First published 2020
Gabe's father dies in a sudden accident, leaving the thirteen-year-old boy's reality fractured. He discovers something strange happening when he tells stories. These narratives pull him backward into the past or forward into alternate versions of the present and future that feel completely real. Gabe cannot understand what is happening to him or why. His search for answers leads him to his enigmatic uncle Jesse, who may hold crucial information. An online game called Small Town Hero begins reflecting events from Gabe's actual life in disturbing ways. A grandmother he never knew existed emerges as another piece of the puzzle. As Gabe investigates these connections, he realizes the mystery reaches beyond his family into the fundamental nature of time itself. The boy must navigate between different versions of reality while grieving his father and trying to make sense of his newfound abilities.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, mystery, fantasy, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Small Town
Period: Present Day
272 pages · Paperback · Andersen Press
Content warnings: mental-illness