insecure sometimes. Like Dee, I love my cat.

GROG: Wonderful! One last question for today:

What did you do on your book’s birthday?

 

Alex: I woke up early and I wrote in my journal. (I do this every morning.) I took my kids to school. I came home and made myself a big bowl of Hot Brown Rice Cereal and topped it with milk and berries. Delightful!

Congratulations and thanks again, Alex, and very best wishes with your beautiful new book.

~Christy

Alex Thayer is a former film and television actress and elementary school teacher. She lives in New England with her two sons. Happy & Sad & Everything True is her debut novel.