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?)

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!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and the hyper-realism was very refreshing, as well as the very kind, supportive parents that don't get written into YA novels all that often. There was a lot of exposition that I wish had been shown rather than told. Because these characters felt so authentic, the moments that felt even just slightly less authentic really felt very off in comparison to the bulk of the novel. The relationships between Cam and her peers were very well drawn. The scenes that took place at the actual robotics competition were definitely some of my favorites. The theme of women in STEM was very empowering. I love what this author had to say, and I hope it reaches the teens that most need to hear it!

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

Imposter by Cait Levin was such a fun read. Sure it was a bit cliche, with a predictable plot and not super complex characters, but the heart of the story remained true and entertaining: women belong in STEM. I look forward to reading more Cait Levin in the future! Thanks for the ARC @netgalley.

Imposter is like the perfect rom-com with a twist of mystery, and I adored it! Cait Levin delivers a story full of quirky characters, awkward moments, and swoon-worthy romance that had me grinning from ear to ear.

Our main character, pretending to be someone she’s not (hello, imposter vibes!), had me both cringing and cheering as she navigates the chaos of trying to fit into a world that’s not quite hers. But as things get more complicated, and her feelings start to get real, it’s impossible not to root for her—and for the swoony romance that’s blossoming right along with the drama.

It’s a sweet, funny, and heartwarming ride full of surprises, laughs, and of course, a little bit of “uh-oh” as the truth starts to unravel. The kind of book you cozy up with when you want a happy, feel-good story with a dash of drama.

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.

This was such an empowering read. As a female with interest in engineering, this book really resonated with me. I really connected with our main character and overall just really related to the events and issues discussed in this book. Overall this was a really quick read. The only criticism I have is that I wish it was a bit longer so I could spend even more time learning these characters!