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Life Is Strange

Life Is Strange

Psychological HorrorSuspense
Pages
352
Published
2023
Language
English

Synopsis

Life is Strange: Steph's Story is the first prose novel set in the Life is Strange game universe, following Steph Gingrich in the years between Life is Strange: Before the Storm and Life is Strange: True Colors. Having run out of couches to surf, Steph moves back into her dad's place in Seattle, splitting her time between a job at the local gaming café and running tabletop RPG sessions at night.

Everything changes when Izzie, a whirlwind of a girl clutching a stack of hand-made band posters, offers Steph the drummer slot in her new band. The two form Drugstore Makeup, and after a surprise win at a local battle of the bands, they set off to tour scrappy punk venues across the country. But as the tour wears on, Steph and Izzie drift out of sync — unable to communicate what they actually need from each other or from the life they're building.

Written by Rosiee Thor and published by Titan Books, the novel serves as a prequel establishing Steph's arc before she appears in True Colors, built around LGBTQ+ romance and the punk-rock beginnings of Drugstore Makeup.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

NostalgicEmotionalRomantic
Coming of AgeRoad Trip

Genres

Psychological Horror Suspense YA Contemporary Romance

About the author

R
Rosiee Thor

Rosiee Thor began their career as a storyteller by demanding to tell their mother bedtime stories instead of the other way around. They spent their childhood reading by flashlight in the closet until they came out as queer. Now, they write stories for all ages, including young adult novels Tarnished Are The Stars (a Pacific Northwest Indie Bestseller) and Fire Becomes Her, the picture book The Meaning of Pride,  and tie-in novels for franchises like Life is Strange and Firefly. Their short ficti...

Characters

Steph GingrichProtagonist

Drifting couch-surfer who forms a punk band and finds direction.

IzzieSupporting

Steph's bandmate and love interest.

All characters in Life Is Strange

Frequently asked questions

  • Does this book require prior knowledge of the Life is Strange games?

    While it serves as a prequel to the events of Life is Strange: True Colors, the narrative functions as a standalone character study that provides the necessary context for Steph Gingrich's personal history without requiring familiarity with the game's mechanics or specific plot outcomes.

  • How does this story connect to other books in the Life is Strange universe?

    This novel is part of a broader collection of tie-in literature that expands on the franchise, with subsequent releases like Out of Focus continuing to explore the lives of characters within the same narrative world.