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Imposter
High-school sophomore Cam feels she must prove herself in her computer science class and RoboSub team in this realistic and empowering, witty young adult STEM read.
An inspiring debut that takes on self-discovery and gender discrimination in the engineering and coding fields, perfect for 12+ year olds.
High school sophomore Cam has always created techie things, like a ring she implanted with an NFC chip. This semester, she finally gets the chance to take a computer science elective. Cam tries to ignore the obnoxious boys who don't believe she should be in the class at all.
Cam conspires with her quick-witted best friend, Viv, and they engineer their way onto the extracurricular RoboSub team. That ultimately lands them at a national competition as the only two girls on their team. Will Cam rise to the occasion and confirm—not to others, but to herself—that she belongs?
Readers will be pulled into this realistic and rousing YA STEM coming-of-age book that’s sure to inspire girls in science to pursue classes, careers, and spaces that others believe they should have no part in.
An inspiring debut that takes on self-discovery and gender discrimination in the engineering and coding fields, perfect for 12+ year olds.
High school sophomore Cam has always created techie things, like a ring she implanted with an NFC chip. This semester, she finally gets the chance to take a computer science elective. Cam tries to ignore the obnoxious boys who don't believe she should be in the class at all.
Cam conspires with her quick-witted best friend, Viv, and they engineer their way onto the extracurricular RoboSub team. That ultimately lands them at a national competition as the only two girls on their team. Will Cam rise to the occasion and confirm—not to others, but to herself—that she belongs?
Readers will be pulled into this realistic and rousing YA STEM coming-of-age book that’s sure to inspire girls in science to pursue classes, careers, and spaces that others believe they should have no part in.
- GenresJewishYoung AdultFiction
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 20, 2025
3 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 14, 2024
Do you know an adolescent who identifies as female? What about one who identifies as human? Do they love STEM? Do they see a world with problems they think they can’t handle?
If the answer to any of these questions was yes get them this book. This book is amazing, it is written well enough to be a class study (if you can forgive a few swear words, that I think are completely necessary)
I found myself asking where was this book when I was in school and thinking about how to get it there now. There are so many people who could benefit from reading this book and I am hopeful that they will get it.
If the answer to any of these questions was yes get them this book. This book is amazing, it is written well enough to be a class study (if you can forgive a few swear words, that I think are completely necessary)
I found myself asking where was this book when I was in school and thinking about how to get it there now. There are so many people who could benefit from reading this book and I am hopeful that they will get it.
April 14, 2025
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Cameron Goldberg is a sophomore in high school, and is really interested in tech fabrication; her latest project is taking the chip out of her school I.D. and putting it into a ring. She chooses a coding class for an elective, even though she'd rather be with her friend Vivian, who's taking pottery. Mr. Lenox teaches the class, and he and the boys in the class all look askance at her and ask if she's in the right place. This isn't a great start, and she has to partner with Jackson, who rarely looks up from his computer, for the class project. She and Viv decide to participate on the RoboSub team, since Viv likes the marketing aspect of it (she's involved in DECA), and Cam wants to see how coding and fabrication work together in a project. Again, they meet resistance from the all male team. The leader, Jeremy, is particularly horrible, and Mr. Lenox is the mostly absent team advisor. Viv proceeds to make herself invaluable, getting corporate sponsorships that had been handled last year by one of the boys' mothers, and Cam joins the electrical team, since the head of that, Liam, is at least reasonable. For her coding project, she talks to Jackson about the problem of women in tech industries, and how they have to deal with men who don't accept them. After talking to his sister in college, Jackson realizes that Cam has a point, and suggests they gamify the experience to raise awareness of the problem and use the profits to fund a Girls Who Code chapter at their school. Cam has the support of her parents, especially after her mother struggles with similar issues with a male supervisor at work. When Cam and Jackson's project is considered "offensive", and Jeremy files a complaint, Cam finally goes above Mr. Lenox's head to address the problems in her school..
Strengths: Cam doesn't really feel that anything is stopping her from tech fabrication and coding at first, mainly because her parents are so supportive. They are Jewish, and her mother is Panamanian, and they clearly care so much about her, wanting to give her all of the opportunities, but also wanting her to be safe. This is hard enough to find in middle grade books with this type of parents, and it's even rarer in young adult books. Viv is a fantastic friend, and her DECA experience makes her a valuable asset to the RoboSub team. She and Cam are both interested in boys, and flirt with the idea of dating some of their teammates, which is a fun addition. The big draw of this story is the treatment of women in STEM fields and in gaming. Cam is rather shocked that this goes on, and then gets angry, and learns to stand up for herself and not put up with the nonsense. This is a realistic way for her experiences to evolve. I especially loved how she and Viv ended up saving the day at the RoboSub competition!
Weaknesses: There's a lot of dropping of the f word. I might buy this for a high school, but even though I enjoyed this book, will pass on purchasing it for middle school. This covers an important topic, and would be interesting to middle school readers interested in technology and women's issues, but if my students can be disciplined for using bad language, it doesn't seem right to buy books that have that language in them.
What I really think: It would be great to see more books involving girls on robotics teams or involved in gaming. There are some excellent books for elementary readers, like Pearce,'s Ellie, Engineer Derting, Johannes, and Murray Vivi Loves Science, and middle grade titles like Deutsch's Girls Who Code or Stone Click'd, but it would be nice to have books for older middle grade readers involve Future Cities competitions or coding projects.
Cameron Goldberg is a sophomore in high school, and is really interested in tech fabrication; her latest project is taking the chip out of her school I.D. and putting it into a ring. She chooses a coding class for an elective, even though she'd rather be with her friend Vivian, who's taking pottery. Mr. Lenox teaches the class, and he and the boys in the class all look askance at her and ask if she's in the right place. This isn't a great start, and she has to partner with Jackson, who rarely looks up from his computer, for the class project. She and Viv decide to participate on the RoboSub team, since Viv likes the marketing aspect of it (she's involved in DECA), and Cam wants to see how coding and fabrication work together in a project. Again, they meet resistance from the all male team. The leader, Jeremy, is particularly horrible, and Mr. Lenox is the mostly absent team advisor. Viv proceeds to make herself invaluable, getting corporate sponsorships that had been handled last year by one of the boys' mothers, and Cam joins the electrical team, since the head of that, Liam, is at least reasonable. For her coding project, she talks to Jackson about the problem of women in tech industries, and how they have to deal with men who don't accept them. After talking to his sister in college, Jackson realizes that Cam has a point, and suggests they gamify the experience to raise awareness of the problem and use the profits to fund a Girls Who Code chapter at their school. Cam has the support of her parents, especially after her mother struggles with similar issues with a male supervisor at work. When Cam and Jackson's project is considered "offensive", and Jeremy files a complaint, Cam finally goes above Mr. Lenox's head to address the problems in her school..
Strengths: Cam doesn't really feel that anything is stopping her from tech fabrication and coding at first, mainly because her parents are so supportive. They are Jewish, and her mother is Panamanian, and they clearly care so much about her, wanting to give her all of the opportunities, but also wanting her to be safe. This is hard enough to find in middle grade books with this type of parents, and it's even rarer in young adult books. Viv is a fantastic friend, and her DECA experience makes her a valuable asset to the RoboSub team. She and Cam are both interested in boys, and flirt with the idea of dating some of their teammates, which is a fun addition. The big draw of this story is the treatment of women in STEM fields and in gaming. Cam is rather shocked that this goes on, and then gets angry, and learns to stand up for herself and not put up with the nonsense. This is a realistic way for her experiences to evolve. I especially loved how she and Viv ended up saving the day at the RoboSub competition!
Weaknesses: There's a lot of dropping of the f word. I might buy this for a high school, but even though I enjoyed this book, will pass on purchasing it for middle school. This covers an important topic, and would be interesting to middle school readers interested in technology and women's issues, but if my students can be disciplined for using bad language, it doesn't seem right to buy books that have that language in them.
