FROM FRIGHTS TO FLAWS by Sunayna Prasad ***Character Interview***

Title: From Frights to Flaws 

Author: Sunayna Prasad 

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy 

Originally published in 2013, the book has been updated to its full potential with edits, while keeping the storyline the same. Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy longs for a better life. She lost her parents at age seven and her aunt at nine. Her uncle also enforces unfair rules. But Alyssa discovers something she has never thought existed before… magic. A wicked sorcerer hunts her down. He kidnaps her from her ordinary New Jersey town to Yanowic, an enchanted island in Fiji. Alyssa is trapped in the country due to a giant shield covering it. She must defeat dangerous creatures and the evil wizard in order to leave. But with sorcerers and enchanted technology getting in her way, can Alyssa succeed?

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Character Interview with Alyssa from Fights to Flaws

How did you cope with grief after losing your parents when you were seven?
At my new school then, my teacher would have me meet with the school psychologist or social worker where they would talk to me and give me stress-relieving exercises, such as squeezing a stress ball. It helped a bit. I cried in school at least a few times a week, especially if I wasn’t occupied with something. A few weeks later, I stopped crying over my parents’ deaths.


How did you feel when your aunt and uncle were granted legal custody over you?
I was disappointed because my godfather, Alex, was supposed to be my legal guardian, according to my parents’ will. The state decided for a few reasons that my aunt and uncle had to be my guardians instead. I had a bit of an emotional goodbye to Alex when he had to move away from New Jersey for a new job. He said to stay with my aunt and uncle, but that he’d promise to come back and visit every now and then.


Have you had any moments with your godfather since your parents’ deaths?
Alex did rush into my first holy communion ten minutes late. We would meet at Christmas and other occasions. He also attended my parents’ funeral as well as my aunt’s. However, ever since my aunt died, my uncle wouldn’t let me contact him. It’s been three years!


Did school go well for you until your uncle homeschooled you?
Yes, even though I didn’t make any friends until 3rd grade. Kids were mean to me when I cried over my parents’ deaths. They would complain or call me names, such as a baby. In the middle of February, however, my 2nd grade teacher yelled at the whole class for their treatment to me when I cried. She had them all apologize, lose recess that day, and she also made phone calls to all the parents. In 4th grade, when my aunt died, a few kids did make fun of me when I cried. But a few other kids who were in my 2ndgrade class defended me. However, they only did it because they didn’t want to lose recess again.

Other than that, I did make a bunch of good friends. Unlike other children, I enjoyed school after my uncle changed. I found it away to escape to strict rules at home and have fun without having to earn it, which is not easy.

You were told at a young age that magic didn’t exist. Have you ever been to any magic shows?
Yes, a few. But that was when I still believed in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. I went with my parents before they died.

Thanks for joining us today Alyssa. Best of luck in all your adventures.

Author Bio

Sunayna Prasad has published a few books between her late teens and her mid-twenties. She has won a Pacific Book Review Award for her novel, Wizardy Goes Wild, which will return as a new edition, like From Frights to Flaws. Sunayna also has a blog on different creative and entertaining topics, including writing and fiction. It is called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”. Aside from writing, Sunayna also likes to cook, do art, and watch videos online. She has graduated from college in May 2017 and is looking to continue more writing as well as hold a graphic design job soon. Sunayna lives on Long Island, NY.