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The E.T. Fort
Unraveling the Human A Riveting Tale of High School Struggles, Bullying, and the Delicate Balance of Victim and Aggressor. A Must-Read Journey into Desperation and Responsibility.
Clint, a sophomore at Donnelly High School, is relentlessly bullied. After an active shooter lockdown, Clint stands precariously on the knife-edge between victim and aggressor. When a person is pushed to their limit, who is responsible? Is it the bully, or the cornered kid who cracks under pressure?
The E.T. Fort examines the intricacies of desperation and poses challenging questions about human nature against a backdrop of the harsh reality of high school life.
Clint, a sophomore at Donnelly High School, is relentlessly bullied. After an active shooter lockdown, Clint stands precariously on the knife-edge between victim and aggressor. When a person is pushed to their limit, who is responsible? Is it the bully, or the cornered kid who cracks under pressure?
The E.T. Fort examines the intricacies of desperation and poses challenging questions about human nature against a backdrop of the harsh reality of high school life.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2024
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 17, 2024
Excellent well written book that will reach many people on a very personal level. Discusses a topic in our country that causes a lot of emotion and conflict. Readers will feel the perspective from both sides of an incredibly tragic event.
October 29, 2025
From the first pages of The E.T. Fort, LaMantia pulls the reader into the raw, unsettling world of high school — a place where the innocuous atmospheres of lockers, classroom chatter, and fire-drills conceal something far more volatile. The novel centres on Clint, a sophomore at Donnelly High, relentlessly bullied and quietly breaking under pressure. When an active-shooter lockdown pushes him into uncharted territory, the narrative asks: when someone is pushed to the edge, who really bears the blame — the tormentor, the tormented, or the institution that ignored both?
LaMantia handles his subject matter — bullying, youth alienation, school violence — with an unflinching clarity and surprising empathy. The prose keeps a tight focus: you feel the hum of anxiety in the hallways, the isolation of the protagonist, the subtle shifts in friendships and loyalties. Reviewers say it “reads like lived experience, like something pulled straight from memory.”
Additionally, the fact that it’s loosely rooted in the author’s own and his daughter’s experiences gives it an authenticity that helps it avoid clichés.
The book also refuses easy answers. It doesn’t simply point a finger at the bully; it explores how desperation, neglect, and systemic indifference build the conditions for tragedy. The result is haunting.
Because its tension is so constant and the stakes so high, this isn’t light reading. It deals directly with violence, trauma, and questions of responsibility. Some readers may find its ending emotionally heavy or open-ended (deliberately so). Also, the setting (a high school in Colorado) is specific — while that grounds the story in real place, readers far removed from that context may find some cultural or systemic references less familiar.
The E.T. Fort is powerful, disturbing, and deeply human. LaMantia doesn’t use spectacle to shock; he uses precision to unsettle and provoke reflection. If you’re looking for a young-adult / adult-crossover novel that digs into the social and psychological dynamics of school trauma, this is a considered and memorable choice. It lingers after you finish it — and that’s precisely what it intends to do.
LaMantia handles his subject matter — bullying, youth alienation, school violence — with an unflinching clarity and surprising empathy. The prose keeps a tight focus: you feel the hum of anxiety in the hallways, the isolation of the protagonist, the subtle shifts in friendships and loyalties. Reviewers say it “reads like lived experience, like something pulled straight from memory.”
Additionally, the fact that it’s loosely rooted in the author’s own and his daughter’s experiences gives it an authenticity that helps it avoid clichés.
The book also refuses easy answers. It doesn’t simply point a finger at the bully; it explores how desperation, neglect, and systemic indifference build the conditions for tragedy. The result is haunting.
Because its tension is so constant and the stakes so high, this isn’t light reading. It deals directly with violence, trauma, and questions of responsibility. Some readers may find its ending emotionally heavy or open-ended (deliberately so). Also, the setting (a high school in Colorado) is specific — while that grounds the story in real place, readers far removed from that context may find some cultural or systemic references less familiar.
The E.T. Fort is powerful, disturbing, and deeply human. LaMantia doesn’t use spectacle to shock; he uses precision to unsettle and provoke reflection. If you’re looking for a young-adult / adult-crossover novel that digs into the social and psychological dynamics of school trauma, this is a considered and memorable choice. It lingers after you finish it — and that’s precisely what it intends to do.
August 25, 2025
I just finished The E.T. Fort by Ryan LaMantia and I’m still sitting with it. There’s this constant, unnerving tension under every scene. High school hallways, lockdown drills, the weight of fear and violence. LaMantia writes Clint’s struggle in a way that crawls under your skin. You can feel the anxiety, the push and pull of a kid on the edge.
