Five Steps Away

A/N

Hey guys, here is FINALLY the chapter I promised on inside info and hidden meanings in the book, cause there's a lot of them.

Ok, so first and foremost, I would like to thank all of you so much for reading this book, and I truly hope you enjoyed it. I appreciate every single one of you, and I am so thankful for you guys taking a chance on this book, so on to the inside stuff!

✨Hidden Meanings✨

1.  NAME CHOICE

Some of the characters' names have hidden meanings, as to who they are/to aid in the message of the book. For example, Cire Rendrag's (Alya's ex) name spells Eric Gardner when it's read backwards (if you don't know who Eric Gardner is, he is a victim of police brutality). This is to show how Cire is quite literally the opposite of oppressed. He's a white, cis, straight man. And that doesn't mean that he doesn't have his own problems or struggles, just that he's privileged. There's a couple other name easter eggs here and there if you really look out for them!

2. SHAVED HAIR

The shaved hair part was mainly because I think hair holds so much of people's confidence. A lot of times I feel like we almost hide behind it, and shaving it off, though impulsive, would be a decision that Alya would make that forces her to see herself for who she is, without hiding behind anything.

3. SA SCENE

I added this in almost as a warning. Toxic relationships can get so bad. They're almost romanticized now (which is just... crazy to me). But the point of all of this, is to show one of the worst case scenarios of what can come out of a toxic relationship. This is not me saying that if you used to date someone that was toxic or abusive, no matter if you break up, they'll always come and bite you in the ass later. This is me saying that toxic relationships can be some of the darkest little holes you can find yourself in, and that of course, you should avoid getting into one from the start, but if you're in one, that you can leave, and you will be ok. Remember that at the end of the book, Alya was with Elijah, and he was there for her, making sure that she was ok. He showed her that he cared. And like I said before, that's all we really need—for someone to show that they care. (we also need therapy. lots and lots of therapy). She will be ok, therefore you will be ok leaving a toxic relationship.

4. ALYANNA AND CIRE

I will only talk about one aspect of their relationship, and that is fear. A lot of the times, Alya would flinch whenever he would touch her or raise his voice. She felt unsafe. And though she tried to push it away, her body was telling her something was up. Alya was scared of him from the jump. If you push past the almost artificial cliché lovey-dovey crap, you'll see her fear for him. Fear of being hurt, fear of being rejected, etc. 

There's a couple of other hidden stuff in this book, but I don't wanna reveal all of them, I'd rather just let them be.

✨Q & A✨

Some questions answeredddd

Q: Is this book based on real events/your personal life?
A: Not really. Nothing like this has ever happened to me, but I did grow up knowing a lot of people who have gone through/are going through abusive, toxic relationships. I also did a bit of research on it before writing!

Q: Is this book set in the same place as your other book?
A: For those of you who don't know, my other book is a thriller/kidnapping book called "Ceiling Fan" and yes! These books are both set in the same high school (different years). It's kind of what I'm going for—all of my books to be set in the same high school, despite the very different genres and time zones. Almost like a series with stand alone books.

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to PM me or comment them!

I would like to thank you all again for reading my book, it makes me so happy that someone out there is enjoying my work. You guys are amazing. Have a great day or night wherever you are!

And toodles lovelies 😘 💖

XOXO, Fille Aux Fraises