I recently had a chance to review Amari and the Night Brothers. This book has been received so well that it already has the possibility of a movie in the works,
I can totally see why. This book is full of action and intrigue, with unexpected twists and a setting that blends the real and the magical. I think it would be a great book for reluctant readers, and it's an excellent book for anyone looking to add more cultural diversity to their bookshelf. In the book, Amari ends up disadvantaged in several ways - her race, her family's income, and even her magical abilities all make her the subject of prejudice. But she rises above those challenges and continues to be a strong character through the conflicts, finding friends in unexpected places.
You can learn more in this interview.
What inspired you to write a young, female, black protagonist?
As soon as I decided I wanted to write about a kid from my own background (Black & from modest means), Amari popped into my head pretty much fully formed. I instantly knew what she looked like, what she sounded like, and how she sees the world. It was like she had been there all along, just waiting for me to have the courage to put her front and center. She’s got a lot of me in her, but also a lot of the girls I grew up with too.
Why did you decide to tell Amari’s story as a supernatural fantasy?
Fantasy books are easily my favorite reads. Those are the stories that have always captured my imagination and sparked my sense of wonder. But when I was growing up, there just weren’t any fantasy books about Black kids. And so, I began to believe that I didn’t belong in my own imagination. By putting Amari into a story like this, it’s my hope that kids get to see that anyone can be the hero of their own stories—even magical ones.
Did you know this was going to be a series when you started writing it?
I did! I envisioned Amari’s journey as a big, magical tale playing out over multiple books but it was just as important to me that the first book told a complete story with a satisfying ending. The fun thing about the sequels is that you get to see Amari continue to grow as a character while also getting the opportunity to further explore all the strange and fantastical ways the known world and the supernatural world interact.
You introduce a lot of wonderful creatures and magical elements in your book – what was your favorite part about the world-building process?
The supernatural world in Amari and the Night Brothers is one in which all supernatural creatures exist. And while that premise is pretty exciting to write in itself, what made it really fun was to put my own spin on these supernatural creatures that people are already familiar with. So for instance, the Sasquatch isn’t just a furry monster that roams the forest, in Amari and the Night Brothers, he’s actually a woodland real estate agent to the stars with an impeccable taste in fine clothing.
AMARI addresses important themes of racism, classism, and discrimination – flipping the script on the “chosen one” plots we normally see as she is ostracized in both the real and magical realms. How did you come up with the parallel set up?
The idea of otherness—how we treat people we deem to be different than us—is a major theme in the story. And just being a minority, especially a poor minority, means you’re automatically an “other” in so many settings and situations. Add to that the common trope of the “chosen one” being an outsider, and it was an easy parallel to make. The biggest message I hope people take away from the book is to be kind to one another and to be kind to yourself. Amari learning to both believe in and accept herself is the major emotional arc of the story.
You were planning to pursue medical school when on a whim you pitched your book on Twitter through #DVPit and AMARI took off from there. What advice do you have to fellow fledgling authors out there who doubt the possibility of writing as a career?
My biggest advice would be to never give up. That can be easier said than done, especially when those rejections start piling up, but you’ve got to remember that it only takes one yes for your dream of being a published author to come true. Even if you get to a point where it’s no longer possible to make writing your primary focus, carve out as much time for it as you can. Getting published isn’t a race and you’re never too old. Just keep writing.
The book immediately sold film rights with Universal Pictures, Don Cheadle and Marsai Martin on board. Did you envision AMARI getting the silver screen treatment when you were writing it?
Amari and the Night Brothers becoming a movie was always one of those things I dreamt about, but never actually thought would come true. Some dreams just feel too big! And this was one of them. I’m eternally grateful for the Hollywood interest the book has generated and I’m excited to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a movie gets made.
Since this is a trilogy, we know Books 2 and 3 are coming but do you already have other stories in your head that you hope to pursue?
I’ve got so many stories I want to tell! Definitely more middle grade fantasy, but I’d love to do some YA too. I’ve become a big fan of the YA thriller genre recently, with all the twists and page-turning suspense. That’s got to be incredibly fun to write.
About the Author:
B. B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.
B. B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.
B. B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.
B. B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.
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