Part of Orphan X
First published 2023
Joey Morales failed as an assassin in the government's Orphan Program. Evan Smoak rescued her from that life. Now she spends her days hacking computers and learning music. She discovers she loves playing music even more than breaking into digital systems. A major recital approaches. Joey wants people there who care about her. She lacks the family most performers take for granted. Joey asks Evan to gather his contacts for a different kind of mission. She wants them to sit in the audience and watch her play. Evan agrees even though he cannot grasp why this matters so much to her. He will not disappoint the teenager he has taken under his wing. Joey prepares for her performance while Evan assembles his unusual team of supporters. The recital becomes more than music. It becomes Joey's chance to feel what normal teenagers feel when their families show up to cheer them on.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, adult-fiction, thriller, family-drama
Vibes: character-driven, emotional, heartwarming, intimate, introspective
Tropes: chosen-family, found-family, mentor-mentee, redemption-arc
Period: 21st-century
91 pages · Kindle Edition · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse