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protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
Word Nerd is the second Scrabble related kids book that I have read recently and I'll say that I enjoyed the story here better, whereas I found the Scrabble action in The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman more compelling. Ambrose is a lovable character who proves that everyone needs to find his place in the world. Cosmo isn't exactly a 100% believable character, but he fits well with the story. Overall I would recommend this book for young audiences and Scrabble fans.
sienaro's review against another edition
4.0
A heartwarming story about a young boy’s friendship with an unlikely group of scrabble players. Ambrose learns about life and discovers who he is as his mother seems to be trying to thwart him. Many good morals are shared and I’d recommend to any coming of age young reader.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is a fun YA novel with quirky characters and a happy ending. Tension is resolved and good things happen when people are given 2nd chances. Young scrabble lovers will find plenty of helpful advice and word-lists.
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
When I saw Word Nerd on NetGalley I was really intrigued and had to know what this book was all about. I liked how simple yet eye catching the cover is, and how it all relates to the story inside, and I could not wait to dive in. Going into Word Nerd I didn't know what to expect, never having read anything by the author before, but I found myself quickly falling into the pages and really enjoying the story, that ensures you are emotionally invested, as well as having some humorous moments.
A clever and unique thing about Word Nerd are the chapter titles. Each title is an anagram, with words that can be found within the word, and then the unscrambled title underneath. I really like when book covers make connections to the pages and this definitely made the book stand out.
Ambrose, the protagonist of this story is a geek, a nerd, and a strong member of the unpopular crowd. He gets bullied for his name, his lunches, his clothing, but likes to keep it from his Mum. This plan is blown when a bully slips a peanut into Ambrose's sandwich that causes him to have a very severe reaction (luckily for us and the story Ambrose survives) but his Mum is furious, and removes him from the school and enrolls him in correspondence school. He gets all the work that he used to, but completes it at home rather than on the premises.
Before I go any further let me give you a bit of background info on Ambrose. He lives with his Mum, his Dad died of an aneurysm, which is why his Mum is very over protective of him. They live in the basement of a house, rented to them from the Economopouloses, The Economopouloses are an old couple who at first live alone, whilst their son is in prison. But before long their son Cosmo returns home, much to the horror of Ambrose's mum.
I really liked how Ambrose isn't afraid of Cosmo, and is more curious than anything else, wanting to know the ins and out of his time away, what he is doing at the moment, etc. The usual twenty questions from children, his naivety is something that helps form a friendship with Cosmo, doing good for both of them, with defense lessons, and scrabble group.
Word Nerd was a quick read for me, and I really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were real and relatable, and the plot of the story was paced really well and didn't feel rushed. I like how a very unlikely friendship was formed, that has benefits for all involved. I loved the scrabble games, and how Ambrose pushes himself to do better and that Cosmo does what he can to stay on the right path.
Final Verdict
Word Nerd was a book I loved, and is also one that surprised e with how much I did like it. I loved the message that is passed on from reading this, not to let the past control your future, and how opposites can really be friends.The author is definitely on my watch list and I cant wait to read some of her other books.
A clever and unique thing about Word Nerd are the chapter titles. Each title is an anagram, with words that can be found within the word, and then the unscrambled title underneath. I really like when book covers make connections to the pages and this definitely made the book stand out.
Ambrose, the protagonist of this story is a geek, a nerd, and a strong member of the unpopular crowd. He gets bullied for his name, his lunches, his clothing, but likes to keep it from his Mum. This plan is blown when a bully slips a peanut into Ambrose's sandwich that causes him to have a very severe reaction (luckily for us and the story Ambrose survives) but his Mum is furious, and removes him from the school and enrolls him in correspondence school. He gets all the work that he used to, but completes it at home rather than on the premises.
Before I go any further let me give you a bit of background info on Ambrose. He lives with his Mum, his Dad died of an aneurysm, which is why his Mum is very over protective of him. They live in the basement of a house, rented to them from the Economopouloses, The Economopouloses are an old couple who at first live alone, whilst their son is in prison. But before long their son Cosmo returns home, much to the horror of Ambrose's mum.
