Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Raina Telgemeier, and Jessica Kim,ย a heartfelt coming-of-ageย middle grade novelย 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, orโewwwโdone her own laundry. Thatโs what her older brother Devin was for.
But nowย Devinโs gone. Heโs 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 choiceย but to get over her shyness and fear of rejectionย and become friends. The best part is . . . both girls are intoย Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and Devinย 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, sheโs willing to give it a shot.ย Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers thatย not onlyย 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 dinnerโ 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 canโtย navigate his own life, heโs going to live Rileyโs for her. Now she has toย help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself . . .ย all before the upcoming Winter-Con.
It's time toย Roll for Initiative.