Stefani Deoul’s high concept, frenetic ride dives into the fascinating world of interactive role-playing . . .
Answer: Your brain doesn’t actually know, understand or care what it can’t do; and, while this sounds great in theory, in my particular case, my under-developed brain apparently didn’t know I couldn’t fly.
So I jumped . . .
And I plummeted . . .
And I promise you, if I somehow manage to survive this act of immature-brain-encased-in-unbelievable-stupidity, I will gladly tell you exactly how I got here.
Which, for the record, is chasing a dark-web killer through the middle of a live action role-playing game, better known as a LARP.
On a LARP introduces readers to teen coder, Sid Rubin, a smartass—and super-smart—high school kid with a strong conscience and a knack for solving problems. This high concept, frenetic ride dives into the fascinating world of interactive role-playing when Sid recognizes the photo of a murder victim during an AP field trip to a police station. What starts out as an Aha! moment soon finds Sid and her unlikely posse of friends chasing a dark web killer through the middle of a live action role playing game. Sid and the gang work to unravel a deeply encrypted mystery while simultaneously enduring pop quizzes, endless Ted Talks, teenage heartbreak, suspicious parents, cosplay, and the irresistible lure of the NYC Public Library.
“A fast-paced whirlwind ride that dives into the fascinating world of Live Action Role Playing. Sid Rubin is one of those brilliant and smart heroines you would happily follow even to the darkest parts of the Web . . . Deoul has brought an incredibly fun and fresh voice to the YA genre.” —Ileen Maisell, Executive Producer, The Golden Compass
“Twists and turns abound in Stefani Deoul’s fast paced fun new book. With a clever and sharp heroine, find a comfy chair . . . You will be there awhile reading this terrific debut.” —Lee Rose, WGA Nominee, The Truth About Jane; Humanitas Prize Finalist, A Mother’s Prayer
“It’s all very high concept, this stream-of-consciousness monologue that takes place in a split second as our young protagonist falls to her certain death. And yet, it not only works, it works magnificently—mostly because Deoul has taken complete control of her young heroine’s voice. Sid is the smartest seventeen-year old you’ve never met, at once funny and brilliant, forthright and insecure, too-good-to-be-true and utterly real. Once you have met her, you won’t forget her soon.” —Eric Peterson, NBC OUT
“I felt as if I’d been grabbed by the scruff of the neck and lifted from the ordinary world into a parallel reality fueled by fast action, cracked neurons, and foul play. Accomplished author Stefani Deoul introduces Sid Rubin, a smartass—and actually super smart—high school kid with a strong conscience and a knack for solving problems. Of course, problems aren’t hard to come by in Sid’s life, especially dangerous ones. Sharp readers will appreciate this steampunk’d, high-tech’d tale.” —Elizabeth Sims, author of the Lambda Literary Award winning, Damn Straight
“If you like your high adventure flying down the information superhighway, and are craving a cracking murder mystery, look no further than Stefani Deoul’s infectious caper, On a LARP. Sid Rubin is a new kind of hero—way too smart and just a little too sarcastic. Deoul manages to inject Sid with the perfect degree of high school stream of consciousness, where every thought can run in ten directions, and yet find its way back to the original source at just the right moment . . . most of the time. Sid and her friends are characters you care about, and this adventure is full of all the danger, young love, intense passions, and self-doubt that make teenage life today so extraordinary.” —Shamim Sarif, writer and director of the award-winning books and films, The World Unseen, I Can’t Think Straight and Despite the Falling Snow
Television producer and writer STEFANI DEOUL is the author of the award-winning novel The Carousel and Supervising Producer of the television series Haven for the SyFy Network. Stefani has written for numerous publications, including, Curve magazine, Outdoor Delaware and Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, penned both short stories and film and television treatments and has produced TV series such as The Dead Zone and Brave New Girl along with being the executive in charge of production for the series Dresden Files and Missing.