What I loved is how raw it feels. Nothing is sensationalized. It reads like lived experience, like something pulled straight from memory. It asks hard questions about responsibility, desperation, and what happens when a person has nowhere else to go.
It’s no surprise the book was voted Best Self-Published Novel of 2025 by Westword. The story feels haunted by empathy, by the weight of real consequences. LaMantia manages to write about violence while keeping humanity front and center.
If you want a book that will keep you up at night and make you think long after, The E.T. Fort is it.
What I loved is how raw it feels. Nothing is sensationalized. It reads like lived experience, like something pulled straight from memory. It asks hard questions about responsibility, desperation, and what happens when a person has nowhere else to go.
It’s no surprise the book was voted Best Self-Published Novel of 2025 by Westword. The story feels haunted by empathy, by the weight of real consequences. LaMantia manages to write about violence while keeping humanity front and center.
If you want a book that will keep you up at night and make you think long after, The E.T. Fort is it.
September 10, 2024
LaMantia has a knack for tackling tough topics in his books, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint. It chronicles the life of Clint, a teenaged outcast struggling to navigate high school, the breakup of his parents' marriage and coming-of-age. He is misunderstood and bullied by many, but finally experiences true friendship and love, the likes of which he never has before. When things take a tragic turn, we witness him unravel as his life descends into chaos, and can feel empathy for his plight. This is a timely read in light of current events, and is thought-provoking in its examination of what drives tragedies involving young people. A must read for those still in school and a cautionary tale for everyone.
September 25, 2024
The E.T. Fort is a compelling book that will affect many readers. The plot is fast paced and gripping. Violence in schools is a phenomena affecting many elements of our society and LaMantia deals with it thoughtfully and with sensitivity. I appreciated the insight into the characters' thought processes, particularly that he lets us know what's going on with the more minor characters as well as the main protagonists. I have been following this author and I feel that with the E.T. Fort he is really hitting his narrative stride. The book flows smoothly and I read the entire thing in one day. I would highly recommend!
June 18, 2025
This book won a Westword award, and now I see why. E.T. Fort tackles a very difficult subject matter--bullying, guns and violence in school, abuse, etc.. But does so in a way that allowed me to walk in the shoes of all parties involved, seeing the emotional toll that all of those issues take on each character, and how each character responds to and deals with those issues. I didn't expect to use the word 'beautiful' to describe a book with this subject matter, but that's truly the best word i can think of to describe this story and the storytelling here. It's heart-wrenchingly beautiful, for reasons that surprised me, and may surprise you too. Definitely recommend.
September 19, 2024
I thought the book was well-written, and it kept my interest the entire time. I could relate a lot to the struggles of the characters, and to the situations in which they lived. I think that people who cannot relate will still gain some insight as to how those who are bullied may handle it, and the story shows one way which the characters do just that. I wondered why the book had the title it does. Now, I know.
September 19, 2024
'The E.T. Fort' by Ryan LaMantia is an excellent and emotional read. Ryan does an amazing job of bringing his readers in with every book he has written, this one included. This book is well written, the details are very thoughtful and comprehensive. I read this book in a day, I couldn't put it down. Although, it's a ficticious take on a real-life issue that plagues our youth, this story is as equally moving, tragic and devastating. I absolutely encourage others to read 'The E.T. Fort'.
October 23, 2024
Jason and Clint are fast friends...but would they be if they weren't such misfits, discarded by their families? Connection is a necessity, and when people don't have the necessities it can be the set up for something tragic, to be sure.
There's a lot of psychology behind the scenes here, and I appreciate that in a read. Not too much gore, the facts are laid bare in a flash from the perpetrator's POV. As a mom, these kinds of reads don't need gore to scare me.
There's a lot of psychology behind the scenes here, and I appreciate that in a read. Not too much gore, the facts are laid bare in a flash from the perpetrator's POV. As a mom, these kinds of reads don't need gore to scare me.
November 22, 2024
The story is engaging.
The idea of children who are not cared for impacted me.
Why guns are the only answer we have in the USA bothers me on so many levels.
The idea of children who are not cared for impacted me.
Why guns are the only answer we have in the USA bothers me on so many levels.
January 3, 2025
The E.T. Fort is a great book and an easy read! It had me hooked and at the edge of my seat. You feel for the main character and go through the roller coaster of emotions learning about Clint's life.
September 23, 2024
Great book. Relevant subject matter.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews