Breakout Star

***Breakout Star*** is an upcoming LGBT+ new adult superhero novel written by Canadian author Lucia Chaisson. The first novel in the ***A*** ***World of Heroes*** series and Chaisson's debut novel, it follows Darcy Edmonds and Hayden Crawford as they explore their identities and how they are shaped by the society they live in. Darcy unlawfully investigates the disappearance of murders of local teenage girls in Wilmington, North Carolina, while Hayden navigates the cynical world of relationships at their hero college... Until their goals intersect.

## Plot

*The opening of The Zarathustra Parahuman Academy brought a new generation of heroes to America. Darcy Edmonds, age eighteen and fresh out of high-school. Before he can even start is career in heroics, he learns that he is considered a "C-Tier" powered. Exceptionally average. Struggling with the weight of his post-traumatic stress disorder and retrograde amnesia, he struggles to meet his needs at the bottom of his new college's hierarchy. Hayden Crawford, age twenty one: a college dropout and "Class A" powered. With a new start to life, they are ready to put everything they have into becoming somebody worth being looked up to.*

## Themes

The main theme of *Breakout Star* can be summarised as: individuality; how society shapes, changes and divides us. Everyone is a product of their environment, and in order to escape the suffocation that conformity brings, individuals must recognise this and pursue their purpose in life on their own accord, accepting all the consequences their actions bring. The status quo must be upset in order to make change in this world, and those who are willing to take action themselves—they are the true "heroes" among us.

## Trigger Warnings

The following is a list of *Content Warnings* for the novel ***Breakout Star:***

* Abuse (Discussed)
* Alcohol and recreational drug use (Discussed)
* Blood/Gore (Graphic)
* Child abuse (Discussed)
* Classism (Graphic)
* Death or dying (Graphic)
* Kidnapping and abduction (Discussed)
* Homophobia (Graphic)
* Hospitalisation (Graphic)
* Mental illnesses and ableism (Graphic)
* Misogyny (Graphic)
* Paranoia (Graphic)
* Police brutality (Discussed)
* Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Graphic)
* Racism (Graphic) [Slurs are avoided or alluded to in text]
* Self-harm and suicide (Discussed)
* Sex (Discussed, Implied)
* Transphobia (Graphic)
* Violence, gun violence and physical assault (Graphic)

If you are sensitive to any of these topics, please exercise caution while reading this book.

## Development

Chapter 1 of *Breakout Star* was released to beta-readers in February 2020.

##### **LIVE Breakout Star Word Count**

42984 / 85000 (50.57%)
All future updates will be posted here as they happen.

## Chapter List

#### Chapter 1: Some Kind of Sin

**Synopsis:**
Darcy Edmonds wakes up in a strange hotel room in a cold sweat. His memories from the past year have been lost, with only his companion Delilah to help guide him through the past, as well as the halls of The Zarathustra Parahuman Academy – the first powered persons' training academy.

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#### Chapter 2: Settling In

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#### Chapter 3: A Stitch in Time

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#### Chapter 4: The Training Dome

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#### Chapter 5: Awestruck

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#### Chapter 6: The Eye of The Tornado

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#### Chapter 7: A Stray Dragonfly

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#### Chapter 8: Club Activities

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#### Chapter 9: Searching for Trouble

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#### Chapter 10: The Watchdogs

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#### Chapter 11: Going Renegade

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#### In-Progress

* *Chapter 12: Preparations* (CURRENT)
* Chapter 13
* Chapter 14
* Chapter 15
* Chapter 16
* Chapter 17
* Chapter 18
* Chapter 19
* Chapter 20
* Chapter 21
* Chapter 22
* Chapter 23
* Chapter 24
* Epilogue