Torque was the greatest thing in the world, as far as Lina was concerned.

As a rule, she didn’t like boys very much, but she had to admit, Charlie was actually pretty nice.

That was the moment when Alice knew for sure that she and Charlie Erdling would be friends for the rest of their lives.

So you’re a reader,” My mom sighs, as if somehow this elevates Isabel to yet another realm of perfection.

Whatever you do, don’t make it worse by trying to come up with some flimsy excuse for why you were in the ventilation shaft, Lina told herself.

She wanted to make sure she studied all the manuals thoroughly, but she had to admit that part of her hesitation was the unsettling length of the list of things that could go wrong if she mishandled the pressure.

Wait. Is a real, live adult person actually asking me details about the games I play? This is unheard of.

It seems like the best escape games come from Japan for some reason. It makes me proud.

The three now faced the moving wall. Trapped, like the last fries in a box with a hungry kid ready to pounce. They had no way to escape.

To my faithful readers, because a book is like a pie—the only thing more satisfying than cooking up the story is knowing that somebody might be out there eating it up with a spoon.

Polly had a gift for baking pies, and she poured her heart and soul into every one she made.

Being a humble person, she gave her pie shop a humble name—PIE.

Alice wondered if her mother was aware that she wasn’t the only one in town who’d come down with a bad case of Blueberry Fever.

Lardo was getting on in years, and his big belly tended to slow him down a bit.

At this moment, I know that the answer has to be yes. I am defeated. By my own father. How Darth Vader.

I turn back to the Archers, who don’t look like the same species as us. Do they even sweat, these people?

Dad has shamelessly played the Mom card. Against which there is no defense.