If you had asked my twelve-year-old self what sort of books she was going to write when she grew up and sold her first novel, she probably would have said “epic high fantasy with drama and complex worldbuilding and tough girl warriors.” Because that’s the kind of book I was busily scribbling into spiral-bound notebooks, huddled in bed, early in the morning before school.

If you had told tween Deva she was going to write books that made people laugh, she would have said “Who, me? I’m not funny.” And she wouldn’t have minded, because she didn’t really understand the value of humor.

And I still don’t think of myself as someone who is particularly good at writing humor. Humor is hard, especially striking that balance between slapstick caricature and honest emotion.

But I’ve definitely developed an appreciation for it. My absolute favorite books and television shows are a mix of the light and the dark, laughter and tears. Doctor Who makes me giggle as much as it makes my heart ache. I love Roo (from E. Lockhart’s The Boyfriend List) because her adventures are hilarious and heartbreaking. And it’s what I aim for now, in my own stories. To make readers feel joy, and hilarity, and pain, and love. Because that’s what life is.

So when I do hear that my books made someone laugh or cry, or think, it’s some of the best praise I could hope for. Which is why the first official “industry” review of THE MAGICAL MISADVENTURES OF PRUNELLA BOGTHISTLE, from Kirkus, makes me especially happy. Here’s the non-plot-synopsisy portion:

Spunky characters and surprising plot twists will keep readers laughing and turning pages. Fagan also sneaks in a powerful you-can’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover lesson, as nothing here is what it seems. But even more important than that is the lesson she offers in finding and valuing one’s own identity, even when it confounds the expectations of well-meaning family and friends.

Thank you, Kirkus!