What I really think: It would be great to see more books involving girls on robotics teams or involved in gaming. There are some excellent books for elementary readers, like Pearce,'s Ellie, Engineer Derting, Johannes, and Murray Vivi Loves Science, and middle grade titles like Deutsch's Girls Who Code or Stone Click'd, but it would be nice to have books for older middle grade readers involve Future Cities competitions or coding projects.
May 19, 2025
Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Cait Levin's first novel, Imposter, is a heartening and highly relatable YA novel that effortlessly marries coding, robotics, and friendship with a fierce examination of gender discrimination in science and technology. It must be read by every teenager struggling with identity, motivation and belongingness—particularly where they're reminded that they don't belong.
The story centers on Cam, a high school sophomore who’s passionate about tech and fabrication—her latest side project is embedding a school ID NFC chip into a ring. When she finally lands a spot in the computer science elective, she’s quickly reminded that being the only girl in the room often means having to work twice as hard just to be seen. With the help of her sharp and savvy best friend Viv, Cam joins the school’s RoboSub team, determined to prove herself—not just to others, but to herself.
What follows is a bright, infuriating, and ultimately heartening adventure for Cam and Viv as they encounter condescension, exclusion, and straight-up sexism from their male peers and an altogether out-of-sight advisor. When faced with obstacles, they innovate solutions—Viv using her marketing expertise to pursue sponsorships, and Cam charging headlong into coding and electrical engineering. They are willful kids, and their friendship is one of the novel's strongest emotional pillars.
One of the highlights of Imposter is how realistic it feels. Cam’s growing awareness of systemic sexism in tech—and her evolution from shocked to determined—is portrayed with nuance and honesty. The flashbacks to her work with Jackson, one of her classmates who gradually becomes aware and starts to see her point, are loving and serve as a healthy foil. I also loved the wealth of family life, particularly Cam's loving parents and the intergenerational tug-of-war over gender roles through her mother's frustration at not being able to excel in her profession.
Levin doesn't shy away from the difficult realities of being a girl in a male-dominated field, yet she balances the narrative with humor, heart, and just the right amount of techie detail. The coding snippets sprinkled throughout are a fun touch, and the RoboSub competition scenes are packed with tension and triumph.
⚠️ Content Note: There is some strong language, including the f-word, which may make this more suitable for high school readers than middle grade. That said, the language feels authentic to the characters and situations, and never gratuitous.
Final Verdict:
Imposter is a fresh, timely, and inspiring YA novel perfect for fans of STEM, strong female friendships, and stories about finding your voice in the face of doubt—especially your own. This book would be an excellent addition to high school libraries, coding clubs, and teen reading lists. I’m excited to see what Cait Levin writes next!
Cait Levin's first novel, Imposter, is a heartening and highly relatable YA novel that effortlessly marries coding, robotics, and friendship with a fierce examination of gender discrimination in science and technology. It must be read by every teenager struggling with identity, motivation and belongingness—particularly where they're reminded that they don't belong.
The story centers on Cam, a high school sophomore who’s passionate about tech and fabrication—her latest side project is embedding a school ID NFC chip into a ring. When she finally lands a spot in the computer science elective, she’s quickly reminded that being the only girl in the room often means having to work twice as hard just to be seen. With the help of her sharp and savvy best friend Viv, Cam joins the school’s RoboSub team, determined to prove herself—not just to others, but to herself.
What follows is a bright, infuriating, and ultimately heartening adventure for Cam and Viv as they encounter condescension, exclusion, and straight-up sexism from their male peers and an altogether out-of-sight advisor. When faced with obstacles, they innovate solutions—Viv using her marketing expertise to pursue sponsorships, and Cam charging headlong into coding and electrical engineering. They are willful kids, and their friendship is one of the novel's strongest emotional pillars.
One of the highlights of Imposter is how realistic it feels. Cam’s growing awareness of systemic sexism in tech—and her evolution from shocked to determined—is portrayed with nuance and honesty. The flashbacks to her work with Jackson, one of her classmates who gradually becomes aware and starts to see her point, are loving and serve as a healthy foil. I also loved the wealth of family life, particularly Cam's loving parents and the intergenerational tug-of-war over gender roles through her mother's frustration at not being able to excel in her profession.
