Life is Strange: Out of Focus

by Rosiee Thor

The official prequel to Life is Reunion, the thrilling finale to the Max and Chloe saga.

“In my dreams, I’m always dying.”

Chloe Price is not having a good time. Harrowed by recurring nightmares featuring her own violent death, missing Max and living in her truck, she could use a bit of luck. After a chance encounter with Izzie Margolis, she becomes the new manager for the up-and-coming band Drugstore Makeup. In the years since the split with Steph in Haven Springs, Izzie has recruited a full band to bolster her energetic sound and heartfelt lyrics. Chasing success and fighting for greater recognition, Drugstore Makeup find themselves on the cusp of their next big break.

So when Chloe kicks them out of their comfort zone, Izzie and the band enter a tornado of writing and rehearsing fresh songs as they prepare to record an album, embarking on a tour of grimy live music venues to grow their fandom mosh pit by mosh pit, and vigorously debating the optimum ratio of band merchandise to sleeping bags in the back of their shared touring van.

But with a drummer who can’t keep time, debts that won’t stop piling, venues that never live up to the photos online, and a manager who seems more troubled than the band, will this year, and this tour, see Drugstore Makeup reach the next level - or see them wiped out?!

Genres: Young Adult, Audiobook, LGBT, Contemporary, Video Games, Paranormal, Queer

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Rosiee Thor began their career as a storyteller by demanding to tell their mother bedtime stories instead of the other way around. They spent their childhood reading by flashlight in the closet until they came out as queer. Now, they write stories for all ages, including young adult novels Tarnished Are The Stars and Fire Becomes Her, the picture book The Meaning of Pride, and tie-in novels for franchises like Life is Strange and Firefly. Their short fiction appears in many anthologies, including the Lambda award nominated Being Ace, and they are the editor of Why On Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology. Their debut cozy mystery, The Dead & Breakfast, is forthcoming from Berkley Press. Rosiee lives in Oregon with a dog, two cats, and an abundance of plants. You can find them online at www.rosieethor.com or on social media @rosieethor.

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh devil, I know you're afraid, sometimes it's hard to learn from all your mistakes / Oh devil, I'm glad that you came, guess I should learn how to live because it won't go away (Oh Devil – Electric Guest).

Have you ever spent a large swath of time so enamored and engrossed in a book that you give yourself a headache? A book headache, if you will. You know, the swell of knowledge absorbed by the story that has your head ballooning up to MODOK size? Because damn, your boy Megamind over here just finished Life is Strange: Out of Focus and my head is about to burst, and whenever that happens, the only thing that can reset my brain is watching a mindless horror movie. So it's too bad that I decided to finally get around to Longlegs, which just messed with my mind even more. Is she possessed by the evil doll at the end!? Because that’s definitely what it seems like! Anyway, what I’m trying to say in my typical round-about way is that all of this preamble is meant as a big compliment to everyone involved with putting this book together, but most of all Rosiee Thor deserves special praise for managing the insurmountable task of writing two of the only good book companions to a series that has its home in another medium. Granted, I haven’t read many, but those Mass Effect and Dragon Age books really do prove that some writers are only good in certain mediums. David Gaider? An absolute groundbreaking writer in the video game space, but as a novelist? Completely forgettable. Oh, and have any of you read the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novelization (this won’t be the last time I’m going to talk about this movie here) that was written by Quentin Tarantino himself? Because damn, that book is awful. I remember thinking I’d have a grand old time because even though I never had a Pulp Fiction poster on my wall like every film buff, I've always enjoyed the lyrical quality to his dialogue. So, you know, I figured him writing full length novels would be an simply next step! Yeah well, it turns out moving to different art forms is always going to have a learning curve, and we should really respect people who are able to put out beautiful books like Out of Focus. Great job Rosiee Thor!

