Page Powars’ Latest Trans Romance
By Ally Hendricks
Edited by Sherriece Hughes
Is it gay to kiss your sworn enemy??? That’s the question Page Powars’ latest trans romance, But I Hate Him, poses on the front cover. (Spoiler alert: yes it is.)
About the Book
Rory Prince is the face of Prince List, his parent’s famous tutoring company. As a family they’ve been working towards The Plan, the one that will make sure Rory’s academic career soars and he gets into Harvard. Every decision, every “choice” is one that gets him closer to The Plan. But for the last couple of years, the supposed smartest teenager in America has been thwarted time and time again by Luca Mendelez, the beautiful hockey jock and Rory’s sworn rival.
After being defeated by Luca once more, Rory’s anger causes a public spectacle and costs him an important step towards The Plan. His parents swoop in with damage control and send him to the most cutthroat academic camp in the country, BRAIN. In order to save his reputation and save The Plan, Rory will need to excel.
But when he gets there, Rory encounters a familiar face. Luca Mendelez is also at BRAIN, and Rory knows he has to do something to make sure this time he lands on top. So he hatches the perfect plan: make his sworn enemy fall in love with him, break his heart right before the final competition, make his parents proud, and carry out The Plan.
Interview with the Author
Ally: What was the biggest inspiration behind Luca and Rory’s story and the setting of an academic summer camp?
Page: The first plot element that was decided about this book was a protagonist trying to break the love interest’s heart, and then I built from there. I needed the right kind of concoction that would “justify” a main character trying to do this to somebody, and I figured being a transgender celebrity with an absolutely demolished image would probably break a person enough. Maybe.
Ally: In a time where romance is such a saturated genre and young adult book deals are starting to decline, how do you find balance between reader expectations, publisher expectations, and what you want to write?
Page: Thankfully, I never feel like my certain area is saturated. Probably because I talk a bit strangely and my characters are strange, too. They’re more like cartoons on a shelf, and I feel like that isn’t too common. My publisher categorizes me as romance and YA and although I partially view it the same way, I also don’t at all. I feel like I’m just sort of . . . Page.
Ally: I am a huge lover of chapter titles, and But I Hate Him did not disappoint in that area. My personal favorites are:
“IN WHICH MY ENEMY’S ARMS ARE ALWAYS BIGGER THAN I EXPECT, WHICH I GUESS MAKES SENSE BECAUSE HE’S A HOCKEY PLAYER, BUT JESUS CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK”
and
“IN WHICH I LIE ABOUT KNOWING HOW TO CANOE AND NOW I LOOK LIKE A CRAB RANGOON DRENCHED IN ORANGE SAUCE.”
What is your process for coming up with these hilarious, witty, yet accurate chapter titles?
Page: I try to put as little effort into them as possible. That sounds irresponsible, but I promise, I tried to think my chapter titles through way more at first. But when I tested those out on friends, they laughed incredibly less than ones I’d craft on the fly. There’s something about the ridiculousness of how we say sentences without thinking too much that can sometimes be used to your advantage as a writer, in my opinion.
Ally: What specifically about But I Hate Him are you hoping resonates with its YA audience?
Page: Whatever they want! Readers know my stories way better than I do, and what they take from it is none of my business. I say this as someone who has been deeply brainrotted in fandoms my whole life, and it comes from a deep place of respect to them.
Ally: The dedication for the ARC references Hazbin Hotel, and you’ve gotten a voice actor from Honkai: Star Rail to narrate the audiobook of But I Hate Him. What other media have you been obsessed with lately?
Page: The dedication has actually changed to something more on-theme for Joshua Waters' audiobook involvement and is also about Honkai: Star Rail now! I’ve been obsessed with Deltarune, but that’s about it lately. Having a book coming out means there is not much that can be held up here right now without throwing up.
Ally: One of my favorite parts of the book is the dialogue—the banter between Luca and Rory, the “fake” flirting, and the serious moments that create balance. I feel that in any romance story the dialogue between the two love interests can make or break the believability of the romantic connection. How do you make sure the dialogue you write accurately portrays each character and furthers their relationship?
Page: I write dialogue like a script first, without descriptions or anything in between. I think it helps me picture the conversation happening in real time much easier.
Ally: On social media you’ve stated that readers do not need to enjoy hockey to love the book (which I totally agree with since I know absolutely nothing about the sport and read the book in one sitting). Did you have to do any research about hockey or physics to write But I Hate Him? If so, what was your research process like?
Page: Yes. Lots and lots of research on hockey physics. Lots of math. Lots of papers. I would not recommend. No one could fact check me either because no one was smart enough, so if there are mistakes: good. It’s your problem now.
Ally: Throughout the story, Rory struggles to figure out what he is passionate about versus what his parents have told him to do. Do you have any advice for anyone who might also be struggling to figure out what their passions are?
Page: During senior year of music school, when I told my professor I felt bad that I wanted to be an author instead of a composer, he told me his only goal as a teacher was to ensure all his students came in wanting to do one thing and leave wanting to do another. Although I think he meant a different instrument and not necessarily becoming AN AUTHOR, I like the sentiment. College made me an artist all around; not just one type of artist.
Ally: Your next book, Reins and Restraint, is an adult cowboy romance. What has been the biggest difference between writing for YA versus an adult audience?
Page: I’m getting this question frequently, and I’m sorry to disappoint each time by saying: not much at all! If you like my YA, you will like my Adult. It’s still very silly. Just a bit more inappropriate sometimes.
Ally: What’s been bringing you queer joy lately?
Page: NEW YORK CITY! MAYOR MAMDANI! ICED SESAME LATTES WITH OAT MILK! And, obligator-ily, my next book, But I Hate Him, which came out August 25 in the U.S. and everywhere else one week later. I hope you like it!
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