The Oarsman

Author Allen Zadoff releases new book trilogy

Monday, June 18, 2012 By Gaby Grijalva

Award-winning author Allen Zadoff didn't actively pursue a career as a writer until he was 28, and according to him, he thought he started late. However, that didn't stop him from getting a movie deal for "Boy Nobody" with Sony Pictures and Overbrook, Will Smith's company. "It's exciting and a little surreal," said Zadoff in an e-mail to The Oarsman about the movie deal. "Of course there's a big difference between having a deal and getting a movie made, but I'm grateful for the attention it's bringing to the project." "Boy Nobody" is a trilogy coming out in June 2013. The books are about a teen trained as an assassin who is in total control of his emotions, who can fit into any situation. He enrolls into a new high school and becomes best friends with someone, then assassinates their parents who are probably involved in some kind of treason against the U.S., wrote Zadoff. However he can't make real friends, he can't love anyone and it's tough to be a soldier and a sixteen-year-old at the same time. His next book "Since You Left Me" is coming out on August 28. "The idea behind the book is, how do you find out what you believe in a world where everyone is telling you what to believe?" wrote Zadoff. The story is about a kid trapped in a Jewish school in Brentwood whose yoga teacher Mom falls in love with a visiting guru. "It's an exciting time for me, because it's a big change. My three novels before this have been funny, honest, and a little heartbreaking, but 'Boy Nobody' is a thriller," wrote Zadoff. "I've been exploring my light side and now I'm going to explore my dark side, and I hope readers will make that journey with me." "Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have" is a book that many young adults can relate to. He also wrote, "My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies." He thinks people can relate to the idea that they all have different sides that come out at different times. He wants people to read all his novels, just like he wants the people he cares about to really know him, not just one side of him.