Ship It

March 5, 2018
Claire Strupke, a high school junior from Pine Bluff, Idaho, spends her time writing fanfiction reimagining the relationship of the male leads of her favorite television show, Demon Heart. Claire “ships” Smokey (played by an actor named Forest) and Heart. Already famous within the fan community, Claire’s platform increases when she and Forest get into an argument at the Boise Comic-Con over whether or not the Smokey-Heart ship is part of the canon (i.e., the official version) of the show. Concerned over a possible backlash from the LGBTQ community, and recognizing the power that Claire has among fans, the show’s PR executives create a contest for Claire to win; her prize is to join the cast for the rest of their tour. While Claire hopes to show the cast what she sees in the program and change the canon, she ultimately learns about the people behind her favorite characters. Through the alternating perspectives of Claire and Forest, debut novelist Lundin, a television writer, gives readers a peek into what it’s like to be a fan and to have fans, while underlining what the two characters have in common. Though at times a bit inside-baseball, the story explores fandom while weaving in themes of first love, sexual identity, and acceptance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jim Ehrich, Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston.