First published 2015
Sean's face bears severe scars from a childhood accident. During his extended recovery, he invents an elaborate game played through the mail. Players receive four clues from Sean and must respond by letter with their choices. Smart decisions keep players alive in the game and lead them toward a hidden fortress in Sean's imagined world. Two teenagers become convinced that Sean's creation represents actual reality rather than fantasy. They set out on a real journey to find his world. Sean has never seen the outside world due to his disfigurement. The teenagers ignore Sean's four standard clues and mail him a fifth clue of their own. Only then does Sean understand what they are attempting to do.
Genres: mystery, fantasy, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
205 pages · Paperback · Nieuw Amsterdam
Content warnings: body-horror, mental-illness