Levin doesn't shy away from the difficult realities of being a girl in a male-dominated field, yet she balances the narrative with humor, heart, and just the right amount of techie detail. The coding snippets sprinkled throughout are a fun touch, and the RoboSub competition scenes are packed with tension and triumph.
⚠️ Content Note: There is some strong language, including the f-word, which may make this more suitable for high school readers than middle grade. That said, the language feels authentic to the characters and situations, and never gratuitous.
Final Verdict:
Imposter is a fresh, timely, and inspiring YA novel perfect for fans of STEM, strong female friendships, and stories about finding your voice in the face of doubt—especially your own. This book would be an excellent addition to high school libraries, coding clubs, and teen reading lists. I’m excited to see what Cait Levin writes next!
July 27, 2025
Everyone, meet Cam.
Cam is a high-school student that aspires to learn something new. So, she enrolls for a Computer Science elective class, knowing that she already had a knack for tinkering around with hardware.
The problem was, that this class was so heavily male-oriented that she, the only girl in class, was laughed at and doubted at every turn. But Cam just wouldn't give up! With the support of her best friend Viv and that of her parents, she marched on, trying to learn new things, even going so far as competing with a team on a competition, and changing people's perspective on what being a female on a male-dominated field has to go through and what she can achieve…
This book is mostly written for teens, as a reminder of the fight women must give every day against discrimination. Cam doesn't have an easy time, dealing with a whole class -teacher included- that believe she shouldn't be among them. But neither the rest of the women in this book have it better; not her mother, not her mother's associates either, who have to deal with phenomena of workplace harassment and degradation. But the whole message the author so bravely tries to show, is that there is help out there for those who seek it. Speak your troubles, and there will be a support system. It won't be easy, but it's rewarding. The book is in equal parts amusing and frustrating, and even as a -very much- adult, I really enjoyed it and cheered for Cam throughout the book. And if you ask me, it's a read for everyone.
My thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC. The opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Cam is a high-school student that aspires to learn something new. So, she enrolls for a Computer Science elective class, knowing that she already had a knack for tinkering around with hardware.
The problem was, that this class was so heavily male-oriented that she, the only girl in class, was laughed at and doubted at every turn. But Cam just wouldn't give up! With the support of her best friend Viv and that of her parents, she marched on, trying to learn new things, even going so far as competing with a team on a competition, and changing people's perspective on what being a female on a male-dominated field has to go through and what she can achieve…
This book is mostly written for teens, as a reminder of the fight women must give every day against discrimination. Cam doesn't have an easy time, dealing with a whole class -teacher included- that believe she shouldn't be among them. But neither the rest of the women in this book have it better; not her mother, not her mother's associates either, who have to deal with phenomena of workplace harassment and degradation. But the whole message the author so bravely tries to show, is that there is help out there for those who seek it. Speak your troubles, and there will be a support system. It won't be easy, but it's rewarding. The book is in equal parts amusing and frustrating, and even as a -very much- adult, I really enjoyed it and cheered for Cam throughout the book. And if you ask me, it's a read for everyone.
My thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC. The opinions reflected in this review are my own.
July 25, 2025
2025's young adult novel Imposter by Cait Levin is everything I hope for in such a book. It's told from the perspective of a smart, young woman in high school who learns to stand up for herself when she finds something she loves to do and is very good at despite facing a battle to be taken seriously because she's a girl. The author knew how her narrator felt and her passion for the book is evident.
Cam and her best friend want to pursue their dreams of becoming an engineer and publicist and together they take on the jerks trying to dismiss and humiliate them, not only upperclass boys, but a male teacher of the class Intro to Computer Science that isn't introductory at all.
There's a lot of wonderful stuff going on here and it never disappoints. It captured the high school atmosphere, the various voices of high school girls and boys that readers may relate to, the home situation with parents who try to be supportive in flawed ways; it also served as an inspiring example of kids who are challenged to be more than they were for the benefit of other people as well as themselves.
I read this in two days. The ending is triumphant in the sense that the good guys don't give up, but fight to be heard and make a good difference. The bad guys get their comeuppance.
Highly recommended You don't need to feel like an imposter, smart girls!
Cam and her best friend want to pursue their dreams of becoming an engineer and publicist and together they take on the jerks trying to dismiss and humiliate them, not only upperclass boys, but a male teacher of the class Intro to Computer Science that isn't introductory at all.
There's a lot of wonderful stuff going on here and it never disappoints. It captured the high school atmosphere, the various voices of high school girls and boys that readers may relate to, the home situation with parents who try to be supportive in flawed ways; it also served as an inspiring example of kids who are challenged to be more than they were for the benefit of other people as well as themselves.
I read this in two days. The ending is triumphant in the sense that the good guys don't give up, but fight to be heard and make a good difference. The bad guys get their comeuppance.
Highly recommended You don't need to feel like an imposter, smart girls!
May 5, 2025
Imposter by Cait Levin is a YA fiction novel about self discovery and gender discrimination in the engineering and coding fields.
Cam is a high-school sophomore who is always always creating tech things. She finally gets the chance to take a computer science elective, but then has to ignore the boys in the class who don't think she should be there. So Cam conspires with her best friend Viv, and they engineer their way into the RoboSub team.
The RoboSub team goes to the national competition and unsurprisingly Cam and Viv are the only two girls on the team. Can Cam prove that this is where she belongs?
This book Inspires girls to pursue classes and careers they enjoy regardless of what other people think. I love the bits of code sprinkled throughout the book and think it is great for people 12+.
This is the debut novel for Cait Levin and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with! Thank you Cait for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
This awesome book comes out may 20 2025
Cam is a high-school sophomore who is always always creating tech things. She finally gets the chance to take a computer science elective, but then has to ignore the boys in the class who don't think she should be there. So Cam conspires with her best friend Viv, and they engineer their way into the RoboSub team.
The RoboSub team goes to the national competition and unsurprisingly Cam and Viv are the only two girls on the team. Can Cam prove that this is where she belongs?
This book Inspires girls to pursue classes and careers they enjoy regardless of what other people think. I love the bits of code sprinkled throughout the book and think it is great for people 12+.
This is the debut novel for Cait Levin and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with! Thank you Cait for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
This awesome book comes out may 20 2025
June 21, 2025
I absolutely loved this book, as I can totally relate. Cam, a total techie, finally gets to take computer science class and gets on the robotics team. But when it comes down to it she gets blocked at every turn by some boy who believe this field is not for girls. This is Cam’s story and how she finds her voice and proves that she belongs even more than some of the others.
Cam’s story is so very important to so many like her that also feel like imposters. The author pegged this story right the nose as in some places this is still the norm. This a field for everyone and no one should be afraid to try it. This is such a great story I hope to find more like these.
This review copy was provided by netgalley
Cam’s story is so very important to so many like her that also feel like imposters. The author pegged this story right the nose as in some places this is still the norm. This a field for everyone and no one should be afraid to try it. This is such a great story I hope to find more like these.
This review copy was provided by netgalley
September 30, 2025
This was an absolutely STANDOUT YA debut about a high school girl interested in learning to code and join the school robotics team but who constantly gets treated like she doesn't belong because she's a girl. Furious about the misogyny and lack of support for girls in STEM, she decides to step up and speak out, eventually winning over her principal and some fellow student allies. She also inspires her mother to speak up at her workplace against sexual harassment. Great on audio and HIGHLY recommended for fans of books like My mechanical romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth.
October 24, 2025
This book exceeded my expectations. A good read, with realistic male female relationships. That makes you want to punch someone in the face - well maybe if you are a dude not so much. I almost 3 stared it because a little too dyed in the wool liberal for my personal tastes but in spite of my more radical ideals this is I book I would recommend and giveaway as a summer reading book. Suitable for 6th grade readers dabbling in teen but also legit for straight up teen.
October 10, 2025
An important read through the lens of high school sophomore Cam, who is navigating the struggles of being a female interested in STEM. A little too prescriptive on how to respond to the many experiences that she has but still super important and helpful for young people to find the blueprint on how to deal with these difficult situations.
June 20, 2025
Imposter by Cait Levin was a wonderful and empowering story about a girl trying to pursue STEM.
I LOVED the characters in this book. They were so fun to read and I LOVED the way they interacted with one another. I was always rooting for Cam and Viv and Jackson’s growth into being more present and becoming their friend cause of a project was fun to read as well. Levin also did a great job of writing unlikeable characters too, I was enthusiastic to hate them lol.
I also loved the pacing of the plot as well as a few more specific things. Like how when Matt apologized she didn’t fully forgive him but told him to do better and he actually did? Love. also the fact that admin actually did something when a whole discrimination case was brought up. Also love. And the fact that they didn’t win the competition but did qualify to semis which was more than they’d done before. Like it gives them room to grow especially since we know Cam’s a sophomore (turned junior). And the fact that Cam and Viv ended up being lowkey the face of the team cause they did the interview like idk that felt so full circle to me. And when they met the all girl’s team- like was I tearing up? Definitely NOT dw (I was). But we 100% know where she’s going to college now lol.
The main big issue I had with the book was the writing. And this can be separated into two issues. For one the writing sounded a little younger than the marketed 12+ or YA. Now I never have a problem with middle grade writing. It's just that here to make it sound a bit older there would be a few swear words. I also don’t have an issue with swearing in books, this was about a girl in grade 10 after all, but it just felt like they were used as a tool to age the writing instead of actually developing it if that makes sense.
Another issue I had with the writing was the overuse of real world things. I personally don’t like when irl things are brought up in books but when it's done well I think it's fine. The issue here is I felt like the author was using it more so to genuinely be a realistic fiction even though I didn’t think she needed that because her characters were super well written and so was their day to day lives so instead it took me out of the book to read reference after reference (especially at the beginning but I got used to it near the end).
This is a debut novel and I really loved the story, I just felt like the writing needed to be developed a little more. This being said I’m actually quite interested in seeing what else she comes up with.
(also like idk but I felt like there was enough room left for a sequel so like…can I get one?)
E-arc provided by NetGalley!
I LOVED the characters in this book. They were so fun to read and I LOVED the way they interacted with one another. I was always rooting for Cam and Viv and Jackson’s growth into being more present and becoming their friend cause of a project was fun to read as well. Levin also did a great job of writing unlikeable characters too, I was enthusiastic to hate them lol.
I also loved the pacing of the plot as well as a few more specific things. Like how when Matt apologized she didn’t fully forgive him but told him to do better and he actually did? Love. also the fact that admin actually did something when a whole discrimination case was brought up. Also love. And the fact that they didn’t win the competition but did qualify to semis which was more than they’d done before. Like it gives them room to grow especially since we know Cam’s a sophomore (turned junior). And the fact that Cam and Viv ended up being lowkey the face of the team cause they did the interview like idk that felt so full circle to me. And when they met the all girl’s team- like was I tearing up? Definitely NOT dw (I was). But we 100% know where she’s going to college now lol.
The main big issue I had with the book was the writing. And this can be separated into two issues. For one the writing sounded a little younger than the marketed 12+ or YA. Now I never have a problem with middle grade writing. It's just that here to make it sound a bit older there would be a few swear words. I also don’t have an issue with swearing in books, this was about a girl in grade 10 after all, but it just felt like they were used as a tool to age the writing instead of actually developing it if that makes sense.
Another issue I had with the writing was the overuse of real world things. I personally don’t like when irl things are brought up in books but when it's done well I think it's fine. The issue here is I felt like the author was using it more so to genuinely be a realistic fiction even though I didn’t think she needed that because her characters were super well written and so was their day to day lives so instead it took me out of the book to read reference after reference (especially at the beginning but I got used to it near the end).
This is a debut novel and I really loved the story, I just felt like the writing needed to be developed a little more. This being said I’m actually quite interested in seeing what else she comes up with.
(also like idk but I felt like there was enough room left for a sequel so like…can I get one?)
E-arc provided by NetGalley!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews