I recently reviewed Sophie McAloon‘s debut romance/science fiction novel Top Choice, giving it an enthusiastic 4 out of 5 tiaras! (Read my review here!) I also got the chance to chat with McAloon afterward. Read the interview below, in which McAloon‘s intelligence and humility shine through in her insightful responses. We discuss the #MeToo movement, why revenge isn’t always the best answer, and why we can’t just focus on setting girls up for future success (while leaving out the boys)!

Elizabeth May Jahns: Tell me about your background. What led up to you deciding to write a novel? How did you then go about getting it published? Tell me about your journey.  

Sophie McAloon: I’ve always loved to write but didn’t ever take the time (or have the guts!) to write a full-length novel until a few years ago. I wrote Top Choice in 2013, pitched it to agents in 2014, and signed with an agent that same year. Although the manuscript received mostly positive feedback from publishers, they were not picking up many new dystopian stories at the time, apparently having over-purchased following the “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” craze. A couple of editors requested samples of my contemporary YA writing, since this genre was just starting to gain popularity. So although I drafted a few concepts, my heart just wasn’t in it and to be honest, the drafts were pretty terrible… So I decided it was a sign that I needed to take a break from writing and parted ways with my agent later that year (on amicable terms, I should add – she is an amazing woman and we’ve stayed in touch).

Last year, with the political climate in the U.S. and the surge of the #MeToo movement, it seemed like a good time to re-visit Top Choice. However, after doing weeks of research, I decided that I wanted to go the self-publishing route this time around – and I have not regretted the decision since! It’s certainly tough and lonely at times, but I love the freedom that it gives me. Publishing Top Choice has been such a positive experience that I’m already eager to self-publish my next book as soon as possible!

I mention in my review that many romances I’ve read switch back and forth between the hero’s and heroine’s respective points of view. However, you made the decision with Top Choice to tell the story only from Ali’s point of view. What was behind you making that decision? Was that how you planned to tell the story from the beginning? 

I definitely considered writing from both Ali and Tag’s perspectives. But I was worried that interspersing Tag’s point of view might act as a sort of “flashlight” shining a beam on all of Ali’s flawed beliefs and actions (during the first part of the book at least), to a point where it would become difficult for the reader to root for her as the ultimate hero of the story. So, my hope was that by seeing the world only through her eyes, we would get a better understanding of why Ali is the way she is – and would therefore be more likely to cheer her on and want to see her change and grow throughout the story… and eventually come out on top.

In my review, I also mention how a small part of me feels a sense of triumph, like, “Now the men in Top Choice finally have to pay for their thousands of years of oppression of women. Haha!” Is there any part of you that felt like that while writing this book? 

Ha! Great question! Hmm… no, I don’t think I ever did. Having so many incredible men in my life – and having raised two boys (in addition to my daughter), I am firmly rooted in the belief that the male gender is not innately oppressive or barbaric or power-hungry. They are rough and clueless and competitive at times, for sure – but at their core, I believe men have an innate desire to be loved and to please. If they grow up to become aggressive and entitled, then that is not a result of their genetic makeup, but rather because of a species-wide aversion to challenging the status quo (in this case: gender roles and norms).

In fact, I think there is a false assumption out there that the expectation and pressure on girls to be weak and chaste and selfless is somehow more damaging than the pressure placed on boys to be fearless and perpetually confident – to be “protectors” immune to physical and emotional weakness. Men actually have up to 80% higher suicide rates than women – so clearly there is an emotional toll that comes from male gender-role pressures, as well. And the percentages are even higher when we look at deaths in the workplace. Dangerous and more life-threatening jobs are still filled mainly by men. So despite how it appears on the surface, if we dig deeper, I think we’ll find that women are not the only ones suffering under our society’s skewed gender regime.

What are your thoughts on the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and the new wave of hyper political correctness that seems to have taken hold?

I think it is fantastic and mind-blowing to see the wave of change and credibility and justice that the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements are creating. And I believe we’re going to see permanent and concrete changes as a result of this – which is so, so powerful. We are lucky to be alive at a time when this is happening.

Obviously, there is also the potential for people to abuse the type of influence that comes with any movement with this kind of powerful momentum – from politicians using it as an easy way to falsely de-base opponents to clothing companies cashing in on the marketing potential of the movements’ tag-lines. But I’d like to think that this will balance out over the next few years, once more positive changes come about and gender equality becomes the norm – as opposed to a massive wave that some people are unfortunately just trying to ride for commercial or political gain. Better for there to be a movement that opportunists can abuse than for there to be no movement at all.

My other hope is that this next generation of young women will have the maturity to continue fighting for true equality and not simply for ‘their turn” at being in power. I already see a tendency for some women to use the momentum of the #MeToo movement as a catalyst towards bitterness and power – which is a scary thing.

Do you think that a society like the one in Top Choice could ever really happen? 

Yes. Absolutely. Not in all the same ways, obviously, but certainly I could see the tables turning at some point. I think it is human instinct to want to exact revenge any time we have been wronged or oppressed. In fact, it takes exceptional strength not to come back from oppression fueled with anger and the desire to hold some sort of power over our oppressors. Nelson Mandela had that kind of strength, for example. He had resolve and was an amazing leader. That is a rare, incredibly admirable combination of traits – the kinds of traits we should be instilling in our daughters, actually. Not this constant push towards asserting power; to “take” instead of “give” and to be entitled simply because they are girls in the twenty-first century. If we raise our children – regardless of gender – to be driven and confident, but also empathetic, open-minded, and un-entitled, then we might actually have a shot at true equality.

