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thebooknerdscorner 's review for:
The Pros of Cons
by Michelle Schusterman, Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar
Three nerds of varying types go to the convention of their dreams, only to find their hopes shattered and their hearts hurting due to unfortunate circumstances they never could have seen coming.
Phoebe Byrd is a percussionist and she's ready to slay during her solo and ensemble events. Vanessa Montoya-O'Callaghan is a fanfic writer who finally gets to meet her online co-author and girlfriend Soleil for the very first time. Callie Buchannan isn't the most passionate about her gig as an amateur taxidermist, but she's ready to spend some quality time with her dad. The three girls are prepared to have the week of their lives celebrating the things that they love most. That is, until all three of them find themselves in sticky situations that have them wishing that they were anywhere but stuck in a massive convention center for days on end. That is, until Phoebe, Vanessa, and Callie all run into one another and craft the perfect plan to help all of them before the con is done.
Upon seeing the cover of this book, it was hard to think that this book was going to be anything but a cheesy mess that highlights nerd culture at its finest. I must say, this book wad filled to the brim with the nerdiest things such as hardcore musicianship, podcasts, Harry Potter, and fanfics written about other fanfics. I loved seeing all of these nerdy activities coexisting at the same time; I love how humanity holds such strong passions about the strangest things (even stuffed dead animals).
Unfortunately, his book was a little too filled with teenage drama for me to truly find much enjoyment. All three girls found themselves in some pretty messy situations created by their own accords, and I couldn't help but keep thinking that they kept digging themselves deeper into their messes rather than trying to do anything to fix any of their personal problems. It didn't help that all three of the girls had similar problems when it came down to the essence of them (making rash decisions and refusing to communicate with people). This had me a tad frustrated, especially throughout the beginning portion of this novel.
I did really like the final third of this book in which the three girls come together to assemble a special project and help each other reconcile their problems in the process. It is great that the three of them could compile their talents to come up with a great stellar project (even if it couldn't beat gay Harry Potter fanworks). Seeing these three girls talk out their issues with their friends, crushes, and family members was pretty rewarding, even if many of the choices that got them to that point were rather foolish.
Each character was written by a different author, and I must say, their style blend very well with one another. It is cool that they collaborated with one another on this book so that each segment and passion was more authentic than if one author would have done research on their own. For a book that was written by three different authors, it flows quite splendidly and has a really cohesive message.
There were several things I was completely thrown off by (like the inclusion of the toddler beauty pageant), but for the most part, this book was a fun look into the lives of different people and the passions they all cherish. As a self-certified nerd, it was fun seeing likeminded people contained within the pages of this book.
Overall, "The Pros of Cons" was a book filled with charming nerdiness that really embraces the spirit of creativity. The book was filled with a tad too much teenage drama for me to fall in love with it, but I did really like essence that this book captures. I haven't read too many books that surround topics as nerdy as cons and fanfic, so I still enjoyed my time with this one despite its weaknesses. I applaud how well the co-writing in this book is done and how effortlessly it is strung together. This is definitely a book that celebrates those who call themselves part of a fandom and for those whose hobbies often consume their lives in more ways than one.
Phoebe Byrd is a percussionist and she's ready to slay during her solo and ensemble events. Vanessa Montoya-O'Callaghan is a fanfic writer who finally gets to meet her online co-author and girlfriend Soleil for the very first time. Callie Buchannan isn't the most passionate about her gig as an amateur taxidermist, but she's ready to spend some quality time with her dad. The three girls are prepared to have the week of their lives celebrating the things that they love most. That is, until all three of them find themselves in sticky situations that have them wishing that they were anywhere but stuck in a massive convention center for days on end. That is, until Phoebe, Vanessa, and Callie all run into one another and craft the perfect plan to help all of them before the con is done.
Upon seeing the cover of this book, it was hard to think that this book was going to be anything but a cheesy mess that highlights nerd culture at its finest. I must say, this book wad filled to the brim with the nerdiest things such as hardcore musicianship, podcasts, Harry Potter, and fanfics written about other fanfics. I loved seeing all of these nerdy activities coexisting at the same time; I love how humanity holds such strong passions about the strangest things (even stuffed dead animals).
Unfortunately, his book was a little too filled with teenage drama for me to truly find much enjoyment. All three girls found themselves in some pretty messy situations created by their own accords, and I couldn't help but keep thinking that they kept digging themselves deeper into their messes rather than trying to do anything to fix any of their personal problems. It didn't help that all three of the girls had similar problems when it came down to the essence of them (making rash decisions and refusing to communicate with people). This had me a tad frustrated, especially throughout the beginning portion of this novel.
I did really like the final third of this book in which the three girls come together to assemble a special project and help each other reconcile their problems in the process. It is great that the three of them could compile their talents to come up with a great stellar project (even if it couldn't beat gay Harry Potter fanworks). Seeing these three girls talk out their issues with their friends, crushes, and family members was pretty rewarding, even if many of the choices that got them to that point were rather foolish.
Each character was written by a different author, and I must say, their style blend very well with one another. It is cool that they collaborated with one another on this book so that each segment and passion was more authentic than if one author would have done research on their own. For a book that was written by three different authors, it flows quite splendidly and has a really cohesive message.
There were several things I was completely thrown off by (like the inclusion of the toddler beauty pageant), but for the most part, this book was a fun look into the lives of different people and the passions they all cherish. As a self-certified nerd, it was fun seeing likeminded people contained within the pages of this book.
Overall, "The Pros of Cons" was a book filled with charming nerdiness that really embraces the spirit of creativity. The book was filled with a tad too much teenage drama for me to fall in love with it, but I did really like essence that this book captures. I haven't read too many books that surround topics as nerdy as cons and fanfic, so I still enjoyed my time with this one despite its weaknesses. I applaud how well the co-writing in this book is done and how effortlessly it is strung together. This is definitely a book that celebrates those who call themselves part of a fandom and for those whose hobbies often consume their lives in more ways than one.