Inside the Editing of Lindsey Lee Johnson’s THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH
This week’s Igloo Book Buzz title, Lindsey Lee Johnson’s captivating debut novel, THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH, was edited by Random House Executive Editor Noah Eaker, who commented, “What was so striking the first time I read Lindsey’s novel was how she had brought such a layered and adult point of view into the world of adolescence. Her characters were complex, often flawed, but always sympathetic – I felt like I internalized each of their dilemmas, which is the feeling I crave as a reader from any great book.”
Lindsey Lee Johnson. Photo by Matt Sayles
Lindsey Lee Johnson: “From the start, my experience working with Noah Eaker and Susan Kamil was magical. The novel has a layered plot with multiple points of view; during the editing process, we worked to knot these POVs and plot lines more tightly together in order to create a reading experience that is propulsive and engrossing. I’m so grateful to have had the guidance of these brilliant editors.”
A Spring 2017 Barnes & Noble Discover Pick and a January ABA “Indie Next” Pick, THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON EARTH has elicited high praise:
“In sharp and assured prose, roving between characters, Lindsey Lee Johnson plumbs the terrifying depths of a half-dozen ultra-privileged California high school kids. I read it in two chilling gulps. It’s a phenomenal first book, a compassionate Less Than Zero for the digital age.” —Anthony Doerr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Light We Cannot See
“In her stunning debut, Johnson…explores the fallout among a group of teens—an alpha girl turned stoner, a striving B student, an Ivy League wannabe—who prove, in the end, less entitled than simply empty and searching. An eye-opener.” —People “Book of the Week”
“The characters in Lindsey Lee Johnson’s novel affected me in a way I can’t remember feeling since I binge-watched all five seasons of Friday Night Lights…you’ll walk away feeling like you could revisit hallway drama armed with bulletproof perspective.” —Glamour