Creeps and Freaks

MANILA, Philippines - Let’s all take a step back from our pop culture feeds and really think about how many books, movies and TV shows have come out in the past years that dealt with the supernatural genre. Think about how many of the main characters spewed out magical spells, transformed under the full moon and sparkled under direct sunlight. Like all things, trends must eventually come to an end, and all vampire clans need to take a graceful exit stage left, lest we call Buffy and force them. The world wants — no, needs — a new trend and all genres are welcome to apply. Maybe we need a throwback to an oldie but goodie genre. Maybe the next big thing is a psychological thriller. Hey, it’s been a while since we’ve had a decent psycho terrorizing our dreams.

Despite living most of her life in Toronto, Canada, author Jennifer Hillier is a full Filipino who hopes to reconnect with her roots during her visit to the Philippines.

Now, Canadian-born Filipina Jennifer Hillier is taking a chance on the old school genre. Hillier helped break the supernatural siege by releasing her books Creep and Freak, two novels driven by a smart and slick take on the perils of unhealthy obsession. After wave upon wave of human girls have fallen prey to the charms of odd creatures of the night, Hillier shakes up the literature status quo and sheds light on the original evil that lurks in real life — the complexities and unpredictability of the human being. Young Star caught up with the trend breaker last Monday as she unraveled stories about her homecoming, her novels, her Hannibal Lecter-esque antagonist and her finger-crossing for the sexy Ryan Gosling, in a one-on-one exclusive.

YOUNG STAR: So I heard that both of your parents are Cebuano. Is that right?

JENNIFER HILLIER: Yes, I’m a full Filipina.

So would it be apt to say, “Welcome home?”

Yeah, I think so! It’s funny thought because I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. And coming here, I feel more like a tourist, you know? And I feel like I look like a tourist (laughs). But I don’t want to feel like a tourist. I do want to spend as much time as I can here reconnecting with my family.

Let’s jump straight into your writing. Tell us more about Creep and how it came to be.

Well, it’s kind of cliché, but I had a dream. (Laughs) And I hate saying that because I know people will say, “Aww man, really?” (Laughs). I had a dream about a college kid; very handsome and personable and smart, who had a secret life as a serial killer. And I woke up and I thought, “that would make a cool short story. I’m gonna write that down.” So I jotted down some notes and I started working on it…And I got this tingly feeling that if I just finished it, it might not be terrible.

You’ve been quoted in the past saying that Ethan, the psycho antagonist of Creep, is sort of derived from Hannibal Lecter. What similarities and differences do they have?

Well, obviously they’re psychopaths and they have no conscience. They have their own moral codes, if you could even say moral…They’re also very manipulative and skillful and they’re careful. But it’s their impulsiveness and narcissism that gets them caught. And I think that’s how they’re similar. But I think their difference is that Hannibal Lecter isn’t sexy (laughs). Compelling, but not sexy.

No cannibalistic tendencies for Ethan, I hope.

Nope, but he does like to do a little bit of chopsuey (motions hands as knives). (Laughs)

Dr. Sheila Tao in Creep and Abby in Freak, they’re sort of both objects of obsession. Are they meant to be similar to each other or are they a contrast?

That’s the best question, because I never thought about it that way, but you’re right. They’re very similar in the sense that when they want something, they’re both single-minded in getting it. They’re very skilled at reading people and manipulating people. Sheila doesn’t do it for bad necessarily, but they’re both flawed creatures. And I think it’s because they’re so similar that they repel each other…They bring out the worst in each other, they really do.

What stood out about the suspense genre that made you pick it out of any other genre out there? Supernatural romance seems to be a popular choice nowadays.

The two psychological thrillers Creep and Freak both play on the twisted and dark side of humanity.

And here comes my old school thriller, right? (Laughs) It’s what I liked to read about when I was younger. My mom is a huge fiction reader. We always had books lying around, so I was always reading a paperback…So I think it just shaped the type of fiction that I liked to read and so it feels natural for me to write this. Plus, I just like the adrenaline rush of writing a thriller. I like that it’s set in our day, in our time, but it’s always the worst-case scenario. I’m intrigued by that.

If ever Creep was made into a movie, who would you want to play Sheila and Ethan?

For me, I think Maggie Q from Nikita. I think she’s kinda sexy but she’s also not wimpy. For Ethan, Ryan Gosling. (Laughs) I used to have the hugest crush on Brad Pitt, but now that he’s older, I’ve moved on and just, oh, Ryan Gosling.

Are there any plans on the third novel?

This book that I’m working on right now doesn’t have any characters from Freak and Creep, but it’s still set in Seattle. But I would like to come back. It might be a recurring thing, I’m not sure. But I definitely see Sheila in more trouble. She just seems to attract that. (Laughs)

* * *

Creep and Freak are available in National Book Store, Powerbooks and Bestsellers branches. Shop online at www.nationalbookstore.com. Follow National Book Store on Facebook and Twitter for event updates.