Happy Thursday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for OUT OF CHARACTER by Jenna Miller! I’m so excited to share my review with you today, AND my interview with Jenna, PLUS more information about the author and tour! And now without any further ado, let’s get to the review!
I received this book for free from Hear Our Voices Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Out of Character by Jenna Miller Published on June 7, 2023 by HarperCollins
Genres: Contemporary, Neurodivergent, Queer, Aspec, Romance, YA
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Hear Our Voices Tours
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok
If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper.
But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on.
As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line.
tl;dr
THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND IT’S MY FAVORITE AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
favorite character?
CASS!!!
will I re-read it?
duh!!! of course!
three words to describe the book
fandom, friendship, family
Goodreads review
HELLO YES THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK THANK YOU!!!
thank you so much to Hear Our Voices Tours and Jenna Miller for sending me a copy of this book to read and review!!!
I LOVE THIS COVER!!! The line art works really well, I LOVE the colors, and the view of Cass on her laptop with all her stuff around her is just PERFECTION thank you!!!
10/10 stars!!!!
- #at least in the context of the roleplay
- #Sapphic. Mothereffing. Pirates.
- #a lot of friendship because friendship is important
- Geekerella by Ashley Poston
- Speak for Yourself by Lana Wood Johnson
- It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland
- Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
- What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter
- Forward March by Skye Quinlan
What would you do if you spent the day with Cass, Rowan, and Tate? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?
I wish I could hang out with my children! What a dream! We’d obviously have to start the day with donuts and explore Minneapolis, taking ridiculous photos as we walked around Minnehaha Park and the sculpture garden. We’d then find an arcade to lose money in and play mini golf after (I would definitely lose). Then we’d gather in Cass’s living room to eat Tater Tot hotdish (Totdish), chat, play with Mr. Tuttles the cat, and watch Schitt’s Creek. And as a rule, we wouldn’t allow phones out all day because SOME OF US would be tempted to roleplay.
If Cass, Rowan, and Tate were to hang out with other fictional characters, who would they be and why?
I could see them hanging out with the main friend group from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Both friend groups are messy, complicated teens who love each other and have so much fun together. I could also see them having a lot of fun with Shani and May from How to Excavate a Heart.
If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?
I’d want to go somewhere in the TARDIS that hasn’t been seen yet on Doctor Who but that has clean air, no technology, and the promise of a good time — preferably with the 11th Doctor and Amy/Rory!
If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?
1. The recipe for Totdish, because that needs to survive forever
2. A copy of my book, because I worked so hard to make it a reality
3. A copy of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, because it’s a cinematic masterpiece
What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?
It wasn’t exactly research, but there used to be a Christopher Columbus statue in Chicago that I originally had Rowan and her dad flip off annually as a joke. The statue isn’t there anymore, and I didn’t want to give him any attention, even anti-Columbus attention, so I took him out and replaced the moment with something so much better.
What is your favorite quote and scene from Out of Character?
Favorite quote:
“I’m so glad we met on the internet.”
Favorite scene: When Cass and Rowan have a few heart-to-hearts and go ice skating while in Chicago.
About Jenna Miller
Jenna Miller (she/her) writes Young Adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, cross stitching, or adventuring in the Minneapolis area. Jenna’s debut novel, OUT OF CHARACTER, will be published February 7, 2023 by Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins). She is represented by Mike Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
What do you think about Out of Character? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
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