A Sharp, Funny, and Deeply Felt Story about Grief, Gaming, and Family
Hattie fled Seattle two years ago, burying her sorrow the day she buried her mother. When she finally comes home, she finds her father, a man who's always been better at writing about love than living it, retreating into the novel he can't stop revising. Then comes a hidden letter from her mother, demanding they complete three quests through their family's past to "recover what was lost."
As Hattie and her friends retrace those places, her long dormant love of tabletop role playing begins to take over, full campaigns bleeding into reality, blurring loss and delusion, memory and magic, what's real and what's desperately needed.
With the same warmth and wit as A Man Called Ove, the wonder of The Midnight Library, and the tender strangeness of Remarkably Bright Creatures, Play Role Play is a story about the games families play to survive each other. Includes an author's note with mental health resources.
"A propulsive, innovative look at the powerful grip of the past and the courage it takes to finally make a break for the future."
- Rebecca Nguyen, author of The 23rd Hero
"In Play Role Play, In Churl Yo's poetry of the Pacific Northwest is reminiscent of Bradbury's lyrical Los Angeles noir mysteries. The lines between Hattie's reality and fiction blur beautifully as her adventure unfolds, leaving us to ponder what roles others play in the story of our lives, and what role we inevitably play in theirs."
- Alethea Kontis, author of The Dark-Hunter Companion
"With equal parts heart and imagination, Play Role Play transforms a tabletop quest into a moving exploration of grief, family, friendship, and healing. It's a reminder that sometimes the greatest adventures aren't about defeating dragons—they're about finding your way back to the people who matter most."
- P. J. Hoover, author of the Pick Your Own Quest® series
