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A review by nicolemhewitt
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I picked this book up because I was in the mood for a light, quick read, and it pretty much hit the spot! In middle school Maddie got made fun of (very publicly) because of her love of comic books, and so she’s been hiding that part of herself – and anything else she worries might be deemed geeky – for years. Even though she’s dating the high school quarterback, she’s not that into him, and she’s been secretly crushing on a fellow comic book nerd, Logan. When she gets the opportunity to spend more time with him (and with the geeky pursuits of comic books, LARPing and more!) she can’t resist – even if it could lead to social suicide if anyone finds out. Maddie was endearing, even though I sometimes wanted to shake her and tell her to just confess already! (Especially to her best friend, who was sweet and understanding, and there was absolutely no reason why Maddie shouldn’t confide in her). But, at the same time, I realize that the pressure to be “cool” in high school is real, and I could definitely see how Maddie’s past embarrassment had shaped her fear of letting anyone know the real her. The pressure we put on ourselves to fit in (in any scenario – not just high school) can sometimes be way more powerful even than pressure put on us from any outside source. Oh, and I loved the LARPing scenes – SO much fun!!
If I had one complaint, it would be that Maddie’s issues with her best friend and boyfriend were settled really quickly and easily. She had to work a little harder for Logan, but in all of those cases I would have liked to see just a little bit more of the repercussions of her actions. Still, this book was just what it was meant to be – lighthearted and entertaining and sweet. I give it 4 stars.
I picked this book up because I was in the mood for a light, quick read, and it pretty much hit the spot! In middle school Maddie got made fun of (very publicly) because of her love of comic books, and so she’s been hiding that part of herself – and anything else she worries might be deemed geeky – for years. Even though she’s dating the high school quarterback, she’s not that into him, and she’s been secretly crushing on a fellow comic book nerd, Logan. When she gets the opportunity to spend more time with him (and with the geeky pursuits of comic books, LARPing and more!) she can’t resist – even if it could lead to social suicide if anyone finds out. Maddie was endearing, even though I sometimes wanted to shake her and tell her to just confess already! (Especially to her best friend, who was sweet and understanding, and there was absolutely no reason why Maddie shouldn’t confide in her). But, at the same time, I realize that the pressure to be “cool” in high school is real, and I could definitely see how Maddie’s past embarrassment had shaped her fear of letting anyone know the real her. The pressure we put on ourselves to fit in (in any scenario – not just high school) can sometimes be way more powerful even than pressure put on us from any outside source. Oh, and I loved the LARPing scenes – SO much fun!!
If I had one complaint, it would be that Maddie’s issues with her best friend and boyfriend were settled really quickly and easily. She had to work a little harder for Logan, but in all of those cases I would have liked to see just a little bit more of the repercussions of her actions. Still, this book was just what it was meant to be – lighthearted and entertaining and sweet. I give it 4 stars.