{Review/Giveaway} THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD by Leah Rae Miller

Check out all the other tour stops, listed at the end of this post,
for more fun!

Keep reading after the review for 
a fun giveaway!

Happy Book Day (one day late!)
to THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD!

O P E N I N G   L I N E:

LOUISIANA SUMMERS ARE UNFORGIVING.  Or maybe I'm too freaking impatient to tolerate the usual ninety-six-degrees-in-the-shade heat.  The final book in The Super Ones comic book series, which I've been obsessing over for years, comes out today, and I'm waiting for Randy Henderson from down the street to finish mowing our lawn so I can check the mailbox.  Normally, I download my comics and read them on the computer so there's no physical proof of my secret life, but the author of this particular series has insisted the final book only be available in print.

(pg. 12, US e-book edition)

Summer is almost upon us, and that means an onslaught of fun, happy books are headed our way.  Warm weather always makes us want to read light, airy titles outside, be it on the beach, in the backyard, or at the pool.  THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD is destined to become a popular summer title.  With its intriguing title, fun cover, and relatable message, it already has the "it" quality that will make it a summer hit.

Who hasn't wished to be someone else, especially in high school?  Maddie is finally a popular cheerleader at school, but it's come at a high cost: She's had to hide everything she's passionate about in order to fit in.  She once dressed up as a comic book character and was laughed at.  Now, she downloads her comics online and hides their existence.  She buys CDs from singers she hates because her friends love them and it's the "cool" thing to like.  She's spent so much time squashing her interests that she doesn't realize how much she hates the life she's living.  When the final volume of her beloved comic book series comes to a close exclusively in print, Maddie braves a trip to the local comic book shop in disguise to get her fix.  The only problem?  A guy from school recognizes her.  With Logan's help, Maddie's about to spend the summer discovering everything that she's been missing.

THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD is about finding yourself and learning to shine.  Maddie changes and grows so much over the course of the book.  She discovers who her true friends are and realizes that there's no shame in having hobbies.  She even learns to LARP, where she does full-on role-playing in costume with no shame.  Nowadays, it's much cooler to like comics and manga than it was even five years ago, thanks to their permanence in today's society.  So many readers will relate to Maddie and the lengths she's gone to in order to fit in at school.   The situations Maddie finds herself in can be unbelievable at times, but in a fun way.  Readers will live vicariously through her and root for her by the novel's end.  Leah Rae Miller has created enjoyable, heart-warming characters, and I love the inclusion of two strong, healthy family units with parents who actually care about what their kids are up to.  It was also great to see a twist on the stereotypes, one where the geeky boy can get the girl, and one where the popular girl can still be liked even with all of her offbeat interests.

If you want a summer read full of laughter, romance, and the triumph of embracing yourself, THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD is the perfect book to dig into.

C O V E R   D E S I G N:

I previously commented on this cover when it was revealed online, and said:

This cover is fun and light for summer. Can't you just see everyone picking this up? 

Plus, I want her shoes. I want her shoes!!!!! And I don't even like red. But I covet them!!! 

I think the concept of this one will appeal to a lot of people, because the feelings of being popular, yet an inner nerd resonate on many levels!

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD
Author: Leah Rae Miller

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen
Received: For Review

SUMMARY:

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.

~*~

Mother, wife, and YA author living on a windy hill in Natchitoches, Louisiana. I love fuzzy socks, comic books, cherry coke, and brand new office supplies. THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD coming Summer 2013 from Entangled Teen. Stay cool!

Follow Bethany on her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

  
***GIVEAWAY***

You could win...

Three winners will receive an e-book copy of THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD!
(open internationally)

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

5/6/2013              NoseGraze        

5/6/2013              RainyDay Ramblings       

5/7/2013              JenuineCupcakes            

5/7/2013              Blackplume         

5/8/2013              TheBook Belles                

5/8/2013              ABackwards Story           

5/9/2013              Kate'sTales of Books and Bands                

5/9/2013              TheStarry Eyed Revue  

5/10/2013            JennaDoes Books           

5/10/2013            BookHaven Extraordanire           

5/13/2013            InThe Best Worlds          

5/13/2013            AshleyLoves Books        

5/14/2013            TheHopeful Heroine      

5/14/2013            Booksof Amber               

5/15/2013            ADream Within a Dream              

5/15/2013            MyReading Room           

5/16/2013            ObsessionWith Books   

5/16/2013            Stuckin YA Books             

5/17/2013            ChocolateCoated Reviews          

5/17/2013            JennReneeRead