She’s fighting the brown fluid in her lungs caused by tumors. He’s in remission from the osteosarcoma that took one of his legs. Aside from a character with a Guatemalan father, most characters default to White.Ī deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel. There are no easy answers for Sayers’ issues, but with determination and help from key friends, he finds hope. Unlike hostage stories that end with the rescue, Roe digs deep into what happens in the aftermath as Sayers tries to learn how to be a functioning individual again and struggles with rebuilding his entire self.

A dangerous discovery pushes his mind to the brink to protect him and keep him alive. Once he’s been kidnapped, Sayers must attempt to manipulate his kidnapper by playing along with who the kidnapper wants him to be-at first, it’s a ruse to create chances to try to escape, but eventually Sayers’ identity and feelings toward his kidnapper begin to blur. The first act balances Sayers’ charm and potential with his character failings while keeping readers guessing who the kidnapper will be (and what their motivations are). A teen’s sense of self is unsettled by a kidnapping.Īfter a prologue reveals the hero’s captive status, the story introduces Sayers Wayte as he was before-an uber-wealthy, hard-partying, privilege-flaunting Texas teen who’s falling in with a meaner crowd (including a friendship with a bully who ridicules Sayers’ best friend for his bisexuality and targets a vulnerable nerd in encounters that rapidly escalate to disturbing levels off-page).

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe