If the name R.O.
The tome has taken over bookshelves, both physical and digital, for practically the entire summer.
But no one quite knows how to describe it.
Smeeta Mahanti; Penguin
Kwonhad in mind, right down to that eye-catching title.
I wanted a title that had multiple interpretations, she explains to EW.
It can be excitement, but it also has to do with inciting others toward action.
Does she see it as a campus novel?
No, but it makes sense because a lot of it takes place on a college campus.
Is it a mystery?
So many love stories are mysteries too, right?
Love is so strange in and of itself.
Is it historical fiction?
Definitely not: For awhile, I was reading everything about cults that I could get my hands on.
And then after that, I tried to forget everything Id learned.
Well, thats complicated.
The rest is up to the beholder.
Whether its because theyve left, or theyre not sure how they feel.
Read on to find out Kwons answers to EWs burning author questions.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What is the first thing ever that you remember writing?R.O.
Theres something about seeing the power that words can have that really stuck with me.
What is the last book that made you cry?Rebecca Makkais bookThe Great Believersdefinitely made me cry.
The end was a lot, man.
What is your favorite part ofThe Incendiaries?The parts in which Will is grappling with faith.
It doesnt come out until January but I loved her last book,Fever Dream.
Where do you write?I just wrote at home [forIncendiaries].
And when I write at home Im in the dining room and I face a blank wall.
Its just me and an off-white wall.
I think I switch up my snacks, to be honest, but I do down coffee.
