Overall, I enjoyed this book. Ramona is relatable as a shy, nerdy high school student with a big crush on a boy in her class who does not know she exists. I do not generally enjoy the trope about a big secret that comes out later after the two love interests hit it off, potentially ruining the relationship. It makes me anxious! That being said, I enjoyed the characters and the chemistry between them was great and the ending was sweet. I'd love to see this made into a movie.

The audiobook narrator was perfect for this story. She brought the characters to life amazingly well.

While Ramona is a shy, introverted Black girl, her alter-ego in cosplay, Rel, is confident and assured. So, when it comes to telling Caleb that she has a crush on him, it seems easier to have Rel do it. But as Caleb and Rel start to really connect, Ramona finds herself jealous of Rel and tries to figure out how to tell Caleb the truth before it's too late.

The problem is... Maybe it's already too late.

I found the characters and situations in this YA story to be relatable and sympathetic. So I really enjoyed the story.

Thank you to Alisha Emrich, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I really enjoyed this book and LOVED the audiobook narrator. Zoleka did an amazing job with a variety of voices and had a uniquely young voice that was PERFECT for a teen main character. The book as a whole I enjoyed as a true YA - the innocence, the angst of emotions, the struggle of having an idea of who you are as a teen but feeling not accepted by family, crushes, etc. So often YA books these days are overrun with sex or really serious themes (which are needed and teens have to deal with) but there is something really special with the innocence of this book. We all remember the feeling of not fitting in, not being understood for a dream/wish we had for ourselves, being shy and not feeling like we fit it, etc.

Ramona has never had the nerve to tell Caleb she likes him so she left a note for him with her email address in his locker. She never expected him to actually use it, or to kindle an online friendship with her as result. Ramona also doesn't expect Caleb to start working at the diner with her but they end up talking a lot more and becoming friends in real life. Her issue she doesn't know how to tell him that she's also the girl talking to him online. Eventually, it comes out and blows up in her face. Ramona is able to apologize and make things work with Caleb. It was an interesting listen.

NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich, 272 pages. Running Press Teens (Perseus Books), 2023. $19. LGBTQIA, centering me
Language: PG13 (27 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Nearly everyone in Ramona’s life has told her – through words and actions – that she and her interests are unimportant, which is part of the reason that Ramona loves cosplay so much. When Ramona pretends to be Rel, she’s more confident – confident enough, even, to leave a poem in her crush’s locker to tell him how much she likes him. Then he responds positively, and Ramona doesn’t want to be Rel anymore; she wants to be herself.
There are a lot of things to like about this book, but, let me tell you, I was in agony watching Ramona vacillate between when, how, and whether to tell Caleb what was going on. The train wreck is visible from page one, and I was braced for the inevitable disaster, even while begging Ramona to make the decision I knew she wouldn’t. The mess is worth it, though, because readers get to internalize the message we beg for Ramona to understand: she, you, we are amazing when we are ourselves. Emrich also throws in lessons about people of color in cosplay and what it means to be supportive in a family. Overall, this is a feel-good story that encourages confidence.
Ramona and her family are Black, and Caleb is half Italian. Characters of various races and ethnicities are described. The mature content rating is for mention of underage drinking and some making out.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This is a sweet YA book, it reminds me of those first innocent crush books I read when I was young, and for that reason I think younger and older teenagers could both relate to and enjoy this story.

Romana is a shy, sixteen year old black girl who loves cosplay and has even created her own character, Rel. She also loves art and design and believes that’s what she’d like to make a career of. Caleb is a major Tolkien fan and fellow nerd that Romana has had a crush on for a little over a year. Romona leaves a note declaring her crush and her cosplay email (signed with her cosplay name) in Caleb’s locker the day before he coincidentally ends up her co-worker.

There are also elements of making and mending friendships, standing up for what you want (even within your own family), forgiveness and choosing to be brave.

For the kind of book this is, it is well done. While I generally despise miscommunication and lack of communication in adult books, I have a soft spot for it in YA (especially one like this, that reads younger) because I remember how confusing and overwhelming and just plain hard it is being a teenager and trying to navigate just life let alone relationships.

The audio narrator was the perfect choice and did an excellent job.

4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Running Press Kids and Dreamscape media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

NerdCrush was trending, so I jumped on board. Thankfully, I liked it WAY more than I ever expected to.

The narrator was good. I was able to listen at 2x-2.5x without any issues. It was easy to focus and stay engaged.

This story is totally YA friendly. It's a fun, believable rom-com with lots of great modern topics to consider. If not for one segment of the characters playing beer pong, I would have pitched this as a book to teach in our school. I hate contrived endings, but this one was still okay by me since it hit in a John Hughes, 80s movie kind of way.

Overall: 4.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, catfishing

**Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free ALC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I adored NerdCrush! This quick read about coming of age and understanding ones self while finding approval from others was so heartfelt, relatable, and enjoyable.

This was a perfectly ok nerdy YA romance. I didn't super love it but I think there's definitely an audience that will.

We have our protagonist Ramona, a cute nerdy Black teenager who loves cosplay and going to cons. She has a touch of Not Like Other Girls syndrome and it kinda got worse as the book went on. But I really liked a lot of the things she would talk and think about, like the underrepresentation of Black cosplayers and people thinking it's a "white person thing."

So she has a crush on this guy and lets him know that... via her cosplay character. and hijinks begin. Basically the whole novel is her trying to decide if she's gaslighting her crush and should reveal herself as they get closer. There's some minor friendship and family drama, and a few miscommunication tropes I hate but thankfully none are particularly egregious, especially since they're teenagers and it's all pretty realistically written. The love interest is cool too and I liked him, if only because he's a big Tolkien fan.

The ending felt pretty abrupt to me and I felt like a lot of things went unresolved or were wrapped up pretty quick. The whole thing felt a little idealistic to me too but that's probably just bc it's a YA. Overall though it's pretty cute and I think younger readers would really enjoy it.

Thanks Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for the arc!

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately this was a miss for me. I never become invested in any of the characters. I liked the premise but was hoping for more. I didn't feel like Caleb was fleshed out enough to warrant all of Ramona's feelings, it felt like as a reader, we were missing something.

But that's not to say that teen readers (the intended audience) won't enjoy it! This is a YA romance that can be handed to younger readers (which is nice) so that is definitely a bonus.

Zoleka Vundla does a decent job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Ramona is a cosplayer. She finds cosplaying her own original character to be her happy place. She's had a crush of Caleb for over a year now, but he has no idea who she is. One day Ramona leaves a poem and a drawing in Caleb's locker with her email address attached to it and signed by Rel, her cosplay alter ego. The two begin an online friendship, but what will happen when Caleb finds out the truth?

I think this book hits a demographic that's hardly ever touched upon in YA stories: Black cosplayers. For that reason alone, I'm glad this book exists. There were times though that this book was a bit cheesy, especially the romance and other times that the wiring felt much younger than YA.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. I enjoyed Zoleka Vundla's narration. She really brought Ramona to life.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I had fun reading this book but it was the kind of fun you have watching those cheesy teenage Netflix romcoms.

The main character was pretty unlikable. I tried to take into account that she is sixteen but she literally caused all her problems. Almost all the conflict in this book was of Ramona’s own making. I had no sympathy for her. I also knew she would face no consequences for her actions.

Don’t get me started on the dialogue. It was simply so bad and robotic sometimes. The dialogue really pulled me out of the story simply because I couldn’t stop thinking “no body talks like this in real life.”

I did have fun reading this book because I was laughing. Not laughing at any of the jokes, but laughing at the clunky dialogue and cringy lines.

I did enjoy certain aspects of the book. For example, I liked how cosplay was depicted. My favorite part of the book is probably when she went to a convention dressed in cosplay.

If you are in the mood for something like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, and The Kissing Booth give this a try.