Conversely, do you think that we will ever achieve a truly equal society? 

I want to be optimistic and respond with a resounding “YES!!!” But I’m not sure that that would be an honest answer. Just the other day, I saw a Facebook post with a photo of a beautiful young girl with bright streaks painted on her cheeks and the caption “Raise your daughter to be a warrior!” And this is just one example of the widespread misunderstanding out there today of what equality means – that it means instilling in our daughters all the same traits we instilled for years in our sons. As if it is the fact that women were not raised to have these traits that is the issue – not the fact that these traits were abhorrent to begin with. In any gender.

Also, we humans have a consistent tendency towards discrimination – whether it’s based on gender or race or religion or whatever. I don’t see that basic flaw changing any time soon. Especially since I think discrimination is a flaw that stems from fear… which is one of the most powerful human emotions. The fear of being viewed as “less than” or “weaker than” someone else, for example, is a trait we’ve been instilling in boys for centuries and is the root cause of so many instances of male chauvinism and aggression. That’s something we all need to take responsibility for if we want to instill even the desire for equality in both genders.

What does the world outside of Ali’s country look like? Have other nations within your novel shifted to more matriarchal structures, as well?

Funnily enough, the world that I created in Top Choice did not stem from some idea of an evolution of our current society and the resulting future world, but rather from a re-imagination of our past society – in say, the late 1800s or early 1900s. Therefore, there was no real backstory in my mind as to how the world came to be the way it is or how other nations might have similarly evolved. And I made a conscious decision not to get into too much large-scale world building or backstory since this might have altered that original concept (and also lead me down distracting idea tunnels that would cause me to take even longer to finish the book!).

However, now that I’ve started fleshing out more details for a sequel, I have been forced to do a little more brainstorming about these bigger picture questions, and have decided that while many other nations would have also shifted towards matriarchal regimes, a few would not… and would in fact be strongly resisting by swinging the pendulum back to the even more male chauvinist days of the past. This scenario creates the best potential for conflict for the storyline, I think. And I’m all about conflict in YA!!!

What are you working on now and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? 

Since publishing Top Choice, I’ve received a surprising number of requests from readers asking about a sequel – which is awesome! I’m actually working on another book right now called The Player, but since I already have a pretty sturdy outline already drafted for a Top Choice sequel, I will probably turn back to that as soon as I publish The Player. 

The Player is a YA dystopian about a future world where creativity has become a commodity. Kids who show creative potential early in life are sent to The Creative Institute, where they are essentially left to run wild in an environment most likely to encourage pure, unfiltered creativity – and result in outlandish and awe-inspiring masterpieces that can then be sold for millions of dollars.

The story is about a teen girl who wanted desperately to go to the Institute but never made it in, and a boy who was raised within its walls from an early age – but has recently been banished as a “Fallen Artist” for not living up to his full potential. She is cynical, cautious, and intent on keeping to herself. He is reckless, playful, and not afraid to stand out. But, she soon realizes, he is also very damaged. And when she stumbles across the world he’s been living in since his banishment from the Institute, her initial wonder turns to concern… because there is so much darkness lurking behind his world’s colorful façade, and there are no straight lines anywhere – especially between imagination and deceit, and freedom and corruption. So when he becomes the main suspect in a gruesome murder, she is not sure what is crazier: the inner workings of this boy’s mind, the fact that she believes he is innocent, or the notion that she may be falling in love with him.

I’m hoping to publish The Player sometime in the fall and a sequel for Top Choice sometime later in 2019. So keep your eyes peeled! Better yet, sign up for my newsletter at sophiemcaloon@yahoo.com to receive updates about specific release dates and promos!

What question do you wish that I had asked you, and how would you answer it?

I loved all your questions! They were so thought-provoking, in fact, that I’m worried I may have rambled on too long at points or come across as overly philosophical. Please know that I wrote Top Choice mainly as a fun, easy read and do not presume to have the intellect or skill level required to impart any sort of real deep commentary on gender or society. I’m just happy that the book seems to be sparking conversations – since that’s one of the most important steps towards change, I think: healthy debate, the sharing of different perspectives, and open dialogue. So thank you for providing an outlet for just that sort of thing!

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About the author:

Sophie McAloon was born and raised in small rural towns across the East Coast of Canada, and now lives in historic Saint John, NB (quite possibly the friendliest, most awesome city in Canada) with her husband, three amazing kids, and Waldo the dog. She has explored Antarctica and Africa and a bunch of places in between, moved more times than she can count on both hands, and worked at a handful of jobs – many of which she hated, but none of which she regrets. She has always loved to write, and she is grateful that she gets to fill so much of her free time now playing on paper (okay – so it’s a laptop, but paper sounds so much more poetic). She is an introvert by nature, so what better way to experience the thrill of being the boldest guest at the party or the toughest leader during a wild revolt – without even having to raise her voice! Visit her website, and follow her on Goodreads, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram! Sign up for her newsletter here!

Have you had a chance to read Top Choice? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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