Carolina Brown, Hero of “The Opposite of Living” by Genevieve Mckay

Who are you?

It’s a good thing you’re asking me this question now instead of last year because back then I probably would have bitten you for prying into my business. Honestly, I wasn’t very nice back then. But you can’t be too hard on me; I was stuck at the Institution, I had no idea who I was or where I’d come from and I was all alone. I didn’t belong to anyone at all and I was always afraid.

Now, I know I’m Carolina Brown and I belong to Aunt Sandra and Uncle Pete and Louisa. I have a whole house full of people (sort of) and animals who love me. Best of all I’m going to be a real chef when I grow up, just like my idol Gordon Ramsay. That is, I will be if I can get over my fear of going outside, and strangers, and speaking and …. Okay, I guess I have a long way to go.

How do your enemies see you?

That stupid boy from next door, the one who was spying on us, called me a freak. I guess he’s the closest thing I have to an enemy right now. The workers back at the Institution thought I was a spoiled brat. Some of them, mostly the ones I’d bitten, even said I was dangerous and needed to be locked up forever. And way before that, when I was young, my worst enemy the Horse Trader saw me only as his victim. Boy, was he was wrong about that.

What is your most closely guarded secret?

Well, it’s not just my secret; it belongs to my whole family. We have to work together to keep Henry, Petra and others like them safe. Not everyone appreciates them as much as we do and without protection they might be attacked or kidnapped and experimented on. We have to shelter them until my Uncle can find a cure.

Do you get along with your parents?

My parents are dead and I don’t want to talk about them. I get along really well with my Aunt and Uncle though. They are the nicest, kindest, smartest people I know.

Do you have any heroes?

Gordon Ramsay is my number one, absolute favourite hero. He is an amazing chef and I want nothing more than to be just like him when I grow up! Did I mention that he is amazing?

Do you have any special strengths?

Well, I’m a really great chef. I’m smart and brave and I have excellent self-defence skills and I’m not afraid of the dark. I used to be very good at biting and attacking but I don’t really need to guard myself so much anymore. Oh, and I am also excellent at solving mysteries.

Have you ever failed anyone?

Hmmm, that’s a hard question. Sometimes I feel like I failed my dad by not protecting him from himself, and from all the people who were trying to hurt him. The Head Interrogator says that I shouldn’t think like that. He says kids are not responsible for their parents’ actions and that there was nothing I could have done. I know he’s right but part of me still feels guilty that I lived when my dad didn’t.

What are the last three books you read?

That’s easy. Mrs. Smith and Henry have been shoving all sorts of reading material at me ever since they took over my education so I’m always up to my eyeballs in weird books. Right now I’m reading the biography of Emily Dickenson (She was this weird poet that Mrs. Smith is obsessed with). Henry has me reading Watership Down which is a book about talking rabbits (I know it sounds silly but it’s really very good). I’m also reading a book called Nibs, which is on the history of the cocoa bean. I find it fascinating.

Do you keep your promises?

Always. I don’t make promises now unless I’m sure I can keep them. I like honest, straight forward people who say exactly what they mean. I don’t understand when humans lie to be polite. This past year I’ve been learning how to be truthful without hurting other people’s feelings. It’s not as easy as it looks!

What do you want to be?

I’m going to be a world class chef. Guaranteed.

What is your favourite scent?

Definitely sweet spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom. They make me feel warm and protected and loved. When I’m cooking with those spices it’s like there’s a sort of nice, invisible grandma in the room, looking over my shoulder and smiling down at me.

How do you envision your future?

I didn’t used to see myself as growing up at all. I was sure I would die before I even turned fourteen and my dream of being a chef was just that, a dream. But now that I have a family to call to my own I actually feel like I’m going to live a long, long time. I’m going to stay at the house and finish my schooling and then I’m going to go to chef school and become a famous chef. After that? Who knows!

Where can we read more about you and your adventures?

You can read all about me in my first novel, The Opposite of Living. Then stay tuned for the next two books in the series. Coming soon!

You can read about me here on Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00PXIKBMG

Or visit my Author, Genevieve, here:

http://authorgenevievemckay.blogspot.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/authorgenevievemckay
https://twitter.com/Geners_Mckay