The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller {REVIEW}

Book Title: The Summer I Became a Nerd
Author: Leah Rae Miller
Genre: Young Adult, Chick Lit, Humor, Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 1620612399
Publication Date: May 7th 2013
                            by Entangled Teen
Edition Language: English

[REVIEW COPY]


Blurb:

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 favorite 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.

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My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:

I love the book. OMG I SO love it! It's like breathing into fresh air! This book made me even prouder as a nerd...B)

First, have a peek at the trailer:

The whole book deals with Maddie's secret love for comic books. Secret because she cannot risk being labelled as a 'nerd' to her classmates. She is a popular cheerleader, dating the quarterback and by NO means she can risk revealing her true identity:p No matter how funny it sounds, Maddie is damn serious abut this, to the point that she tries hard to disguise herself to buy The Super Ones from the bookstore where Logan, the cute nerdy guy from school *swoon* works. Of course, there is nothing going on between them, until Logan sees Maddie for what she really is, and teaches her not to be ashamed, rather happy and proud of that. All the moments when Logan and Maddie are seen nerdy-ing together (WHAT!? If people can say 'partying together', being a nerd I have the right to say this!), are really really nerd-ishly cute, and sometimes I really felt like hugging Logan and say "You are the Man of my dreams, let's get married^.^". But clearly, the idea seems to be a suicide for Maddie. She doesn't want anyone to know about her hanging out with Logan (no matter how much she enjoys it), which causes problems between the two as well.

Logan...I really can't say anything about him. Because, honestly, I have a thing for cute nerdy boys. Like, REALLY A FREAKING HUGE THING. And most unfortunately, I haven't come across a boy who is both(hell, I haven't even found a guy who is just nerd)..are nerd (and cute) boys so hard to come by nowadays?*sulk* So while reading the book, I got to know Logan and I was visualizing this whole my Perfecto-Prince-Charming in front of me, only that he was holding a stack of books rather than some jumbo sword. For a moment, I almost felt jealous of Maddie (sorry sweetie :p) because of having my dream-come-true all around her and not myself *sniff sniff*

But as a character, I must say I like Maddie, a lot. Mostly because she reminds me of the person I used to be not too long ago, who always tries her best to keep the giant dominating nerdy part of hers from peeping out every now and then. It's really tough to be a nerd when you are trying to 'fit in' among 'normal' people. She dates the quarterback, as per the unwritten convention of 'cool' people, but feelings seem to be the last thing they share for each other.

  I know I'm just an accessory to him, but what he doesn't realize is he's just a handbag to me, too.

Still, she has to put up the facade to hide the nerdy and geeky Maddie who just can't seem to get over the 'un-cool' stuff:

Has that other part of me been trying to break through because deep down I know I'll never be happy until... Until what? Until I'm able to freely discuss who I think would win in a battle between Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort? (The answear obviously being Lord Voldemort. He'd Avada Kadavra Vader way before Vader could even think about the force choke move.)

For me, luckily I realized that being a nerd doesn't make you uncool or queer, it just makes you a lot cooler from others because you have some awesome things going on in your head that others cannot even think of. But does Maddie thinks that too? Let's just say, you have to read the book to find out and I'm pretty sure you'd want to find the answer by yourself ;D

I liked Maddie as well as Logan's family. Maddie's parents sometimes remind me of mine, they are such wonderful people, making my nerdy life all the more worth living!

But you can make you happy, my father's voice repeats over and over as I stare at my ceiling.

Logan's sisters, pure treat! Then Dan, need I say anything? Dan is super cute ...I could hug him like a teddy all day (and not complain about my spleen or anything) because of lines like these:

'Well, excuse the hell out of me for trying to help. I heard a crash and thought someone was hurt. You could’ve fallen. On a pair of Scissors. Slit your jugular. How was I to know? Next time you’re in need of life saving action, don’t come to me'…'Dan, help me, I’ve broken my spleen,' because you know what I’m going to say? 'Sorry about the spleen, dude, I have to stay in the back room for all of eternity.'

Among other things, one of my favorites was the LARPing game. Seriously, I didn't have any idea that there could be any such thing, and yet, the author penned the whole thing so brilliantly, I was just left mourning for not having any such thing available for me  here :( 

Author Leah Rae Miller has written a plot that is simple to understand, dealing with the issues almost every nerd or geek has to put up with. And yet her writing has made it so extraordinarily beautiful that you cannot help feeling a connection to it.

 I'm a geeky badass, and I'm loving it.

If you are a nerd or a geek (proud or not), you'd instantly feel as if the author is telling your story in her words, as if the girl Maddie or the guy Logan is none other than you. For me, that is where the achievement for an author lies..two (and one imaginary nerdy) thumbs up!