Louise O'Neill

No, I didn't hate Erin at all.

Absolutely.

Totally a product of, as you said, of her own upbringing and of a different time as well.

But it was Chelsea goes from her mother then to the director, who was a very sort of central character in her story as well.

And then, you know, in the present timeline, she's married to this tech billionaire.

And the way in which I think he attempts to control her life as well is very reminiscent of the way in which she's been raised.

I did, yeah, because obviously, I mean, it's, you know, it's set in America.

These are American characters and it's very much sort of in the centre of Hollywood, which is not a world that I am very familiar with.

But, you know, a friend of mine is an actor in L.A.

and one of her best friends was a former Disney child star.

So, you know, I met with her in New York and then she read the book in sort of an early draft and gave incredible notes, like really, really helpful.

Because I think it was she really helped me to sort of drill down into the character of Chelsea and I suppose what it feels like to grow up to...

be attempting to form your own identity in the eyes of the world whilst the world really wants you to remain a child.

And if not a child, they want you to remain exactly the same as the character that they loved.

And that kind of push-pull dynamic, which I think it's not easy being a young person.

It's not easy trying to figure out who you are, what you want, forming your identity in that way.

And I think to do that in this sort of white-hot glare way

you know, with millions of eyes on you is so difficult.

And so it was really helpful, I think, having her perspective on that.

Exactly.