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| Nadia Shafika Talks Somewhere in the Haze, Heartbreak and Hope |
Jakarta – Author Nadia Shafika is taking readers back into an emotional journey with her latest book, Somewhere in the Haze. The novel is now officially available for pre-order ahead of its scheduled release on November 6, 2026.
Ahead of the release, Nadia opened up about the writing process behind the book, including the challenges of handling multiple perspectives, returning to Gabi's emotional world, and giving readers a deeper look into Mathew.
One of the biggest technical challenges, Nadia said, was writing several perspectives taking place during the same event without making each point of view feel repetitive.
"The technical challenge was capturing so many perspectives happening within the same event at the same time," Nadia said.
She had to make sure each character's perspective felt distinct while avoiding the repetition of the same events from different angles.
But beyond the technical side, Nadia admitted that the emotional challenge was even harder, particularly when writing from Gabi's perspective.
"Honestly, it's kind of depressing to tap back into, if I'm being honest," she said.
Every time she returned to Gabi's chapters, Nadia had to place herself back into the character's sense of disorientation.
"I had to sit in that disorientation with her, and that's not always an easy headspace to keep returning to," she added.
Five Words That Define the Story
Nadia has described Somewhere in the Haze through five words: hope, endings, beginnings, discovery, and empowerment.
For her, those five words form the emotional backbone of the entire book.
"It's not just one of those things — it's all five, layered on top of each other," Nadia explained.
The story contains an ending that she believes many readers will not see coming. At the same time, that ending is accompanied by a new beginning.
Discovery also plays a major role in moving the story forward. It is not only about Gabi discovering her past, but also about the people around her discovering who they really are without the version of the story they have always believed.
Meanwhile, empowerment becomes the destination of that emotional journey, while hope helps the characters make it through the difficult middle.
Readers Will See More of Mathew
Another character who receives considerably more attention in Somewhere in the Haze is Mathew.
Nadia teased that readers will see more of him than ever before. However, experiencing the story from inside Mathew's mind may be very different from the way readers think they know him.
"More of him than they've ever gotten," Nadia said.
She explained that there is a noticeable gap between Mathew's outward appearance and what is actually happening inside his mind.
"There's a stillness to him on the inside that doesn't match what's happening underneath at all," she said.
Nadia said she is particularly excited for readers to explore that contrast for themselves.
The Icy Cover Reflects Gabi's Inner World
The visual direction of Somewhere in the Haze also marks a significant change from the previous book.
The new cover features an icy blue palette that feels colder, darker and more stark.
Nadia said the design was intentionally created to reflect what is happening inside Gabi.
"I wanted the outside to feel like what's happening to her inside — fog, cold, a life they don't recognize anymore," she explained.
Rather than creating a traditionally warm or romantic atmosphere, Nadia wanted the cover to feel like walking into an unfamiliar room and immediately realizing that it is freezing.
The cover also reflects the meaning behind the title and the emotional transition from the first book.
According to Nadia, the first book carried a more Valentine-like atmosphere, focusing on falling in love, finding your person and experiencing the excitement of discovering things for the first time.
"This one is the aftermath," she said.
The central question, she explained, is what happens after everything has already happened.
"What do you do with all of it now?" Nadia asked.
She described the latest installment as "less romantic, more depressive" compared with the first book.
Still, she sees difficult moments as an important part of the journey.
"Hard times are golden. They're what lead you somewhere better," she said.
That shift is also represented through the covers. While the first book featured pink tones and a sunrise, Somewhere in the Haze moves toward ice and cold.
"Book one was discovery. This is the aftermath," Nadia said.
Nadia Wants Readers to Feel Rewarded
After finishing Somewhere in the Haze, there is one feeling Nadia hopes readers will be left with: rewarded.
For her, the word carries several meanings.
First, readers have spent years following the world and characters of the story. Reaching this point, therefore, is itself a form of reward.
But Nadia also wants readers to recognize that even the most devastating situations eventually come to an end.
"There's always an ending to every kind of catastrophe. There's always an exit," she said.
Even when a situation feels impossible to escape, Nadia believes readers should remember that they are not necessarily trapped there forever.
"You're not stuck there, even when it feels like you are," she added.
She also hopes the story will remind readers that answers can eventually emerge, even for questions that seem impossible to resolve in the middle of a crisis.
And beyond the difficult moments, Nadia wants readers to see that there is still something worth looking forward to.
"There's always something great to look forward to on the other side of it," she said.
Nadia also acknowledged that the endings in the COLLIDED series are not necessarily the easy or comfortable kind.
Still, her hope is that readers will close the book feeling that the long wait, the heartbreak and everything they experienced along the way were ultimately worth it.
"I just want readers to close this book feeling like the wait, the heartbreak, all of it — it was worth arriving here for," Nadia said.
Somewhere in the Haze is currently available for pre-order on Google Play Books and Kobo. The book is scheduled for release on November 6, 2026.
Somewhere in the Haze is available for preorder now on Google Play Books and Kobo, ahead of its release on November 6, 2026.
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Yv0GEgAAQBAJ
KOBO Books: https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/somewhere-in-the-haze
