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A review by kspear22
Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
2.0
***ARC received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
I loved the premise of this story as soon as I read it. Popular guy and nerdy girl? But the added factor that he used to be a dork is why I was really intrigued. I wanted to know what could have gone wrong between these former friends. Usually we see this behavior earlier on, not once in high school. That is where this story differs from others of its type.
Dan Garrett used to be a nerd. He was a LARP-playing geek, but thanks to a growth spurt and his ability to shoot threes, he's now made his way into the popular crowd. But he doesn't love it. The girl he left behind - Zelda Potts - is zany, nerdy, and ready for revenge.
So, I was dying to know how Dan had wronged Zelda. She 'hated' him. I use this in quotation marks because it was obvious she didn't, really. Missed him, yes. Hated that his life changed and she was on the outside, yes. But him as a person, no. She hated the idea of him becoming all he hated. What she didn't realize was that he was still the same guy she knew, hung out with, and had a crush on for so many years... and that he felt the same way! When we were finally let in on the reason Zelda thought Dan to be a douche of the highest order, I was a bit underwhelmed. I knew it wasn't what she thought right away. I had his side of things (not the past, but how he saw her), so I knew there was something she was missing.
I found her revenge plot silly and nonsensical. I kind of understood her plan, but not completely. I think there would've been better ways to get back at him, but then this would've been a different story entirely.
AND... we wouldn't have gotten as much of the nerd references as we did! Seriously, if you consider yourself a nerd in any way, you will enjoy all the pop culture mentioned. My geek heart squealed in delight so many times!
The characters themselves are easy to love. Dan is an upstanding guy with a popular side, but he hasn't given in to the usual behaviors the group tends to display. Perhaps because he was on the other side recently? Or maybe he's just a good guy. Whatever it is, I knew I wanted him and Zelda to get together. And Zelda? What a firecracker. She has a take-no-crap attitude, but you can tell sometimes the actions of her peers does upset her. It's human nature. But she takes it in stride and is quirky and adorable. You will root for her the whole way, too. Maddie, Logan, and Beth are typical side characters. Beth was slightly forgettable for me as she's in a few scenes and barely makes an impression. Maddie and Logan were far more memorable, and maybe it's not fair since they are present for a lot of the interactions between Dan and Zelda. But I loved their relationship with each other as much as I did the one with their friends.
The way the story is split up between their points of view really makes this a speedy read. I felt as though I had just started it when I reached the ending. By the way, the ending is a bit too abrupt. Not that I expected to go through years of their lives or anything, but the last sentence left me feeling as though another page or two had been forgotten in my copy.
Romancing the Nerd is a cute, fun, and easy read that will appeal to anyone. I finished it in a matter of hours. It's not anything unique, but it's the perfect quick read. I recommend it to anyone who's looking to temporarily get lost in a high school book that doesn't touch on any serious issues and contain emotional trauma in any way.
I loved the premise of this story as soon as I read it. Popular guy and nerdy girl? But the added factor that he used to be a dork is why I was really intrigued. I wanted to know what could have gone wrong between these former friends. Usually we see this behavior earlier on, not once in high school. That is where this story differs from others of its type.
Dan Garrett used to be a nerd. He was a LARP-playing geek, but thanks to a growth spurt and his ability to shoot threes, he's now made his way into the popular crowd. But he doesn't love it. The girl he left behind - Zelda Potts - is zany, nerdy, and ready for revenge.
So, I was dying to know how Dan had wronged Zelda. She 'hated' him. I use this in quotation marks because it was obvious she didn't, really. Missed him, yes. Hated that his life changed and she was on the outside, yes. But him as a person, no. She hated the idea of him becoming all he hated. What she didn't realize was that he was still the same guy she knew, hung out with, and had a crush on for so many years... and that he felt the same way! When we were finally let in on the reason Zelda thought Dan to be a douche of the highest order, I was a bit underwhelmed. I knew it wasn't what she thought right away. I had his side of things (not the past, but how he saw her), so I knew there was something she was missing.
I found her revenge plot silly and nonsensical. I kind of understood her plan, but not completely. I think there would've been better ways to get back at him, but then this would've been a different story entirely.
AND... we wouldn't have gotten as much of the nerd references as we did! Seriously, if you consider yourself a nerd in any way, you will enjoy all the pop culture mentioned. My geek heart squealed in delight so many times!
The characters themselves are easy to love. Dan is an upstanding guy with a popular side, but he hasn't given in to the usual behaviors the group tends to display. Perhaps because he was on the other side recently? Or maybe he's just a good guy. Whatever it is, I knew I wanted him and Zelda to get together. And Zelda? What a firecracker. She has a take-no-crap attitude, but you can tell sometimes the actions of her peers does upset her. It's human nature. But she takes it in stride and is quirky and adorable. You will root for her the whole way, too. Maddie, Logan, and Beth are typical side characters. Beth was slightly forgettable for me as she's in a few scenes and barely makes an impression. Maddie and Logan were far more memorable, and maybe it's not fair since they are present for a lot of the interactions between Dan and Zelda. But I loved their relationship with each other as much as I did the one with their friends.
The way the story is split up between their points of view really makes this a speedy read. I felt as though I had just started it when I reached the ending. By the way, the ending is a bit too abrupt. Not that I expected to go through years of their lives or anything, but the last sentence left me feeling as though another page or two had been forgotten in my copy.
Romancing the Nerd is a cute, fun, and easy read that will appeal to anyone. I finished it in a matter of hours. It's not anything unique, but it's the perfect quick read. I recommend it to anyone who's looking to temporarily get lost in a high school book that doesn't touch on any serious issues and contain emotional trauma in any way.