Author Interview: Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky
Who else watched the Fyre Fest documentary on Hulu? Ready to dive right into a similar world? Meet Lord of the Fly Fest. We chatted with Goldy Moldavsky to get to know MC Rafi and the world of Fly Fest!
Lord of the Fly Fest releases on August 30th – be sure to check out the preorder campaign, which we embedded below!
Lord of the Fly Fest
by Goldy MoldavskyPublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
on August 30, 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 320
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One of Us Is Lying meets Lord of the Flies meets Fyre Fest in this wickedly addictive and funny YA thriller.
Rafi Francisco needs something really special to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the hearthrob musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. Rafi lands herself a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River will be the headliner.
But when Rafi arrives on the Caribbean island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers and (very minor) celebrities, they quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. And it’s not just confronting beauty gurus-gone-wild and spotty WiFi. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that he might be hiding even darker secrets than she suspected . . .
Interview with Goldy Moldavsky
Talk to us about Rafi. What real life influencers would she be friends with? What motivates her?
Rafi is so lost in the world of influencers. She recognizes a few of the big ones because they’re inescapable, but she wouldn’t be friends with any of them. Mostly because she doesn’t understand them, but that goes both ways.
If the MCs from your other books landed in the world of Fly Fest, how would they react?
I love this question. Funnily enough I think my main characters would act in similar ways. The main character from KILL THE BOY BAND would be obsessed with one or two of the influencers but keep her distance, always watching from the shadows, in awe. Gregor from NO GOOD DEED would be properly flummoxed by the attention these influencers get. And Rachel from THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB would be bemused by them all. I think she and Rafi would be friends.
What do you hope people take away after reading Lord of the Fly Fest? What will fans of your other books find in this story?
There’s a little bit of everything from my other books in LORD OF THE FLY FEST. It’s a thriller, like THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB, but it’s also very much a comedy in the same slapstick, satirical way that NO GOOD DEED was. And like KILL THE BOY BAND, there’s a madcap vibe about it. Like that book, this story takes place over a short period of time in an isolated place. I hope readers take a few things away from it, mostly that when everything around them feels out of control they are not alone in feeling that way. And also that though the people on the internet may seem flawless and fabulous they’re just fallible humans like the rest of us!
