Her mom's dying wish: solve riddles hidden in family memories. Her plan: Roll for initiative.
When Hattie's mother dies, she leaves behind a letter with a strange demand: complete three quests built from the family's most treasured memories, or lose everything that mattered. What she doesn't expect is her own imagination waking back up to help her, pulling her father and her oldest friends into full-blown tabletop campaigns that start bleeding into real life.
Grief. Guilt. A father hiding inside the novel he can't stop revising. And dice. So many dice.
Sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving, Play Role Play is for anyone who's ever used a good story to survive a bad year, and it will hit especially hard for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Midnight Library. 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
