Out of Character

Cass Williams is comfortable calling herself fat, a lesbian and a devoted fan of the Tide Wars books. She is much less willing to admit how important her secret online roleplaying community has become. Writing as Captain Aresha offers an escape from family upheaval and the pressures of dating Taylor, a popular girl at school. But missed responsibilities and slipping grades make that refuge harder to keep separate from everyday life. Meanwhile, Cass develops feelings for Rowan, her closest online friend. With competing attachments and mounting anxiety, the boundary between her two worlds begins to collapse. She must decide how much honesty she can risk without losing the connections that have helped her feel at home.