Customer Reviews

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book because the voice was very realistic. A smart kid who is struggling to find herself yet is not really deluded by the shenanigans of others around her. A couple of friends who show their true colors as users. A family that loves each other and talks to each other, and kids who are trustworthy and trusted by their parents. We often get so wrapped up in our dysfunctions as a society we forget that normalcy is really out there, lol! And this book was refreshing to me because it showed me a slice of that.

I loved how our protagonist is in a caring family with realistic interactions. I was strongly reminded of my own experiences growing up--especially the older brother with whom she gets along so incredibly well. All too often, it seems to me, YA books portray siblings as adversarial and snarky, when my personal experience and observations have been that most families have a strong bond and care about each other. So this story is a refreshing one.

The one quibble some might have is that there is a bit of cussing in this book. I consider this book only mildly blue-tinted in comparison to actual teen speak; but I felt the language worth a mention for some others who are particular in that regard.

A fast read, and an enjoyable and heartwarming one!

It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school, and all the wrong things in her life are changing. While her hair is still brown, straight, and boring, her friends are nearly unrecognizable as punk poseurs and her older brother has shaved off his Mohawk and traded his punk band scene for dating last year's Prom Princess. When Jessie's supposed best friend goes too far with Jessie's long-time curst, Jessie finally has enough. She decides she needs new friends. In an attempt to discover the social niche she fits into, Jessie unexpectedly finds herself hanging out with the Dungeons and Dragons crowd. Sure, Jessie has always loved math and rather enjoyed studying, but does she really want to actually be declared a nerd by adopting these role players as her new friends? Is there any way to recover from being nerdiest of them all--and does Jessie even want to?

I fell in love with Halpern's witty and utterly true to life writing in Get Well Soon and was thrilled to see it continue in the cleverly titled Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. Halpern has a talent for portraying adolescent social situations in a way most readers will be able to relate to. I couldn't believe at times how accurate Halpern was in her analysis of high school cliques, particularly the popular crowd; she includes little facts I thought no one else thought about. It also helps that Jessie is such a likable character, not only for her sense of humor and other quirky traits, but also because she has to deal with teen year crises such as best friends turning into disloyal strangers, a protective and beloved older brother going away to college soon, and confusion and self-doubt over liking and fitting in with people she used to negatively label as "nerds" and "dorks." And Halpern accomplishes all this with a sweet and laugh-out-loud hilarious story. The minor characters are somewhat less developed than they could be, but this can be easily overlooked in the bigger picture. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is without a doubt a very enjoyable read, successful in showing the difficulty in forgetting the imaginary constructs labels are for many teens, and that life without conformity and labels is generally much sweeter.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is the perfect read for any teen who's ever felt underappreciated or questioned their position in whichever social clique, or just anyone looking for a funny and inspirational read to cheer them up. Readers who liked Halpern's Get Well Soon will also love Into the Wild Nerd Yonder, as will fans of The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro, A Little Friendly Advice and Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian, King of the Screwups by K.L. Going, and Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab.

Julie Halpern has written a perfect coming-of-age story told by a quirky heroine that I couldn't help but like!

The plot of Into the Wild Nerd Yonder was adorable, but it wasn't simply a cutesy novel. I was astounded by Julie Halpern's ability to mix heavy social situations and problems with such a seemingly cute coming-of-age story. It makes sense that a coming-of-age story would have messy aspects - after all, there is nothing about growing up that is neat and tidy - but Julie Halpern wove these unsavory aspects into the novel so seamlessy! The author for a way to comment on cliques, sex, STDs, partying, popularity, and more, all while maintaining a story with humorous and witty dialogue and a cute love story!

Jessie's personality and opinion of her surroundings were perfect. In many ways, she reminded me of the main character from the show Freaks and Geeks. Her inner dialogue was extremely easy to relate to, as everyone has experienced losing friends, the unattainable crush, and growing up!

The minor characters in Into the Wild Nerd Yonder were perfectly cast. Barrett was the quintessential older brother, Van was the perfectly villainous older guy and crush, and Henry was the good, adorable guy. Jessie's girl friends were could easily be picked out of the crowd at any high school.

Julie Halpern's writing was witty, humorous and realistic - making Into the Wild Nerd Yonder a novel that hooks you from the first page and doesn't let you go until the last! I think it would be perfect for reluctant readers. It is an predicitable story, but it isn't cliche - just a retelling of every girl's story!

I highly recommend Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. It was a quick, cute read, but it made me smile AND think! :)

The book may look like a goofy volume belonging in the YA section of you're local library but it also belongs on the shelf of anyone has ever played or knows someone who's played an RPG. Like with the Gamers 2 Dorkness Rising, there are moments that every D&D nerd will just breakout laughing at. In short the book is true in so many ways it's worth a read.