The way they were able to capture the unique voices of both Steph Gingrich and Chloe Price has got to count for something, right? Because I can’t think of two more different characters in the series. Whereas Steph is the lovable geek, Chloe is abrasive, rebellious, hard-headed, and constantly sabotages herself to keep herself from feeling vulnerable. It’s pretty relatable, I can’t lie! What I love the most about these books is that they don't try to re-write characters to make them more “likable,” but instead they take established knowledge and goes from there. I know that’s, like, “writing 101” or whatever, but considering the amount of times I’ve seen characters switch up because the audience “doesn’t like them,” I suppose It’s a class that many authors need to retake. And as if to underline this ancient writing technique, Steph’s ex-girlfriend Izzie is once again a major character in this novel and… well, she’s still kind of a jerk. See, instead of sanding over the edges of her personality, Rosiee Thor expands on Izzie’s history of dealing with transphobia and doesn’t bother excusing her selfish actions, but rather explains how she became like this. That’s how you make a character sympathetic, because by letting a character be hard to like, you ironically make them easier to like. Does that make any sense? Basically, by treating your characters like people, we as the reader are able to see them as people! Meet them where they’re at and all that. Because I can’t tell you the amount of books and shows and movies where the writers would try to “get ahead” of audience reaction by having other characters to work as a mouthpiece defending a shitty character’s actions (The Office and The Walking Dead being the worst offenders of this), and due to this lazy ass writing tactic, they only ever made said character more hated. The main reason why I’m stuck on character integrity and the sanctity of adapting works into other mediums is because in other news, they’re making a Life is Strange show. Yay? Seriously, I should be scared, but I’m actually excited!

Life is Strange is one of those properties like The Last of Us where it doesn’t get kudos if it’s adapted perfectly because it’s a story that already lends itself to a movie-like narratives, but hey, you should never underestimate people’s ability to fuck up art. I’m just saying, you can say the same words, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have the same effect! I can’t count the amount of adaptions that made all of my favorite stuff seem silly. Take Revolutionary Road for example! The book explores the quiet suffocating that being trapped in a horrid marriage can do to a couple, but with the movie version, you just have an over-acting Leonardo DiCaprio screaming his head off and turning one of my favorite books into a high school play. Man that movie blows. Anyway, I should talk about Out of Focus, huh? I don’t know what it is about Life is Strange that makes me want to talk about whatever forever and ever and ever! So yeah, this book features everybody’s favorite rebel without a cause (or a house), Chloe Price, in the midst of a mid-youth crisis as she wanders from city to city trying to find a purpose in life. See, I told you she was relatable! It seems like her spontaneous breaking up with Max Caulfield fucked her up more than she’d originally thought because damn, our girl’s a mess! Thankfully, she runs into lead singer of indie band Drugstore Makeup, Izzie Margolis, which she had already met in passing through Izzie’s ex-girlfriend and Chloe’s old high school chum, Steph Gingrich. They get to talking for a bit, and after turning up the classic “Chloe charm,” she ends up becoming Drugstore Makeup’s new manager. So punk rock. What follows is a existential odyssey (I’m using the Hurry up Tomorrow marketing terminology) where Chloe has to find out who she is without Max, which again, is hard to do seeing as she’s both still in love with her and keeps having prophetic dreams where she’s given a front row seat to all the times she would have died without superhero Max being there to save the day.

“Max hasn’t been around for a while. I wonder when I’ll stop looking for her in every crowd.”

Damn, it’s no wonder Chloe’s so messed up, she's the universe's plaything. Anyway, I loved this book! From the fleshed out characters (zombie compliment) to the way most of the conflict revolves around Chloe's internalized existential crisis rather than the louder villains from the video game series, I’d definitely read a thousand more Life is Strange books… just as long as Rosiee Thor is at the helm. I’d follow them anywhere, and that’s saying something because I normally don’t pay too much attention to authors. “Hey, have you read the new Ali Hazelwood!?” I honestly have no idea! Though I guess if I had one complaint about this book, I'd say that due to Out of Focus being sandwiched between two video games, it sits in a weird spot in the sense that it doesn’t really have a true resolution or any answers to the somewhat out of place supernatural aspects of the story. Even the fact that there are supernatural elements to the story could seem out of place considering Chloe is always superhero adjacent rather than the one rewinding time herself! Sure, I don't really know why anybody would read a Life is Strange book without knowing anything about the series, but you never know. I saw a review for one of the Assassin's Creed novelizations where the lady was angry because she had apparently thought it was a history novel rather than a, you know, pseudo science fiction property based off of a video game where you can jump off of buildings into a bale of hay and walk away just fine. No really, I feel for the person, but that's really funny to me. It'd be like going to a history channel and watching Ancient Aliens... oh wait. I'm just saying, I know everything that’s going on in Life is Strange because I’m a super fan of the series at this point, but I could see how some might find the narrative wanting. For one, Chloe keeps seeing a shape-shifter in her dreams who I know is Safi, Max's bestie from Double Exposure, and I know what we're seeing is her traveling the country trying to find other people with powers like Nick Fury, but there's no indication of any of this within Out of Focus' narrative proper.

Or how about the fact that in Double Exposure, Max was able to combine the two timelines where both Chloe lives and Arcadia Bay survives the storm. We literally see Chloe tripping out about this in the book, but because these are questions answered in Reunion, the book fans will have to hop over to the games to understand the full story. I mean, I guess Chloe's confusion on all of the crazy shit happening is why she decides to go find Max at the end, but I'm just saying you could argue that this book might feel unfinished despite the full story being out there ready for people to experience. It’s like how Andor season two ends moments before the movie Rogue One, and even though it’s cool to watch those YouTube videos where they make the timelines match up in chronological order, it also means that Andor as a show doesn’t really have an ending in the traditional sense. Like, I guess we’ve got to watch Rogue One now to get the full story. Trying to get people to go to a second location is always going to be a bit of an ask, that's my point here. And that’s how Out of Focus is, it’s a wonderful treat for the fans of the series, but if you really want the full picture, then you’ve got to go boot up Life is Strange: Reunion right now. I mean, that’s totally fine though, because that game is awesome, but the pretentious book reader in me almost wishes that the Life is Strange franchise was always a series of novels so I wouldn’t have to jump from medium to medium like Jean Grey body hopping. That's why I was always skeptical of James Gunn's original plan for his DC comic book universe, because it included way too many mediums. Movies, shows, animated shows, and video games!? Get real dude, I'm not following a narrative across all these different venues. I don't even think the Marvel Disney+ shows should exist, I believe they should all be movies. Besides, I know this is me swinging at hornet nests again, but there aren't any superheroes interesting enough to carry an eight episode television show. Daredevil is the perfect example of that, like, how many times can you just rehash the same moral dilemma over and over again?

In other words, I think everything should be put in one place where I can find it! Also, if we're speaking of nitpicks... it’s wild to me how the characters in these books are always gobbling up cheese and drinking Oreo milkshakes or whatever, because I’m always sitting here wondering how they can shovel all this garbage in their mouths without worrying about the nearest bathroom for the entirety of the night. Like, this book is so wonderfully diverse, but where’s my lactose intolerant representation!? Lactating boys for short… hold up, that came out wrong, that’s a different kind of book! But that’s it, that’s all the complaints I have for this book and they aren’t even real complaints, isn’t that strange!? Hehe. Really though, I always have a great time with these kinds of books because the people behind Life is Strange are as “reference happy” as I am. Like, there’d be a sentence talking about one of the band mates entering the room “fully dressed in a lemon-yellow jumpsuit like the one from Kill Bill” and my posture goes straight while I get ready to do that finger snap thing like Leonardo DiCaprio does in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! Though, if I had to be that nerd emoji pushing up his glasses for a moment, the jumpsuit in Kill Bill was actually already a reference to Bruce Lee’s iconic outfit from the movie Game of Death. Which is funny because one of Quentin Tarantino’s most popular movies is so heavily stealing from a man he so brazenly disrespected in, again, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I’m just saying, Bruce Lee would fuck up both Tarantino and fake teeth having ass Brad Pitt. I guess that's not saying much seeing as the only people Brad Pitt picks fights with are his own children. Also, he was a terrible Achilles and Troy sucks ass. Alright then, I should wrap up because otherwise I'll just spend another five paragraphs complaining about actors I hate. Like actor Mark Wahlberg on account of all the hate crimes he committed. But this isn't about the things I hate, it's all about loo~oove! I loved Out of Focus because it places Chloe Price at center focus and gives her the arc necessary to show everyone that she’s more than a love-interest orbiting Max Caulfield’s planet.

Oh devil, I'm back for a while, 'till I pick up the phone, look for your number and dial / Oh devil, I made my own hell, and deep inside I'm sure I got here all by myself.

