Lauren Myracle's 'Internet Girls' series gets revamped for a new age
Lauren Myracle鈥檚 bestselling 鈥淚nternet Girls鈥� series, which consists of the communications of three girls via Instant Messenger, can still appeal to young adult readers through the issues that the three protagonists are facing.
It鈥檚 just the technology that鈥檚 changed since the first novel, 鈥渢tyl,鈥� was released 10 years ago.
So for the anniversary of 鈥渢tyl,鈥� Myracle has rewritten the three novels of the series, updating the books for 2014. Protagonists Zoe, Maddie, and Angela no longer chat through IM; now they鈥檙e texting. Myracle has also updated various pop culture references that are no longer contemporary.
She told that at first, she only set out to change names of movies, music, and teen expressions.
聽鈥淏ut very early on I texted [publisher Amulet senior vice-president] Susan [Van Metre] 鈥� yes, we do communicate by text! 鈥� saying that I realized I had to rewrite these novels altogether,鈥� Myracle said.
Now characters can talk to each other via text message while events are happening, said Myracle, versus rehashing what happened once they鈥檝e gotten home and logged on to Instant Messenger. Myracle and Van Metre both told PW that Van Metre鈥檚 assistant Erica Finkel, who鈥檚 in her 20s, was invaluable in making sure the books were current with her generation鈥檚 lifestyle.聽
The reissuing of the three books 鈥� 鈥渢tyl,鈥� 鈥渢tfn鈥� and 鈥渓8r, g8r鈥� 鈥� comes before the release of this fall鈥檚 鈥測olo,鈥� Myracle鈥檚 newest novel in the series which catches up with the three characters at college.
The Internet Girls series often ends up on the 鈥檚 list of the most banned books of the year. Myracle said that 鈥測olo鈥� will include the girls partaking in such experiences as drinking and going to fraternity parties聽
鈥淚 don鈥檛 set out to shock, and I am lucky to have such a brilliant, liberating editor who tells me not to worry about people鈥檚 reactions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to do fake college 鈥� that would be stupid.鈥�
But she said she enjoys how strong the friendship between the three girls is in 鈥測olo鈥� despite now being separated by distance.
鈥淭hough the modes of communication have changed, the fabric of these girls鈥� friendship hasn鈥檛 changed a bit,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 found that reaffirming. I love these characters, and it was super fun to hang out with them again.鈥�
The new versions of the first three 鈥淚nternet Girls鈥� books will be released Feb. 18.