I really wanted to like this one. Ramona was a bit too awkward for me at times and I found myself cringing half the time.

Thank you netgalley dreamscapes media author and publisher for this ALC in exchange for honest review. I loved the narration, but felt even though the chapters were short that it moved along slowly.

I received an advance copy from Dreamscape Media, Thank you to them. This book was such a sweet read. Romona loves Cosplay and dressing up as her own characters to show who she is on the inside. Caleb was a breath of fresh air and was up to trying new things, like Manga, Cosplay and working his first job. Their friendship developed so naturally and was fun to see develop. Of course no relationship is smooth sailing, but they do sail to the finish line.

I love a good story of a girl whose love for Cosplay and fandom fuel her. This was cute, but it felt like more of a mask than a cosplay - the MC hid behind her original character's façade so much, it felt very split.

💜 Her cosplay won his heart. ⠀
Unmasking could lose it. 💔⠀
⠀
💖 Nerd Crush by Alisha Emrich is a wonderful debut novel about friendship, cosplay, budding romance, and discovering the courage to be yourself. This book follows Ramona Lambert, a shy teen who loves everything artistic, and Caleb Wolfe, her popular, handsome crush, as they navigate the difficulties of highschool with a budding friendship at their after school diner job. Ramona only feels like her true self when she cosplays an original character, Rel, who is everything she's not - confident, witty, and brave enough to flirt with Caleb by Email. This book is like a big nerdy hug for all of us who have ever felt invisible or misunderstood. The author does an amazing job of balancing the characters teen angst with humorous scenarios and sweet heartfelt moments. Ramona is a dynamic MC who shines when she's discussing the cosplay culture that she loves. Caleb is a lovable golden retriever guy who's wiser than he appears. I fell hard for this story and I can't wait to read more by Alisha Emrich!

I got this book as an ARC on netgalley in exchange for a review, however these are my honest opinions.

Characters:
Ramona is such a great character. She reminds me a lot of myself as a fellow nerdy black girl. She is socially awkward and feels as though no one understands her struggles or values her hobbies or interests.

Plot:
I related Ramona's character and journey a lot. High school is a lot of pressure and when combined with unrelating parents and dreams that conflict with their desires it can cause a lot of stress. Her relationship with Caleb was really cute. They really understood each other and had a lot in common. I do wish we got more from Caleb in terms of character development or emotions but I liked what we did get.

Rating: I give this book a 5/5🌟 rating. I wish I could go back in time and hand this book to my younger self. This was such a great YA novel for those trying to discover and understand themselves!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC!
This story is so cute! I just love Romana and feel for her so much! The story reminds me a bit of Verona Comics, a bit of You've Got Mail, but with a bit less at stake. Love it when the nerd gets the guy without changing herself for him!
Zoleka Vundla does a phenomenal job as narrator!

(3.5 rounded up to a 4)

NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich is a cute debut YA romance. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over six hours and is narrated by Zoleka Vundla.

Ramona is an awkward and introverted sixteen-year-old dealing with parents who do not understand her and her lifelong best friend moving out of state. Her main friend group is online or at conventions as she has a huge love for designing and creating cosplay--including her original character, Rel. Using a confidence boost from Rel, she strikes up an email conversation with her crush Caleb from her cosplay account. But then Caleb's relationship with "Rel" grows while he's building a friendship with Ramona, but she doesn't know how she can tell him the truth.

This was a really cute debut ya romance! If you want an easy read, or a palate cleanser between deeper or more intense books, this is a great option to pick up. The narrator does a great job here embodying a teenager but not to an annoying level.

The pacing felt a little off to me, but I kind of expect that in a debut. Miscommunication is not my favorite trope, but it's mostly well done here.

I'm really glad to see more black nerd romances lately! If you're looking for a similar read that's not YA, I highly recommend The Love Con by Seressia Glass, which also involves cosplay.

Tropes in this book include: secret identity, withholding information, miscommunication