Spark

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Eighteen-year-old Becky and her best friend, Meghan, can’t wait to join the army and start their basic training in September. Becky especially yearns to leave her rundown neighbourhood in Langley, British Columbia, as it will soon become flooded by rising sea levels. But when they head to Reunion Square to meet their friends, Connor and Robert, disaster strikes and their lives are changed forever.

A massive earthquake ignites widespread panic. Becky and Connor are separated from Meghan and Robert. Forced to leave the area, Becky and Connor find her brother, Tommy, and they make their way back to the siblings’ home in hopes that Meghan and Robert are going there too. But as they wait for their friends, Langley goes up in flames and the trio must flee by car.

With nowhere else to go, they decide to head to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Becky’s parents are staying. En route, they learn that a deadly new virus, with horrific symptoms, is tearing through British Columbia. They will have to make it to Manitoba before the borders close. Meanwhile, Tommy suffers severe drug withdrawal and shares a devastating confession with Becky. Tension rises as fear grips the country and more disasters impede their way. Will Becky and her companions be able to survive?

Talking With Y. C. Leung

What music did you listen to while writing Spark?

I sometimes listened to Studio Ghibli music while writing.

What was your favorite scene in Spark to write?

My favourite scene in Spark to write was the scene where the two main characters, Becky and Connor, cruised down the flooded landscape in their makeshift boat.

What was the hardest scene in Spark to write?

The hardest scene to write was the scene where someone important dies.