Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Raina Telgemeier, and Jessica Kim,Β a heartfelt coming-of-ageΒ middle grade novelΒ about finding your voice and believing in your best geeky self. Riley Henderson has never taken a bus to school in her entire life. Or made an afterschool snack, or finished her homework on her own, orβewwwβdone her own laundry. Thatβs what her older brother Devin was for.
But nowΒ Devinβs gone. Heβs off in California attending a fancy college gaming program while Riley is stuck alone in Florida with her mom. That is, until a cool nerd named Lucy gives Riley no choiceΒ but to get over her shyness and fear of rejectionΒ and become friends. The best part is . . . both girls are intoΒ Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and DevinΒ used to do together, with Devin as the dungeon master, guiding Riley through his intricately planned campaigns. So, of course, Riley is more than a little nervous when Lucy suggests that she run a campaign for them. For the chance at a friend, though, sheβs willing to give it a shot.Β Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers thatΒ not onlyΒ can she function without Devin, she kind of likes it. She figures out that bus thing, totes the clothes down to the laundry room and sets up her D&D campaigns right there on the slightly suspect folding table, makes her own snacks and dinnerβ the whole deal. But when Devin runs into trouble with his program and returns home, it's pretty clear, even to Riley, that since he canβtΒ navigate his own life, heβs going to live Rileyβs for her. Now she has toΒ help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself . . .Β all before the upcoming Winter-Con.
It's time toΒ Roll for Initiative.