2026
International Impact Book Award – Young Adult Fiction
2025
Children's Moonbeam Award – Mystery/Horror – Young Adult Fiction
2025
Book Excellence Award Winner – Diversity and Inclusion
Mom's Choice Award Gold – Adult Fiction and Young Adult Fiction
2025 Winner, Three Categories, Spring/Summer
Positive Impact Book Awards – Voices of Strength, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Positive Impact Fiction
In a quiet Midwestern town, a missing person, buried secrets, and unlikely friendships collide in a mystery that keeps readers turning pages late into the night. Embracing Zak invites young adult and adult readers alike into a richly drawn community where every character has something to hide, something to heal, and something to offer.
As the mystery unfolds, readers uncover how assumptions, fear, and stigma can cloud judgment, while courage, loyalty, and compassion bring truth to light. The story weaves neurodiverse characters, including those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), into the heart of the plot, not as issues to be solved, but as fully realized people whose ways of thinking help crack the case and change the town.
Instead of preaching about differences, this novel shows how quirky strengths, unusual problem‑solving, and “thinking outside the box” become vital in unraveling what really happened. Readers who enjoy suspense, small‑town intrigue, and character‑driven fiction will find a story that is both entertaining and deeply human, with themes of identity, second chances, and the power of being seen. "GREAT FOR BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION"
Main themes
- Mystery and suspense: A layered, small‑town mystery propels the story, blending secrets, danger, and emotional stakes that appeal to a broad audience of mystery and suspense fans.
- Neurodiversity: Neurodiverse characters, including those with FASD, play central roles in solving the mystery and challenging the town’s assumptions.
- Community and belonging: The town’s intertwined lives reveal how neighbors, families, and found‑family relationships can either imprison people in the past or help them move toward hope.
- Strengths and challenges: Characters’ “limitations” often become unexpected strengths, highlighting the complex realities of living with FASD and other differences.
- Acceptance and inclusion: As secrets surface, so do moments of radical acceptance, showing how inclusion transforms both individuals and the larger community.
- Personal growth and contribution: Teens and adults alike discover that their unique perspectives and learning styles are exactly what they need to protect those they love and set things right.
- Humanity and empathy: By drawing readers into the inner lives of an ensemble cast, the novel cultivates empathy and invites reflection on what it means to truly “embrace” another person.
