Character Interview with Reanna from The Depths of Atlantis

Welcome to Day 4 of our blog party celebrating the upcoming release of The Depths of Atlantis by Hannah Carter! Be sure to tune back in tomorrow for a surprise announcement…For today, I have the exciting opportunity to interview the main protagonist, the princess of Atlantis herself, Reanna!

*Reanna enters and joins the Unicorn Writer on stage*

The Unicorn Writer: Welcome, Reanna! I personally LOVE you and your story, and I’m so excited you are here to talk with me and readers today. I know we are all looking forward to learning more about you. To start, what are your favorite hobbies?

Reanna: Thank you so much for having me here, Kayla! I’m kind of amazed you think I’m worth interviewing, because I feel like I’m kind of… boring, I guess? But as far as hobbies go… I like swimming—kind of a given for a once-mermaid, right? I like watching Netflix and movies. I really like calling myself a cinephile, just because it sounds fancier than “I like to sit on the couch and binge watch stuff.” And I love spending time with my mom and sister, too. 

The Unicorn Writer: You have a lot of challenges in your life, including depression and anxiety. What advice would you offer people battling similar demons?

Reanna: First, I’d like to offer them a big hug through the computer screen. I know it can be tough and seem like there’s never going to be an end. I feel like I live in that hopeless way too much. Depression and anxiety can be so separating, right? It makes you feel like you’re a burden if you speak out or that you should have your crap together and you’re a failure if you don’t. So my advice is: don’t. Don’t isolate. Don’t withdraw. Reach out to those you trust most, whoever that is, and, if they truly deserve your heart, let them hold it. Because you’re not alone. 

The Unicorn Writer: You have endured a lot, and it seems that there is much more that will happen in the rest of the series. What would help you most on your journey moving forward (no spoilers)?

Reanna: Hmmm…what would help me most? For my birth mother to become a different person. For her to wake up and realize how awful she’s been and then turn over a new leaf. For her to apologize for everything she’s done and become the best person she could be. I know that’s unrealistic, I know it…but that’s what would help me most. 

The Unicorn Writer: What are your favorite types of books to read, in any dimension? Do you have any favorite titles?

Reanna: My favorite book ever is The Little Prince! I love the philosophy behind it, the quiet gentleness. I think those are the sort of books I love the most, too. Books that feel like a hug. That leave you feeling a little cozy inside—you know what I mean? I guess that means I like aesthetic books the most, maybe? 

As for genre, I’ll read about anything—but it is kind of funny to me to read fantasies and see what people think mermaids and werewolves and elves are like.

The Unicorn Writer: Where is your “happy place”?

Reanna: A calm, relaxing beach where I can hear the waves break against rocks. I can feel the sand beneath my feet, and there’s a lighthouse to my back. I’ve always loved the aesthetic of lighthouses ever since I was a little girl. Anyway, there’s patchy fog as it rolls in, and the scent of fall and saltwater in the air. My family is with me sometimes, and sometimes I’m all alone. I’m in my Spider-Man sweatshirt, and everything is right in the world. 

The Unicorn Writer: If you could have any snack right now and binge watch any Netflix show, what would you pick?

Reanna: Okay, I’m going to bend the rules a little bit—does it have to be a Netflix show? Because I’d kill to watch the first Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy right now, or maybe a Ghibli movie. I’d binge either the Tobey trilogy or Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away if I could. But if it has to be a Netflix show… I dunno, maybe see what anime they have? If all else fails, I could always boot up some Murder, She Wrote and relax. 

And I’ve rambled a lot, but you also asked about a snack. A nice PB&J sounds good right about now. 

The Unicorn Writer: What have you learned, or are learning, on your adventures so far?

Reanna: Oh, um… hmm. That’s interesting. I think I probably need to learn a lot of stuff… self-love being one of them. And recognizing my own worth. And not how to be so anxious. But a lot of these are kind of lifelong lessons, so something tells me I may be working on them for a while. 

The Unicorn Writer: Let’s play a quick round of Would You Rather. First, Would you rather outwit Trevor in banter in such a manner he is stupefied speechless for 24 hours or help win the swim championship at school?

Reanna: *laughing* Outwit Trevor, hands down. I mean, swim championships are nice, but a silent, stupefied Trevor? That’d be the best day of my life.

The Unicorn Writer: Would you rather have to ride a roller coaster next to a stranger or talk in front of a looming, intimidating crowd (like the Council)?

Reanna: *chuckling nervously* Roller coaster—at least it’s over kinda quickly, right?  

The Unicorn Writer: Would you rather swim with a dolphin or explore a dark, damp tunnel of unknown length alone?

Reanna: EW! These are my two worst fears ever. Is “neither” an option? …No? Urk, okay. Uh… swim with a dolphin, maybe? As much as I hate them, I’d rather deal with the devil that I know than the devil I don’t.

The Unicorn Writer: Last one. Would you rather go on a mountain hike every Saturday for the rest of forever or fight a creature from Fiastro once but with no back-up?

Reanna: Fight a creature once but with no back-up. I mean, I’d probably die, but at least it’d be a quick death… whereas hiking every Saturday would be a slow, torturous death sentence that dragged on for years…

The Unicorn Writer: If you could tell any one person anything, what would you say and to whom?

Reanna: Tell them anything, not ask? Hmm. I would tell my adopted mom—my real mom, even if it isn’t biological—how much she means to me. Like, really means to me. She is the best human being in any dimension. She saved me, and I’m sorry for all the crap I’ve put her through as an angsty teenager. She means the world to me, and I want to tell her everything I’ve held back. All my secrets, everything about Gaia, my birth mother…I’d tell her everything. *getting a little choked up* Just so she knows. And make sure she knows how much I love her. 

The Unicorn Writer: Our time together is coming to a close. Thank you for being here today! Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Reanna: Wow, is our time over that quickly? I had so much fun with you today, Kayla. I guess that I’d like to add that I hope that everyone who is struggling with something today reaches out if they need it. You’re not alone—we’re all in this together, you know? Cue the High School Musical karaoke. 🙂

Want to Spend More Time with Reanna??