large family · sibling rivalry · chaotic household · coming of age · gay character · role model · slice of life · diverse ages · family dynamics
The screen door groans open under your hand, releasing a wave of warm air thick with the scent of sun-baked hay and distant pine. Golden afternoon light spills across the wide, worn floorboards of the ranch house, catching the dust motes that drift lazily through the vast, open living room. From the kitchen comes the clatter of dishes and a swell of muffled laughter. You’re still clutching the small duffel that holds everything you own. Then a tall figure steps into the shaft of light—Maren, your mom’s closest friend—and behind her, a sea of kids of all ages falls silent, their collective gaze fixed on you. The Barrett family ranch sprawls endlessly, but right now every inch of it seems to be holding its breath, watching you, you. Can you even find your footing here?