Cameron visits a comic shop to look for cosplay inspiration, but feels unwelcome after an employee makes sexist remarks. Why can’t she just browse in peace? Worse, she’s been flooded with internet trolling after her costumes gained attention at a convention. It seems like everyone wants to judge her worthiness, and some of the messages are becoming scary. These strangers are able to learn personal information about her. How far will they go?

She doesn’t want to worry her family with details, but she does tell her brother about the rude welcome at the comic shop. He suggests she return disguised as a boy, and it works. The employee treats her much differently, and even invites her to join a Dungeons & Dragons game. The problem is, she has to maintain the disguise if she wants to keep playing at future sessions. When she falls for the DM, she faces a conundrum. Should she drop the disguise? What would her new friends think if they knew she’d been lying about her identity? Would they still accept her as a girl?

This nerdy coming-of-age story is a great read for lovers of cosplay, D&D and comics, but anyone can relate to the well-developed characters and their complex relationships. “Chaotic Good” tackles the very real issue of internet trolling and how dangerously far it can go. It celebrates and also criticizes fandom culture. As a lover all things nerdy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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