Looking for Group: A YA Novel of Trans Identity, Gaming, and a Road Trip to Find Home

One of TeenVogue.com's 10 Best Queer Books to Check Out: “Looking for Group is a road trip book that ends with a punch to the gut. Warning: this is a book that will make you cry.”

Rory Harrison’s beautiful novel about identity, home, and fresh starts recounts one boy’s quest to discover a world where he can thrive, one adventure at a time.

Dylan doesn’t have a lot of experience with comfort. His room in the falling-down Village Estates can generously be categorized as squalid, and he sure isn’t getting any love from his mother, who seemed to—no, definitely did—enjoy the perks that went along with being the parent of a “cancer kid.”

His only escape has been in the form of his favorite video game—World of Warcraft—and the one true friend who makes him feel understood, even if it is just online: Arden. And now that Dylan is suddenly in remission, he wants to take Arden on a real mission, one he never thought he’d live to set out on: a journey to a mysterious ship in the middle of the Salton Sea.

But Arden is fighting her own battles, ones that Dylan can’t always help her win. As they navigate their way west, they grapple with Arden's father (who refuses to recognize his daughter’s true gender), Dylan’s addiction, and the messy, complicated romance fighting so hard to blossom through the cracks of their battle-hardened hearts.

Two online friends on a real-life quest. What could possibly go wrong?

• A Cross-Country Road Trip: From Baltimore to the Salton Sea, Dylan and Arden are on a mission to find a legendary ghost ship, hoping to find themselves along the way.
• Found Family: He's a cancer survivor and she's his only friend from World of Warcraft. In the real world, their bond is the only thing they can count on.
• Gritty, Honest, and Real: This unflinching story tackles addiction, parental neglect, and the courage it takes for a transgender teen to be herself.
• A Heartbreaking Romance: A complicated, messy, and beautiful love story between two outsiders who might be the only ones who can save each other—or break each other completely.

Rory Harrison lives in the American Midwest and is sorted into Slytherin. She’s a geek and a gamer: she and pop culture are >>likedis<<. Some of her favorite games include Skyrim, Dragon Age 1 & 3, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 1 & 2, Life Is Strange, Goat Simulator, and whatever else strikes her fancy at the moment. When she’s not reading, writing, or gaming, she’s having very strong opinions about things. Visit her online at www.roryharrison.com.