This book was an adorable story about a teenager, Jess, finding out who she is in the social crapshoot that is high school. Jess makes her own crazy skirts and listens to audio books all the time. Her friends want to hang out and try to impress her older brother and his band. Her friends are changing in ways that she isn't. Then, of course, Jess starts falling for a boy. This boy might be a nerd. He might be really into Dungeons and Dragons. Jess knows that this isn't socially cool in any way. She also knows that it is kinda fun. The story is about her finding herself, deciding what she likes, and figuring out if "cool" even matters. There was some language and sex reference, but even that seemed cute. I pretty much smiled the whole way through this book and it is now one of my favorite books ever.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Feiwel and Friends, 2009
245 pages
YA; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

Summary: Jessie loves math, sewing skirts, and her older brother. Her friends Bizza and Char have recently transformed in to punks and one is even going after her longtime crush. Navigating the labels of punk, cool, and nerd, Jessie struggles to figure herself out.

Thoughts: I thought the title and cover were really cute so when I saw this in a bookstore, I made a mental note to look it up and I finally remembered when I was at the library and looking for some quick reads.

I really liked Jessie and her older brother Barrett who both change a lot over the course of the story; the latter from punk to dating the homecoming queen and the former finds her place and gets real friends. I really like that she ended up a nerd because I consider myself a nerd. I mean, think about it. Cool people have to think about their clothes, their hair, and go to parties and hang out with people all the time. Nerds get to sit around and read; guess which I feel more like? Plus Jessie loves to sew skirts and listens to audiobooks-how did she not realize she was a nerd?!

I loved the "nerds" in the story! Dottie seemed totally awesome; she was comfortable in her own skin and it made me think a bit of Luna Lovegood. Henry is a cute love interest although the message of being yourself is somewhat undermined by Jessie's pushing him to reform his fashion sense.

I thought it was a weird mix of YA and MG; there were swear words, gonorrhea, and references to sexual experiences which would make this more YA but younger kids would definitely benefit from Jessie's quest to discover herself and the character herself didn't seem to be dealing with much adult drama.

Overall: Cute story but not great.

Cover: I thought the cover was cute but once I read it, I understood it better. It relates to her journey in to Dungeons and Dragons.

Jessie Sloan can't quite figure out where she belongs. She has long lived in the shadow of her beloved older brother Barrett, a fixture on the local punk scene, and her best friends Bizza and Char, who assume new identities with the seasons. But with her sophomore year beginning, Bizza and Char are moving in on Barrett's territory, and Barrett is moving on from punk. . . with the homecoming queen? Jessie's increasing discomfort with Bizza and Char's choices force her to expand her social horizons and actually get to know the other students in her classes, including a band camp veteran, a guy in too-short pants, and a girl who is "one of the known weirdos of Greenville High. And junior high. And elementary." What will big brother Barrett think of Jessie's new friends? Are Bizza and Char lost for good? And if Jessie's new friends are nerds. . . what does that make Jessie?

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is a great read on several levels. I loved Jessie's relationship with big brother Barrett, who is pretty much exactly what any girl would want in a big brother. Their relationship was fun, and it was real, and definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. I also liked Jessie's new friends, who defy their stereotypes by being kind, interesting people who have different interests than what is "popular". Jessie might not know what to make of Dungeons and Dragons at first, but over the course of the novel she learns to recognize her true friends.

Another thing that I really liked about this novel is how it handled the breakdown of Jessie's friendship with Bizza and Char. Anyone who has been through adolescence knows that not every childhood friendship survives middle and high school. Sometimes people grow in different directions, and sometimes the friendship wasn't strong to begin with. Although a lot of readers will probably consider Bizza to be a villain, for me she was just a teenager making very stupid and selfish choices. (My absolute favorite scene in the novel is when Jessie's dad tells her what he really thought of Bizza, even as a child. Parents and fellow teachers, you'll see what I'm talking about).

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder has some frank discussions of sex and the kids talk like real teenagers (translation: swearing!), which means that I can't put it in my middle school classroom, but I absolutely recommend it for older teens, and if I were a parent, I would definitely want my daughter to read this book before high school. Now if only I could find someone to teach me to play Dungeons and Dragons. . .

Two thumbs up! I read this book in just 2 sittings! It's a great story about the trials and tribulations of dealing with friends and finding your place in the world during your teen years. The characters are vivid, interesting and relatable. There were tons of laugh out loud moments throughout the story. I think teens and adults alike will really enjoy this book.

A rare YA book - the main character and her brother are neither hostile to each other nor engaged in self-destructive behavior, and both parents are present and supportive (in fact, Jessie, Barrett, and the Sloan parents are a welcome reprieve from the array of depressing families crowding YA fiction). Jessie's not my favorite character ever, but I like her witty, conversational voice. She's certainly a believable teenager - always wondering what others think of her superior math skills, or worried about the likely drop in her social standing if she leaves the punk "poseurettes" to befriend nerds and band geeks. And she's way too preoccupied with a guy she knows is a jerk but likes anyway.

Fortunately, none of that actually stops her from acing honors English and precalc, spending her time sewing cute skirts while her inconsiderate friends stalk older boys, or finally drifting away from said toxic friends to try new things and new people.

Also, I can relate to visiting D&D sessions and having NO idea what's going on.

I think this book sends a good message to pre-teens and teens. Through out the book I could tell the main character, Jessie, was trying to figure out where she belonged. Its important for everyone to be themselves. It may be hard to find yourself, but once you do, dont be afraid to show you off. I feel that this book did a good job of saying that.