The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller (ARC)

The Summer I Became a Nerd
Leah Rae Miller
Pub.: May 7, 2013

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.

  
Sweet and adorkable. Just how I like 'em.

Surprise, surprise, another popular person is putting on an act, doing whatever's necessary to maintain that popularity status. But at least with this little blonde cheerleader, she's only hiding an obsession with Comic Con and the likes. Why, you ask? 'Cause kids can be cruel, and after an embarrassing Halloween contest several years back, Maddie's determined to never give them a reason to outcast her. So when summer begins and her favorite comic series is putting out their last issue, it takes everything she has to brave going to the local comic shop to get her copy.  But the only copy left in the store belongs to the guy at the counter, who also happens to be one of her classmates. Maddie thinks she's sly, but Logan sees right through her silly getup and offers her the chance to read his copy, setting into motion Logan's dream fantasy.

Succumbing to the lure of the comic store, - or in Maddie's case, absolute heaven! - Maddie finds herself slowly indulging herself in the dream world of conventions, live action role playing (LARP)and meeting people who are as obsessed as she is. And the cheerleader sorta loves it. Neglecting her anti-comic friends and a boyfriend that hardly makes the definition, Maddie finds herself falling for the guy with the life she's been so desperate to hide.

One thing I know after reading The Summer I Became a Nerd, is that LARPing is not for me, 'cause I could never see myself throwing glitter ping pong balls at my nemesis for battle points. But hey, to each his own. If you're into romance and can relate to a girl with an identity problem, this is the book for you! This YA novel is light and sweet with a little teenage drama and semi-love triangle thrown in for good measure. So if you're compiling a list of books to read this summer, be sure to add this clean romance to your bundle and enjoy!

ARC provided by Entangled Teen for honest review.