Review of The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Pages: 326
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Released: May 2013


Plot: On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favourite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn't just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever. (Goodreads)


Good Points:
I actually really loved this book! The plot was basically a sort of coming-of-age tale mixed in with tons of nerdy references like the FACT that Voldemort would totally beat Vader in a death match because of Avada Kedavra and of course the ultimate question: Which is better? Marvel or DC.
The main character Maddie however is poisoned by the belief that if people at school knew about her love for comic books and sci-fi marathons with her dad then her life as the popular cheerleader would vanish quicker than she could even say 'Comic-Con', which to some might be a ridiculous concept because who cares, right? But I guess this book addresses the social standings within high school in an arguably stereotypical yet possibly honest way.
 As the book develops however the reader gets to see Maddie grow more comfortable in herself and you eventually see her for the awesome character she is. The plot has pretty much everything covered that you could want in terms of mystery, romance (with 'Awesome Logan'), comedy and even a little action when Maddie starts LARP-ing (live action role playing) and of course what every book needs- a pretty cool ending.
The plot also succeeds in keeping the majority of the supporting characters interesting which some YA novels fail to do. Both Maddie and Logan's parents/siblings/friends have strong roles within the book, making regular appearances and adding to make the plot more realistic. This is something I love to see in YA books as I've pretty much got to the point of screaming 'Where are your parents??' at those teen based novels where the parents only ever make a brief appearance in the first book just to let you know that they are in fact real. The Summer I Became a Nerd didn't do this though. The majority of the main characters parents made multiple appearances and even had active roles within the plot and Maddie's development.

What I didn't like...
Okay so Maddie isn't perfect but that's okay. Yes, she can be selfish and a little too obsessed with what others think about her, I mean come on, she even hides from her friends when she's out on a date with Logan. But to be honest I kind of think she redeems herself as the book goes on. She proves that everyone has faults and makes mistakes yet shows they can be amended (just in this case amended during a cool LARP battle), which basically reinforces the whole message or moral that runs throughout the novel- Be yourself. Be the person you want to be and be the person that makes you happy. So not really a bad point after all...

To Sum Up... 
I'd definitely recommend people to pick this up and give it a try. It's an easy read as the dialogue flows smoothly and there's a few humorous moments in there too, mainly from Logan's slightly foul mouthed best friend 'Dan'. Overall though its a cute fun read that kept me hooked until the end. Pick up/ download a copy today :)

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