I really liked how Ambrose isn't afraid of Cosmo, and is more curious than anything else, wanting to know the ins and out of his time away, what he is doing at the moment, etc. The usual twenty questions from children, his naivety is something that helps form a friendship with Cosmo, doing good for both of them, with defense lessons, and scrabble group.
Word Nerd was a quick read for me, and I really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were real and relatable, and the plot of the story was paced really well and didn't feel rushed. I like how a very unlikely friendship was formed, that has benefits for all involved. I loved the scrabble games, and how Ambrose pushes himself to do better and that Cosmo does what he can to stay on the right path.
Final Verdict
Word Nerd was a book I loved, and is also one that surprised e with how much I did like it. I loved the message that is passed on from reading this, not to let the past control your future, and how opposites can really be friends.The author is definitely on my watch list and I cant wait to read some of her other books.
vcreative's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's been quite a while since I finished a book in very little time. It was very fast-paced with an interesting start to the book.
The struggles in his book are real and the raw honesty of what is going on in an adolescent boy is very well written. I also loved the scrabble thing and how it makes the main theme throughout the book.
I wanna read more books by this author sometime.
The struggles in his book are real and the raw honesty of what is going on in an adolescent boy is very well written. I also loved the scrabble thing and how it makes the main theme throughout the book.
I wanna read more books by this author sometime.
alboyer6's review against another edition
4.0
After having this book checked out for a while I figured it was time to read it. And once again this author surprises me with a book that exceeds expectations. The reader doesn't have to like Scrabble or be a word nerd but just enjoy complex characters beautifully developed in a small package.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose. Poor poor Ambrose. His overprotective mother moves him from place to place every couple of years and he is a self proclaimed "friendless nerd." The day he almost died pretty much describes his life: a trio of bullies, the three stooges, put a peanut in his sandwich and he is deathly allergic. This starts a huge change to Ambrose's life. He starts being homeschooled, meets his landlord's ex-con of a son, and find others who like Scrabble as much as he does.
marie_gg's review against another edition
4.0
http://mariesbookgarden.blogspot.com/2014/08/word-nerd.html
Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled.
Alone in the evenings when Irene goes to work, Ambrose pesters Cosmo, the twenty-five-year-old son of the Greek landlords who live upstairs. Cosmo has just been released from jail for breaking and entering to support a drug habit. Quite by accident, Ambrose discovers that they share a love of Scrabble and coerces Cosmo into taking him to the West Side Scrabble Club, where Cosmo falls for Amanda, the club director. Posing as Ambrose’s Big Brother to impress her, Cosmo is motivated to take Ambrose to the weekly meetings and to give him lessons in self-defense. Cosmo, Amanda, and Ambrose soon form an unlikely alliance and, for the first time in his life, Ambrose blossoms. The characters at the Scrabble Club come to embrace Ambrose for who he is and for their shared love of words. There’s only one problem: Irene has no idea what Ambrose is up to.
In this brilliantly observed novel, author Susin Nielsen transports the reader to the world of competitive Scrabble as seen from the honest yet funny viewpoint of a boy who’s searching for acceptance and for a place to call home.
Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled.
Alone in the evenings when Irene goes to work, Ambrose pesters Cosmo, the twenty-five-year-old son of the Greek landlords who live upstairs. Cosmo has just been released from jail for breaking and entering to support a drug habit. Quite by accident, Ambrose discovers that they share a love of Scrabble and coerces Cosmo into taking him to the West Side Scrabble Club, where Cosmo falls for Amanda, the club director. Posing as Ambrose’s Big Brother to impress her, Cosmo is motivated to take Ambrose to the weekly meetings and to give him lessons in self-defense. Cosmo, Amanda, and Ambrose soon form an unlikely alliance and, for the first time in his life, Ambrose blossoms. The characters at the Scrabble Club come to embrace Ambrose for who he is and for their shared love of words. There’s only one problem: Irene has no idea what Ambrose is up to.
In this brilliantly observed novel, author Susin Nielsen transports the reader to the world of competitive Scrabble as seen from the honest yet funny viewpoint of a boy who’s searching for acceptance and for a place to call home.