THE WRONG KIND OF WEIRD

A high school senior finds himself at a romantic crossroads in a novel that mixes geeky content with Jane Austen.

Cameron Carson’s membership in Geeks and Nerds United, or G.A.N.U., a school club he’s in with best friends D’Anthony and Jocelyn, is a source of pride and joy and a big part of his identity. But Cam has a potentially explosive secret that may well shake the foundations of his social circle and perhaps even of the whole school: his clandestine summer fling with super popular student council president and theater snob Karla Ortega. But as senior year starts and he and Karla continue to hook up behind everybody’s backs while working together backstage on the school production of Pride and Prejudice, Cam starts to wonder if this is what he really wants—especially when he starts hanging out with Mackenzie, a new G.A.N.U. member. She has a penchant for snarky conversation and a shared obsession with all things anime. Ramos’ delightful novel oozes an energetic, all-encompassing love for geek culture (especially Dragon Ball) and Austen. The main cast is Black and Latine, and some central characters are queer. Cam’s romantic entanglements are developed upon the backbone of a story about identity, growth, and learning to connect with people across different sides of a school divide.

A charmingly nerdy and romantic coming-of-age story.