Kennesaw State student publishes debut novel

ALPHARETTA, Ga. - At 19, Alexandra Gavranovic published her debut novel, the dystopian "Deception is Our Remedy."

The novel, released earlier this year, follows 17-year-old Callista as she navigates a post-climate crisis world, "stripped of all its color." Its title is an ironic one, named after the lies fed to Cal, supposedly meant to protect her.

Gavranovic, an Alpharetta resident and sophomore at Kennesaw State University, said she is intrigued by the dystopian genre because of its well-balanced blend of sci-fi and fantasy, but also because it often contains a layer of realism.

The protagonist is loosely built on Gavranovic's own personality, identifying with her curiosity, intrigue and determination to question things around her, though there is some of her in each of the main characters.

She began writing the book four years ago, inspired by album art of a favorite EDM artist at the time, and submitted an excerpt to the state's Scholastic Art and Writing Competition.

"My first copy of the book I wrote in four months," Gavranovic said. "It had lots of problems, and so I didn't win the competition. But, then I was inspired to keep growing it."

Gavranovic sought assistance from an editor to help develop the story, and she set aside up to 50 minutes every day to write - more during the summers. She resubmitted the book in its final stages to the same competition, and it won second place.

Landing at nearly 450 pages, the story had more than doubled in scope and size.

Gavranovic said it took her a while to fully realize she had published a book and to feel excited about it, carrying the tendency to dismiss her accomplishments. But now, after a few months, with the book continuing to build positive reviews, she said the feat has sunk in a bit more and that her confidence has grown.

She's not sure whether there will be a sequel to "Deception is Our Remedy," but she is certain about forthcoming stories, the latest idea being one that she found while falling asleep.

Gavranovic said publishing her first novel proved to her that she could successfully start and finish a story, furthering her drive to continue writing and create more stories.

"I have also found appreciation for the journey as I learned so many new skills as a writer, and I feel like I have grown a lot over the process," Gavranovic said.

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