Roll for Initiative

 Tell me a story... about finding where you belong

Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato

Publication date: September 27, 2022

Date read: July 24, 2023

Riley Henderson has never taken a bus to school in her entire life. Or made an afterschool snack, or finished her homework on her own, or—ewww—done her own laundry. That’s what her older brother Devin was for. But now Devin’s gone. He’s off in California attending a fancy college gaming program while Riley is stuck alone in Florida with her mom. That is, until a cool nerd named Lucy gives Riley no choice but to get over her shyness and fear of rejection and become friends. The best part is . . . both girls are into Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and Devin used to do together, with Devin as the dungeon master, guiding Riley through his intricately planned campaigns. So, of course, Riley is more than a little nervous when Lucy suggests that she run a campaign for them. For the chance at a friend, though, she’s willing to give it a shot. Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers that not only can she function without Devin, she kind of likes it. But when Devin runs into trouble with his program and returns home, it's pretty clear, even to Riley, that since he can’t navigate his own life, he’s going to live Riley’s for her. Now she has to help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself . . . all before the upcoming Winter-Con.

First of all, in full disclosure, I must admit to being a big Dungeons & Dragons nerd, so this book was right up my alley. I wish that I had had friends like Riley when I was younger and could have gotten into the game at that age. (I didn't start playing D&D until just a few years ago). 

This book was adorable and had such a great character development for Riley. Even aside from the gaming aspect, she had to go from someone who had her older brother to do everything for her to someone who became fiercely independent and self-sufficient. I also loved that she actually had a hard time with it - her development showed that change and independence isn't easy and takes hard work, but can be worth it in the end. 

As for the D&D plot, I don't feel that it is necessary for readers to be familiar with the game in order to get the plot. Even Riley's campaigns don't completely follow strict D&D rules, and with the new kids joining her game, the mechanics are explained enough that a non-gamer shouldn't have any difficulty following along. 

I think this book also did a great job dealing with how games like this are not only for boys, addressing bullying and gatekeeping (even if it was mostly in the form of Riley's own brother and not other kids at school). Also just how hard it is to go up against someone when you want to be a part of something or disagree with what they are doing. And the gatekeeper in this case being Riley's brother also showed how difficult it can be when the person you're in disagreement with is also someone who you love. This book did an amazing job showing Riley's conflicting emotions and how she finally had to deal with the issue. 

Side note: Riley's brother, Devin, is the worst. Yes, he has his own redemptive arc and is also a good life lesson about how hard it is for a perfectionist to handle not being perfect, and how to get past that. And I know that his arc was also really important for Riley in order to become the person she needed to be. But, in the reading moment, I really wanted to hurt him. (But I also think that was the point.)

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. Riley and her friends are the kids that I want my own children to grow up to be, and are the kids that I wish I knew when I was 12. I think this book will appeal to most middle grade readers, especially young girls or gamers of all genders. As said before, you don't have to be into D&D in order to enjoy this book, but I think those readers that do will really get some extra enjoyment out of the story. But this is a well-rounded story about gaining independence and finding yourself that I think is perfect for all middle grade readers. Highly recommended. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content warning: feelings of abandonment

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book