[Endora Cwtsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosiee Thor was able to capture Chloe’s voice from the very first page, and Out of Focus serves as a great prologue to Life is Strange: Reunion.
It leads us right up to where we’re introduced to her in-game.

There were moments that genuinely had me welling up, particularly near the end.

The story at its core is a fun read, but I’m a big fan of Drugstore Makeup. And I always adore cameos from past beloved characters.

This feels like it written by a fan for the fans, in the best way. I’m glad we got one more adventure with Chloe thanks to Rosiee.

[Stella · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

What an absolute dogshit book. It mischaracterize Chloe so bad it hurts to read, it makes me question if the author has ever even played the games she is basing this on. At worst, this feels like some other book they had sitting half done which they just filled in with vaguely LiS related paragraphs and name drops here and there to complete it and make it a tie in novel.
And I absolutely hated the character of Izzi. In a book that is supposed to be about Chloe, everything centers around her. She is an extremely burdensome person that everyone else has to baby around and tell her "noooo you're not a burden", as everything in this book is about fixing the problems she specifically causes.

An absolutely terrible read that was agonising to get through. At many points I just wanted to rip the book in half while sitting on the bus reading.
Avoid at all costs.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now… I was a little weary of reading this one at first. I mean, everything seemed to line up and I LOVE Chloe as a character, but I’ve never actually finished reading Steph’s story, and after reading a preview of it a while back, discerned that it wasn’t really my thing. So this book was sort of a shot in the dark for me, especially being relatively new to the whole Drugstore Makeup cast (when I played Reunion for the first time I was REALLY quite lost… but I hadn’t played TC yet either so that really was my fault). But I was so, so pleasantly surprised!!

So enough analogy-ing and onto the book!!

Chloe’s narration and characterisation was SO true to her. It just literally was her, and all of her, on the page, and that’s such a credit to the author. It’s difficult to take a much loved character like Chloe, from a non-novel format (even from a sort of Reunion/before the storm game format where you have access to some of her thoughts) and realistically translate it into a narrative voice. I was fearful of this too, as I feel like some of the things we see of Chloe in the games (namely her lines of dialogue in the True Colours DLC - Wavelengths) don’t feel true to her character and rather exaggerate her into an overly-confident psuedo-aggressive version of herself. I was so worried that this would be the same in the novel, but far from it. Rosiee Thorr wrote Chloe so well, in all capacities, her typical sarcasm, her grief and her yearning all projected so soulfully in their writing, I genuinely had a tear in my eye a few times. Probably overdramatic. But it really was Chloe!

The members of Drugstore Makeup were interesting to say the least!! Izzie’s somewhat immaturity did stress me out at times, but deep down her character is such an interesting parallel to Chloe. They really are two sides of the same coin. I think that’s the right idiom 😬. Bash was such a light and fun character, and I found myself really drawn to Marisol, along with Chloe.

My only minor issue is the song titles MAY have had me cringing just a little… maybe it’s because I’m not American, or maybe because I’m not really in the punk music scene but some of the titles and snippets of lyrics did lead me to question the integrity of the band’s popularity just a little 🤔🤔 but I’m being picky. Ignore me. Maybe it’s just because I still don’t quite know what ‘Crotch Rot’ is at the end of the novel.

Back to the positives, I’m not going to say much as not to spoil but the cameos throughout made me so happy. It’s like a familiar character was just around every corner. And similarly… if anyone was starving of Diamond content given her non-existence in Reunion… she does get a few mentions!! And of course Max gets the most mentions of all. She’s never not on Chloe’s mind 😉

All in all I really enjoyed!! It was so refreshing to get more Chloe content, and I don’t think I’m quite ready to let her go just yet.

[Natasha]

dnf @ 17%

this writing is horrendously "how do you do, fellow queer kids". i love life is strange and i love chloe but the writing is just too bad to push through. i wish it was more geared towards older audiences.

[Jess Tonucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love love love. I think Rosiee did a great job capturing Chloe and I enjoyed the Steph and Alex cameo! The only reason I didn't give this a 5 is because any references regarding Chloe from Double Exposure weren't here which creates some continuity issues with the games. I would have loved to see her meet up with Victoria like she did in the game or see her on crosstalk maybe snooping on Max.

[bryn · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5.

i’ve loved chloe and max as characters since 2013 and unfortunately they will always make me spend money. this was very cute and a nice little glimpse into chloe’s life before the last game.

[ti ✧ · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

my second 1 star in 13 years of reading. i got so mad at this book because of how bad it was.

reasons for why it was so bad:

- canonical mistakes (SO many)
- nonsensical moments (just things that did not make any sense, especially with what has been established in reunion; reunion was also riddled with plot holes, so at least it's consistent)
- shitting on characters for no reason (especially safi and david)
- 90% was chloe whining about max (i don't ship pricefield at ALL)
- every 2 pages there seemed to be random as fuck cameo, some of which made NO sense (like kate saying she was rooting for max and chloe to get together and that they seemed glued together when she canonically NEVER saw them together; holy pricefield shoehorning)
- changed even more established things (like chloe and david's relationship in 2)
- it just hurt to see 95% of decisions that i would NEVER make
- just like in reunion, double exposure was ignored more than most of the other games (except safi and diamond moments, which made no sense and didn't offer any more insight)
- maybe i'm reading too much into this, but rosiee thanked the one bringing bash and marisol to life, same with chloe's VAs but not izzie's? (deandra was the one to breathe life into izzie BUT she's the one who wrote double exposure which they're trying to erase) this seemed super rude

i wish i could forget i ever read this. no way in hell will i ever touch this again or consider it canon. just like reunion, it's only good if the only thing you care about is chloe and / or pricefield.

[Katie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!

I have just got back into reading after 10 years away and I was lucky enough for this book to release when I was just starting to read again. It was meant to be!

Rosiee Thor really captured Chloe’s personality and voice perfectly and I could imagine this playing out as another spin off game.

It was completely relatable as I am around the same age as Chloe and it was nice to read about a woman my age who is still trying to figure stuff out. It helps you realise not everyone has life mapped out by a certain age and not to pressure yourself.

I loved the band drugstore make-up and they all had their own personalities. I’d love to read another book about the band even if Chloe wasn’t the protagonist. I’m not ready to let them go yet!

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is Strange: Out of Focus by Rosiee Thor — Book Review

Life is Strange: Out of Focus by Rosiee Thor is an interesting and surprisingly emotional addition to the Life is Strange universe. The novel serves as the official prequel to Life is Strange: Reunion, while bringing Chloe Price back into the center of the story. Rather than simply rehashing the events of the games, Thor takes Chloe away from Arcadia Bay and places her in an entirely different environment: the chaotic, broke, exhausting world of touring punk music.

The result is a story that feels very different from a traditional Life is Strange adventure while still capturing many of the things that make the franchise work: complicated relationships, unresolved trauma, identity, friendship, music, nostalgia, and the question of what someone does when the person they love most is no longer beside them.

Chloe Price Gets the Spotlight

The biggest reason to read Out of Focus is Chloe herself.

Chloe has always been one of the most recognizable characters in Life is Strange, but she is also a character whose life has been defined by loss. The original game established her relationship with Max, the death of Rachel Amber, her complicated relationship with David, and the destruction of Arcadia Bay depending on the player’s choices.

Out of Focus is particularly interested in what happens to Chloe afterward.

The novel opens with Chloe struggling with recurring nightmares about her own violent death. She is also living out of her truck and missing Max. That immediately establishes the emotional foundation of the novel. Chloe may still have her trademark attitude, sarcasm, rebelliousness, and punk aesthetic, but underneath all of that is someone who is deeply unsettled by her circumstances.

That is something Thor handles particularly well.

Rather than turning Chloe into a completely different person, the novel builds upon what fans already know about her. Her sarcasm becomes a defense mechanism. Her impulsiveness becomes both a strength and a weakness. Her loyalty remains one of her defining qualities.

There is also something fitting about Chloe becoming a band manager.

She has never been the sort of character who naturally fits into a conventional life. Putting her in charge of a struggling punk band gives her a new responsibility without suddenly making her conventional or mature overnight.

Drugstore Makeup Returns

The other major attraction is the return of Drugstore Makeup.

Fans who read Thor’s earlier novel Life is Strange: Steph’s Story will recognize the importance of the band. That book explored Steph Gingrich’s relationship with Izzie Margolis and the formation of Drugstore Makeup, including the band’s early touring years.

Out of Focus essentially brings that thread forward into a new chapter.

Izzie has assembled a full band and is trying to push Drugstore Makeup toward greater success. Chloe’s unexpected arrival as their manager throws another unpredictable personality into the mix.

This creates one of the novel’s greatest strengths: the band feels like a dysfunctional little family.

They are talented, broke, exhausted, occasionally irresponsible, and constantly struggling to keep themselves moving forward.

They have to deal with:

* Writing and rehearsing new material
* Recording an album
* Touring small venues
* Financial problems
* Bad venues
* Equipment and logistical problems
* Sleeping arrangements in a touring van
* Internal disagreements
* A drummer who apparently cannot keep time

The result gives the book a road-trip quality that distinguishes it from most other Life is Strange stories.

The Road-Trip Element Works Surprisingly Well

One of the things I enjoyed most about the premise is how naturally the road-trip structure fits Life is Strange.

The franchise has always been interested in journeys.

Max travels back into Chloe’s life.

Alex travels to Haven Springs.

Steph moves from place to place trying to figure out where she belongs.

Chloe has spent much of her life trying to find somewhere she can actually call home.

Now she is literally living out of a truck while traveling with a punk band.

That creates a nice thematic connection between physical movement and emotional uncertainty.

Nobody in this story has everything figured out.

The band wants success.

Chloe wants direction.

Izzie wants recognition.

Everyone is trying to reach somewhere better, but they have very different ideas about what “better” actually means.

Chloe and Max

Although Max is not physically present throughout the story in the same way she is in the original game, her presence hangs over Chloe’s story.

This is probably one of the most important aspects of Out of Focus for longtime fans.

The book is not simply saying, “Here’s Chloe doing something unrelated to Max.”

Instead, it explores Chloe’s life in the emotional shadow of their relationship.

That makes sense considering Out of Focus is positioned as a prequel to Life is Strange: Reunion, which returns to the Max-and-Chloe storyline.

Without getting into major spoilers, the novel uses Chloe’s memories, dreams, fears, and feelings to establish emotional groundwork for what comes next.

This is especially effective because Chloe’s relationship with Max has always been about more than romance or friendship. Max represents home, history, loss, hope, and the possibility of a different future.

Thor understands that Chloe doesn’t simply “get over” everything that happened.

She carries it.

The Emotional Side of the Novel

Despite the punk-rock setting, Out of Focus is fundamentally an emotional character story.

The title itself becomes increasingly appropriate.

Chloe is “out of focus” in more ways than one.

She doesn’t completely understand where her life is going.

She doesn’t know how to process everything she has experienced.

She doesn’t know what her future with Max looks like.

And she has to figure out how to live with uncertainty instead of constantly trying to escape it.

That is very Life is Strange.

The franchise has never been particularly interested in perfectly resolved lives. Its characters are messy, emotional, sometimes self-destructive people who are trying to make sense of circumstances that are frequently beyond their control.

Thor’s writing fits that philosophy.

Rosiee Thor Understands the Franchise

Having previously written Life is Strange: Steph’s Story, Thor already has experience working with this universe. Her earlier novel explored Steph’s punk background, her relationship with Izzie, and the formation of Drugstore Makeup.

That experience clearly helps here.

Thor understands that Life is Strange isn’t really about supernatural powers.

The supernatural elements are important, but they are ultimately tools for telling human stories.

At its core, the franchise is about relationships.

It’s about people trying to understand themselves.

It’s about regret.

It’s about love.

It’s about grief.

And sometimes it’s about accepting that you cannot undo everything that happened to you.

Those ideas translate surprisingly well into a story about a punk band struggling to survive.

The Supporting Cast

The Drugstore Makeup members provide a useful counterbalance to Chloe.

Chloe’s personality could easily dominate a story like this, but putting her around a group of people who have their own ambitions and problems prevents the novel from becoming nothing more than another Chloe-and-Max retrospective.

The band members also provide much of the humor.

