Best Self-Published Novel
The E.T. Fort
Ryan LaMantia
School violence, from bullying to shootings, has taken on such monstrous proportions that it’s easy to lose perspective on the intimate, immediate impact it has on kids and parents. Ryan LaMantia’s The E.T. Fort dials that back in – hauntingly and poignantly. Set in a fictional Denver high school, the novel is loosely based on his and his daughter’s own experiences and fears, and it also grapples with the huge question that looms behind school violence: What’s at its psychological root? Along the way, it’s also a heartfelt story about a dad and his kid trying to navigate a world that seems increasingly oblivious to the well-being of the vulnerable.