Julia Stiles’ “Wish You Were Here” Is More Than A YA Story About The Folly Of Star-Crossed Lovers

Ill-fated love has been the subject of many a YA novel and always finds an enthusiastic audience. WishYouWereHere, the acclaimed novel by Renee Carlino, explores the deep romance between Charlotte and Adam in a somewhat unique way – they behave more like adults rather than adolescents fumbling their way through love and heartache.

Writer/ Director/ Actor JuliaStiles captures the maturity and tenderness of their short-lived romance. That’s why the novel struck a chord with her and she chose it for her directorial debut. Julia had been wanting to direct for a while.

The wheels for Wish You Were Here were set in motion when actress Gabby Kono-Abdy who plays Helen in the movie, sent Stiles Carlino’s book for directorial consideration. “I was immediately taken by it. I had a visceral response. I laughed, I cried. I laughed through my tears. It had a gut punch. It had emotion behind it that would carry me. And it felt like the right genre for me too,” she says.

Want more Julia Stiles? Read the rest of her interview HERE.