By Caitlin Taylor So
I was thrilled to ask Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, award-winning author of young adult thrillers and middle-grade fantasy, some questions about her most recent exhilarating thriller, The Trespassers out today!
Four childhood friends. One night they’ll never forget. It’s a snowy Valentine’s Day and Mya invites Finley, River, and Eli to her house party to reminisce and heal old wounds… until they encounter a stranger and suddenly, there are simply too many new wounds to count.
Don’t miss this heart-poundingly tense story about just how complicated and messy teenage friendships can be and my interview with Jennifer Lynn Alvarez below!
CAITLIN TAYLOR SO: As an author of middle grade fantasy and standalone young adult thrillers, how would you describe your process or approach in transitioning between these two seemingly disparate genres and audiences? What initially drew you to each genre or way of storytelling?
JENNIFER LYNN ALVAREZ: Storytelling principles are the same for each age group and each genre, so the transition was seamless for me, and I am deeply drawn to both genres. Fantasy because there are no limits, and I get to invent new worlds and magical creatures. Thrillers because I get to write cautionary tales, play detective, and explore darker material. I’m also in tune with my inner child and my inner teenager and love writing both age groups.
The switch from fantasy to thriller did require developing new storytelling skills. I learned how to create unreliable narrators, plot double twists, implant clues, and veil information from readers. They are as exciting to write as they are to read.
CTS: What is it about focusing on the underdogs and exploring powerful dynamics between people, especially teenagers, that presents such rich opportunities for stories and lessons for readers to learn from? How does this manifest in your most recent novel, The Trespassers?
JLA: You are speaking my language! I’m fascinated by underdogs (because I am one), and power dynamics between people and friend groups. I choose to write about teenagers because the stakes are so high. Their choices can make or destroy their futures. The teenagers in The Trespassers are eighteen or close to eighteen. They can be tried as adults. They are brilliant and passionate, but lack experience. They are children in adult bodies. I enjoy writing about teenagers who make criminal mistakes and must deal with the aftermath. The consequences are real, and I don’t make judgments. I leave that to the reader.
CTS: Where did inspiration for The Trespassers come from?
JLA: I wanted to explore what it means to be “Best Friends Forever,” and if it’s always healthy. The Trespassers is told from two POV’s—Finley and Mya—two girls who grew up in Alaska together. After Finley moves to Los Angeles for four years and then returns, she comes back changed. Anchorage and her old friend group no longer fit her like they used to. Her childhood friend Mya remains rooted in the past, loyal to a fault, and frustrated by the changes in Finley. When the friend group makes a criminal mistake, the girls’ differences collide in devastating ways.
CTS: How do you go about writing a particularly intense, action-packed scene where everything is happening all at once to multiple characters? Does a lot of planning go into that beforehand or do you often jump right into it?
JLA: I am a panster, so I usually jump right into it! Once I develop my characters, the setting, and the inciting incident, I turn the characters loose and record what they do next. I shape the plot as I go by raising the stakes and increasing the pressure. My goal is to crack my characters, to destroy them. Only then will they change and make new choices that may or may not lead to redemption. This writing style naturally leads to action-packed or emotional scenes. It’s also a total blast!
CTS: What are some of your favorite horror or thriller movies? Does watching these types of movies inform your writing at all and if so, how?
JLA: Some old favorites are Jaws and Fatal Attraction. I recently enjoyed The Girlfriend and We Were Liars, each of which premiered on Prime in 2025. It’s nice to get out of my head and watch a thriller on the screen. I enjoy hearing the dialogue out loud, versus reading it. It tunes my ear for writing. The plot lines and twists inspire new ideas. I’m also into true-crime documentaries. Learning how dark, gullible, and twisted real-life people can be encourages me to push the boundaries in my own stories.
CTS: What books would you recommend for avid readers, and what books would you recommend for reluctant readers?
JLA: I recommend literally everything for avid readers. Grab a high-stakes fantasy series like An Ember in the Ashes by Saaba Tahir or an epic tale like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. When it comes to reluctant readers—try a thriller! They are high-stakes and pacy, and the mystery elements will engage your mind. What keeps a reluctant reader reading is curiosity. A good thriller will engage your mind to the very last page. Two that I recently enjoyed are That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally and Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar.
CTS: What can readers expect from you next after The Trespassers?
JLA: I don’t have news to announce right now, but I am interested in writing thrillers for adult readers.
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Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is an award-winning author of two middle-grade fantasy series, The Guardian Herd and Riders of the Realm, and three young adult standalone thrillers, Lies Like Wildfire, Friends Like These, and The Trespassers. Her books have been published in eight countries and have received critical praise, awards, and international press for their themes on friendship, bullying, personal responsibility, and climate change.
Purchase The Trespassers here.
Born and raised in Queens, Caitlin Taylor So is a Chinese-Vietnamese writer who is passionate about prioritizing and amplifying marginalized voices. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in publishing and marketing. Her writing can be found on Business Insider, PopSugar, WebMD, Medscape, The New Absurdist, and Her Campus Media.