A Fiction Novel by Jillian Linares
I Ran Away to Find Myself
Lucas thought his summer would involve preparing to move back to NYC for college, until he runs away from home and boards a flight across the world to escape the biggest regret of his life. He lands in Byron Bay, Australia— a surfer town with the most brilliant, daring, and intriguing person he's ever met: Skye Carter. Except Skye hates Lucas before she even meets him because of her twisted past. As Lucas learns to surf with the local legends, Skye reluctantly opens herself up while pushing Lucas out of his comfort zone with cliff jumping, underwater caves, and adventures in the outback. But just when Lucas feels like life is getting better, the repercussions of running away return to haunt him.
Background
"I Ran Away to Find Myself" was written during the peak of my solo-travel adventures. The idea for the book came to me while I was surfing in Mozambique, a moment of clarity amid the waves. I jotted down some initial ideas that would later evolve into my first fiction novel. The journey truly began with a class assignment, though none of that initial draft made it into the final manuscript.
My writing took flight while I was living in London and traveling throughout Europe, a period that significantly shaped my identity and worldview. There was something about planes, trains, and bus rides that sparked my creativity and kept the ideas flowing. Each adventure brought new wonders and inspiration, fueling my dedication to writing, editing, and revising the book for over four years.
Publishing in 2018 was the culmination of immense effort—multiple revisions, cutting hundreds of pages, and growing both personally and as a writer. This book is the child of my younger self, born from a time when I was lost in my identity and searching for connection in the world. Through the process, I not only found this story but also found myself.
Reviews
"I absolutely loved this wonderful fiction novel! While touching on some serious life topics, it also keeps the story light-hearted and fun, easy to enjoy, and I found myself daydreaming of being in Byron Bay!"
-K. Brault
"Absolutely loved I Ran Away to Find Myself! It’s the type of book you can start reading and get lost to adventure in. Told from the perspective of Lucas, you feel as if you’re there on every surf, hike, and cliff jump. A reminder to be present in the moment and open to new experiences. But to also hold close to your roots. Highly recommended."
-J Oyola
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"In this coming of age story, New Yorker Lucas finds himself on the opposite side of the world immediately after his high school graduation. He’s meant to go off to college, but traumatic circumstances unusual for an 18-year-old lead him to run for the land down under.
Once I started I Ran Away To Find Myself, I found myself entirely invested in the intertwining storylines of Lucas and Skye. Both are young adults that have had to grapple with terribly real life experiences far beyond the normal lives of most others their age. I laughed aloud, wiped tears from my cheeks, and frantically raced for the next page.
Linares brings serious topics like mental health and ethnocentricity to the surface and forces her characters, as well as her readers, to think about them.
If you’ve never been to Byron Bay, Australia you will put this book down with a new destination on your wish list. This book will leave you thirsty for spontaneous adventure and impatiently waiting for Jill’s next book."
-T. Higgins
