Kate W Shea

I Am Z (arah) Kate W Shea

Twenty-four-year-old Zarah likes three things: comics, cake, and solitude. She wasn't always like this. Two years ago, she barricaded herself in a closet during a mass shooting. Now, she keeps flashbacks and panic attacks at bay by imagining she becomes her alter-ego Z, a masked superhero who walks confidently on stilettos and pulls lightning bolts from the frizz in her hair.

Enter Greg, a heart patient and local comic store clerk. With the promise of signed comics, sprinkles, and a mean grilled cheese, Greg helps pull Zarah out of her head and into the real world. But as they grow closer, Zarah faces a choice: confront her past or remain divided as two selves.

This timely and personal debut novel combines elements of women's fiction, romance, and speculative fiction to give readers a glimpse into Zarah's world that is at once quirky, heartbreaking, and empowering. Ideal for fans of both Eleanor Oliphant and The Fault in Our Stars.