Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

To nerd, or not to nerd, that is the question. Well, at least, it is for high school sophomore, Jessie. Jessie’s been part of a trio of friends all her life, but when her two besties, Bizza and Char, makeover their images – and their personalities – after spending time with Jessie’s older brother and his punk-rock band, Jessie is forced to find new friends. That’s when she receives an invitation from Dottie Bell, nerd queen of the school, to join her and her nerd herd in a night of Dungeons and Dragons. Jessie hesitantly accepts their offer, and she’s swept up into the wild nerd yonder. As she makes new friends and meets a dashing boy with blue eyes and curly hair, Jessie debates whether being a nerd is really as bad as they say and also what it means to have true friends.

Funny, fresh, and full of interesting and unique characters, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder portrays the complexities of high school cliques and the illusion of popularity, while staying light on its feet and never taking itself too seriously. Jessie’s voice is a breath of fresh air. She’s quirky, spunky, and encounters many problems that teenagers face in real life. This book might not be award-winning, but it’s a lot of fun and does a swell job of representing the nerd conundrum of high school.

Recommended for older teens, for some sexual talk and moderate language.

Want to read this? Find it here in Murray Library’s catalog!

Want more nerdy reads? Try Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott, The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance, Geek Charming by Robin Palmer, and The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble.