Reviews

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

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elifboyaci's review against another edition

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fast-paced

3.0

marie_gg's review against another edition

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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.

crystal_reading's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was a lot of fun. The main character is hilarious. The only problem was that he did not seem young enough to be in elementary school unless elem. goes to 7th grade.

He is just a bit of a nerd and so has big problems with the bullies, but he also has "no filters" so he often even ticks off the adults around him.

The book was a bit predictable, but interesting in spite of that. It made me want to brush up on my own scrabble game.

kafkatattoo's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

it was cute, albeit a tad predictable either

Content Warnings

sandraagee's review against another edition

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4.0

Excellent! Set in Canada. Ambrose is a nerd whose newest way of coping with a new school and with his social difficulties is through a series of lies and by attending a Scrabble Club with the ex-con son of his landlord.

In some ways, the book reminded me of Waiting for Normal in that there are clearly some deep, serious issues at work and Ambrose's mom clearly has some coping issues of her own, but they don't necessarily weigh down your spirits as you read Ambrose's story. The story is balanced with plenty of humor and an interesting cast of characers (greek landlords, the ex-con Cosmo, and the relatively wholesome knitter/Scrabble player Amanda).

chadstep's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved it! Angst, Canada, Vancouver, Scrabble, prison terms, recovery, immigrant families, professor mother, lying, truth, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, sympathy, disobedience, outcasts, homeschooling, fear, resolution.