There is something inherently funny about a group of musicians trying to survive on tour while dealing with limited money, terrible venues, sleeping in a van, and questionable logistical decisions.

That humor is important because Life is Strange has always balanced heavy emotional material with moments of absurdity and genuine fun.

Without those lighter moments, the story would become exhausting.

What Makes It Feel Like Life is Strange?

For me, the most important success of Out of Focus is that it doesn’t need supernatural powers to feel like Life is Strange.

There is no need for Max to rewind time every five minutes.

There doesn’t need to be another apocalypse.

There doesn’t need to be another supernatural mystery.

Instead, the “strange” part comes from the characters themselves.

Chloe is trying to understand what happened to her life.

Izzie is trying to make something meaningful out of music.

The band is trying to turn a collection of dreams into an actual career.

Everyone is dealing with the consequences of choices they have already made.

That is enough.

A Different Kind of Life is Strange Story

If someone approaches Out of Focus expecting another supernatural mystery like the original game, they may be surprised.

This is much more of a character-driven road story.

The stakes are personal rather than apocalyptic.

The conflict is frequently interpersonal rather than supernatural.

The central question isn’t “Can Chloe save the world?”

It’s closer to:

Can Chloe figure out how to keep moving forward when she isn’t sure where she belongs?

That is a much quieter question, but arguably a more appropriate one for Chloe at this stage of her life.

Final Thoughts

Life is Strange: Out of Focus is a strong example of how licensed novels can expand a game universe without simply copying the games.

Rosiee Thor takes Chloe Price, one of the most complicated characters in the franchise, and puts her somewhere unexpected.

Instead of Arcadia Bay, she gets a touring van.

Instead of investigating a supernatural mystery, she is trying to keep a punk band together.

Instead of constantly running from the past, she has to confront how much of that past is still affecting her.

And that is ultimately what makes the novel work.

It is a story about moving forward without necessarily knowing where you’re going.

For longtime Life is Strange fans, the biggest appeal will obviously be Chloe and the connections to Max, Steph, Izzie, and Drugstore Makeup. But the novel also works as its own character-focused story about music, friendship, grief, identity, and finding a place in the world.

It also makes Out of Focus an especially interesting bridge into Life is Strange: Reunion. Knowing that this is officially positioned as the prequel to that story gives Chloe’s emotional journey additional significance.

Overall, Life is Strange: Out of Focus feels less like another chapter of the original game and more like a missing piece of Chloe Price’s life.

It isn’t about rewriting her past.

It is about showing what happens when Chloe has to live with it.

And for a character whose entire identity has been shaped by the people and places she has lost, that’s a story worth telling.

My verdict as a fan: Out of Focus is a worthwhile addition to the Life is Strange expanded universe, particularly for readers who enjoy Chloe, Max, Steph, Drugstore Makeup, and the more grounded emotional side of the franchise.

[Stian Koxvig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosiee Thor manages to give us a perfect prequel book to Life is Strange Reunion. and the way she captures Chloe Prices personality is brilliant

I love how the audiobook is read by Rhianna DeVries. nothing better than actually getting Chloes VA to read it

Drugstore Makeup is a great bunch of characters and their chemistry with Chloe and Izzie and Marisol are all so funny i laughed out loud while listening a lot

And of course Max. Chloes aching for Max leading up to where we meet her in Reunion. it is brilliant. it is the first Life is Strange book i have read and now i am curious about the others

I had so much fun when Steph and Alex appeared at the festival and Steph still just being herself

[Elfriede · Rating 4 out of 5]

so angsty (i love it)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Emotionally speaking, if Rachel was a wildfire, Max is a carefully built campfire. As for me, I'm a spark from a lit cigarette—better hope it isn't unseasonably dry."

It was really fun to get a deep dive into Drugstore Makeup and see how Chloe has developed emotionally since her self-proclaimed "drama queen" teenage years, while also maintaining her signature wit and snark (definitely a lot of great opportunities for backtalk challenges in this one). Absolutely loved the nods and easter eggs to True Colours and the comics, and even getting a look into what happened to Safi directly after the events of Double Exposure (would honestly love to see Safi and Diamond's story expanded on in a future story!)

And of course, loved how Chloe genuinely believed for a moment that dumping Max had caused her to turn into an evil, littering baddie.

