The Summer I Became a Nerd

by Leah Rae Miller

[jnikkir]

Thanks to a mortally embarrassing Halloween dance when she was younger, Maddie has abandoned public displays of nerdiness for all time. Now successfully in "hiding" as a popular cheerleader at her school, Maddie's only goal is to make it through high school without blowing her cover, which can be difficult because she's a die-hard comic book nerd. But she's determined to keep her hidden identity a secret from everyone - at least until she meets Logan at the comic store, who makes her question whether maintaining her secret is really worth losing something she thought she could never have.

It must be said - I went into this book wanting nothing more than adorable nerdy fluff - and I got what I wanted, and then some. The Summer I Became a Nerd is fun and nerdy and super adorable - exactly what I expected and wanted it to be.

Maddie and Logan, the main characters, are both awesome. Maddie might be a little frustrating at times because of the lengths she goes to in order to hide her love of comic books, but if you're willing to laugh those parts off and just go with it, her hidden nerdiness comes across as just entertaining rather than annoying. She has a very believable voice, and she's struggling with something I think everyone can relate to in some degree - accepting herself and wanting to be accepted by others. Logan, the boy from the comic shop, is completely and utterly fantastic. He's charming and funny and totally adorkable. He slowly gets Maddie to open up to him and finally embrace what she's been missing out on by hiding her love of comics for so long.

The relationships were also a breath of fresh air. I obviously loved Maddie and Logan, but also the family dynamics and friendships were all so wonderfully realized. Logan's family has to be my favorite - his mom, his dad, and his young siblings are all so refreshing. They are such a cute family. Maddie's family wasn't featured quite as prominently, but they were great as well. What I really liked was that there wasn't any huge family drama anywhere in the book. The parents supported their kids, and none of them were the "bad guys". I also really liked Logan's best friend Dan. I thought he was just there to be funny at first, but he ended up being a favorite of mine. He stuck up for Logan when he thought he was being wronged, and was also a great friend to Maddie as well.

In conclusion...
Summer is a sweet, light story of love and acceptance - with a healthy dose of nerdiness woven throughout. If you're a nerd in need of a fluffy summer read, definitely pick this one up. ;)
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{ This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved... }