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Following Your Gut
Between the Living and the Dead follows a teen girl whose friends die in a hit-and-run accident, causing her to discover she has the ability to interact with ghosts and leading her to uncover long-buried secrets about her heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
There were multiple inspirations for this story. When I was a teenager for some reason I was convinced my bathroom hallway had magical potential. I had recurring nightmares and dreams about magical events happening in there. When I was a kid, I was curious and often volunteered to investigate “mysteries” for friends at school. Most of the time it was trivial stuff, but in my imagination, I dreamed of solving Sherlock Holmesian-like mysteries. As I grew older I fell on some Hercule Poirot books and I devoured them. I am also an adoptee from Venezuela and the search to find my origins has been a major part of my life in recent years; I chose to incorporate that into my main character’s journey. I have always loved ghost stories, (even though I was thoroughly spooked about the idea of ghosts for a while in my teens). I thought it would be cool for an average teenager who had nothing but curiosity, observation, and gumption going for her to suddenly have magical powers and being able to see things in the “In Between” having just enough of a different lens of the world to see what others cannot.
The supporting characters in this novel were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
This is a hard question; probably Cavilla; she is heavily modeled on me, and she is what an alternate version of me would have been (minus the magic powers of course!)
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important themes for me were: cultural heritage and identity. Growing up in a white family that didn’t acknowledge my ethnic origins was a challenge. Having my birth family and adoption papers withheld also added a layer of complexity and grief. I think others can relate to this experience. As I did research on Peruvian lore and mythology as well, I found it was almost impossible to find authentic source material and primary resources about it. So much has been erased by colonialist retellings. So I took the liberty to adapt and add to the original lore. I am a 90s baby, so I incorporated that 90s feel in the story; a generation that is often teased now for being “old” but there were many cool things despite there being less tech for example. Most importantly the themes of friendship, solidarity, and following your gut were key to this book. Encouraging kids to explore, to keep digging, and care for their friends and family is vital.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Yes, it is the first book in the series. I have no idea when the next book is coming out. The sequel(s) will expand more into the different pachas, Cavilla’s powers, more cases for her to explore as she gets older, and more into her birth family.
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Cavilla Ramirez is an average Peruvian teen, tethered to the 1990s rhythm of clarinet rehearsals, dog-eared Agatha Christie novels, and low-stakes schoolyard mysteries. But when a hit-and-run claims her two best friends, her world implodes—and then restructures itself in a seemingly impossible and unnerving way. Her friends aren’t gone. Their ghosts linger, needing her help in solving their murder so that they can cross over. And it’s not just them. Ghosts are everywhere, and somehow, she’s the only one who can see them.
With a protector in the form of a god-turned-cat, Cavilla becomes a reluctant guide between Peru’s realms of the living and the dead. Solving murders and helping the dead find closure becomes her new normal. But every answer she uncovers tugs loose something else: long-buried secrets about her own heritage, secrets her aunt Tia Luz would rather keep six feet under.
And as Cavilla finds out, not all ghosts need guidance. One presence stands apart, watching her… waiting.
And he isn’t asking for help. He wants her – or something she has.
Between the Living and the Dead
Between the Living and the Dead is a haunting, heartwarming, and genre-defying novella that follows Cavilla, a teenage girl straddling two worlds—the realm of the living and a shadowy, spiritual in-between. After a tragic summer that claimed the lives of her closest friends and beloved cat, Cavilla discovers she can interact with the dead and navigate otherworldly dimensions shaped by Peruvian mythology. With ghosts for companions and an inquisitive mind sharpened by Agatha Christie mysteries, Cavilla becomes an unwitting detective and guardian between realms. Her journey is not only about uncovering truths behind ghostly unrest but also confronting her own fractured identity, cultural roots, and hidden family secrets.
From the first page, I was hooked. Sophie Jupillat Posey’s writing is vivid, lyrical, and brimming with emotion. She captures Cavilla’s inner world with poetic detail while keeping the pace sharp and unpredictable. What stood out most was the voice—raw, funny, intelligent, and very real. Cavilla isn’t some tropey “chosen one”; she’s awkward, stubborn, observant, and relatable. Her relationships, especially with her friends Niko and Angelica, are full of warmth and wit, while her dynamic with Tia Luz Marina is tense, layered, and heartbreaking. The blending of supernatural mystery and Latin American folklore felt seamless, adding richness without ever turning preachy or heavy-handed.
The novella doesn’t hand anything to the reader. The metaphysical elements—different realms, time loops, ancient gods—are murky by design. It can be a little disorienting, especially in the middle chapters where time and space stretch like taffy and you’re not sure what’s real. But that confusion mirrors Cavilla’s own experience, and it made me lean in more. This book doesn’t play by the usual rules, and I appreciated that. The story makes space for grief, healing, and cultural rediscovery without trying to tie everything up neatly. It left me with more questions than answers, in the best way.
I’d recommend Between the Living and the Dead to readers who crave more than just thrills in their supernatural fiction. If you like your ghost stories tangled with myth, memory, and mystery—and told by a smart, fiercely curious teen girl who talks back to gods and ghosts alike—this book’s for you. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, Isabel Allende, or early Neil Gaiman. It’s weird, wild, and wonderful.
Pages: 112 | ASIN : B0DRYZJFK9
LITERARY TITAN 