The last few chapters provided 10 years' worth of catharsis

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually good! Very fast and readable and captures Chloe’s voice well (if a little OOC in places). Deepens the story pre-Reunion, shed a little light on the choices they made and makes it believable. Stays true to life is strange by cramming in every cringe popular slang that’s occurred in the last 18 years. Well drawn characters, way more than I coulda hoped for from a franchise book.

[Revan Legend · Rating 1 out of 5]

10 Second Review:

LiS is my fave gaming franchise. Was sooo excited for this book as well, but i have to break out the rare 1* for this.

The book felt like 90% a PSA, 10% a novel. And what we did get of story was mostly an Izzie who was even more unlikable than she was in Stephs Story (and thats saying something) and endless DSM bickering and bitching.

Similar to Stephs Story, the novels best part happens towards the very end. The entire Arcadia Bay section was good, especially the graveyard scene..

The saving grace for me was that i was listening to the audiobook version, and Rhianna DeVries was PHENOMENAL. Obviously she was excellent as Chloe but her portrayal of Steph & Joyce was sooo fricken good too!

1.5 overall but what a missed opportunity.

[Rei Smoak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness, is there a lot to say about this one. There is so much that this book touches on that hits close to home, even as it fills in important gaps in the timeline from before Double Exposure all the way to just before Reunion. A much needed catch up with Steph and Alex, the continuing story of Drugstore Makeup - and Izzy's story and journey, all of which is deeply meaningful to me. Rosiee Thor also writes one of the best takes on a grown up, (slightly?) matured Chloe Price, wrestling with purpose and self-worth and visions of lives that she never lived and deaths that she doesn't remember. Reunion does a good job telling its story in isolation, but if you enjoyed the game then I feel like this book is damn near essential reading. Can't praise it highly enough.

[bibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The sky doesn't know anything about Max—how her hair smells, how her brain works. The sky doesn't know how she'd lean into my side, snuggle against my shoulder, and ask me to tell her about the stars. (...) Fuck the sky."

Chloe, my beloved, my sweet, yearner lesbian. Reading it with the audiobook was the best fucking decision ever, I don't think I'd ever cry the same I actually cried without the audiobook.
Honestly, it was so bittersweet to read this. But at the same time, it was like balm. I really love reading or playing or watching anything in which Chloe is involved, she's such a complex character, but I loved reading glimpses of her past in Arcadia Bay, as well as the way she learned how to deal with other's shit.

[Dominic Fammartino · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long time life is strange fan I really enjoyed this book. I love the all of the new characters that they established as well as the old ones. I also really enjoyed how this book tied together with the other life is strange novels, it really makes it feel rewarding having read them. While I don’t agree with the direction the franchise has gone in I can definitely say I recommend this book despite that.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10.
+ I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version with Chloe's voice actor Rhianna Devries. That and put on some ambient Reunion soundtrack for the ultimate Life is Strange nostalgia trip.
+ Rhianna's narration is amazing. Not only is her Chloe voice on point and lovely to listen to, but she does other characters surprisingly well.
+ All the nostalgia moments, Chloe thinking of Max, and everyone from Arcadia Bay.
+ Lots of nice cameos.
- The only weak part of this book is the overall band drama, which is 80% focused on Izzie. Which sucks because I found Izzie and Bash to be kind of boring/annoying.

[Slush_verte01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It read somewhat like a fanfiction, but I found the book cute and true to Chloe's POV (especially the parts where she can't seem to move past Rachel, Max, or her dad - that seemed very on character). It's a good prequel to the last game (Reunion).

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn Thor nailed Chloe. Perfect read for in between DE and Reunion, fills the gap on Chloe’s end perfectly, catches us up with some old favorites, lets us in on who Drugstore Makeup is… and it’s just LiS (max and Chloe saga) pure and simple. This is what I wanted from a game tie in novel.

[Moon Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved to hear Chloe’s side of the story also it was pretty cute

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of juvenile and cringe in parts but that's the best bits of LIS!

[Nik · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

admitting that i read all that for a few pricefield and safi CRUMBS

[Candela · Rating 5 out of 5]

😭😭😭 mi chlowi… necesito 100 libros más sobre ella