un and very nerdy YA contemporary (lots of D+D) that tackles fandom, online harassment, and a bit of genderbending. Liked it but didn’t love it.

I loved the premise of this but it fell flat in execution. It wasn't particularly funny or charming, and I had a big problem with this idea of outing people and dressing up as a guy so thoroughly that people think you are in fact a guy, when the main character isn't trans. She's just doing it so she can be "one of the guys."

It's also extremely hard to believe she was able to find all those cosplay supplies in such a small town.

This is a fun book with a strong feminist theme and lgbtq representation. Bullying is handled in a deft way along with the many forms it can take. A good YA book with an important message.

I LOVED this book
This is perfect for any and every geek, lovers of D&D and cosplay. You get the girl masquerading as a boy trope too which i always love.

It’s the summer before senior year and Cameron isn’t starting it off great. Her family moves to a new town. Her college applications aren’t finished. And she’s inadvertently set off an internet firestorm of abuse and harassment from angry male fans after winning a cosplay competition. To make matters worse, the only comic book store in her new town is staffed by an unfriendly owner who makes her feel unwelcome and challenges any woman who visits.

With her costuming experience and twin brother’s help, Cameron borrows clothing and pretends to be a boy to make a point. She is not only welcomed into this mostly male space but also invited to play D&D with them, dragging her brother along in the process. As her plan gets more complicated, she finds herself making friends in unexpected places, her costume portfolio stalls in creative roadblock, and amid romantic misunderstandings she’s got a crush she isn’t sure how to handle.

Chaotic Good, Whitney Gardner’s follow-up to You’re Welcome, Universe, is an exploration of fandom, high school, and internet infamy. Let’s start with why I think this book and books like it are important. There’s been a lot of conversation around women and fandom. Discussing gatekeeping in fandom spaces isn’t new or unique to the plot of this book. What is new is a story that confronts harassment in cosplay and on the internet. We see how abuse that comes from anonymity of the internet can have lasting consequences.

Being a girl in a boy’s space is hard, especially when you’re a teenager. I’m speaking from experience. I’ve attended conventions since I was in my teens and involved in costuming for over a decade (Yes, I’ve actually made a Dazzler costume, though not the one featured on the cover in this case). The book touches on a lot of issues confronting geek culture and how girls navigate a scene historically seen as boys-only. It’s a good time for fiction from the geek girl’s point of view, as so many good books have featured the geek guy. Because of this, I really wanted to love Chaotic Good. I ended up leaving with mixed feelings.

Cameron is shamed in a way that many girls in geek culture know well; she’s accused of being a “fake geek girl.” It’s a relatable experience in the comics and gaming world; it also comes with associated stigma that can be frustrating and alienating for someone exploring their interests. The book doesn’t hold back from showing how toxic that can be and Cameron struggles with how to handle that negative attention. Chaotic Good also shows that even good guys can ignore or shrug off problematic behavior from people they care about, making it harder for others to speak up about it.

Cameron’s love interest is a highlight of the book. He’s a larger guy and that’s immediately part of why she’s attracted to him. It’s not something she (or he) had to overcome. It’s really nice to see that. I also enjoyed the way consent was handled. Lincoln and Cameron are open about how comfortable they are with being physical. This is shown as a positive and attractive thing.

When the book touches on roleplaying and D&D, it’s a lot of fun. It was a good way for Cameron to grow closer to the other characters and highlights some of their personalities in the way they approached the game. Throughout those scenes, there were short comics that went through some of their D&D campaign. The illustrations are a nice touch, marking the shift between what’s happening in the real world and the events going on in game. I really only wish we’d had more of them!

As for the cast, there are some prominent gay characters, even if their stories are secondary in the narrative. It’s still a decent nod to how fandom spaces are not always exclusive to a certain type of people. This also plays into some of the aspects of Chaotic Good that I didn’t find as compelling.

Gender plays a big part in the book and tied to Cameron’s feminist thought. Unfortunately, it’s not intersectional feminism. Cameron dresses as a boy essentially as a prank. She is trying to prove something to the guys at her local comic book store. With a modern setting and LGBT characters, you’d think the plot might include something about genderfluidity, trans* communities, or nonbinary people. The book doesn’t really acknowledge their existence. It also ignores that the exclusion can perpetuate dangerous stereotypes. Namely, gender expression that doesn’t match gender assigned at birth is often seen (falsely) as ‘deception’ in some situations. This stereotype can cause people real harm. With her brother’s repeated insistence she stop lying, there’s opportunity to mention some of those problems, even if only in passing.

This story relies so heavily on a lot of stereotypical male nerd behavior that it manages to erase other women from the narrative almost entirely. Cameron’s female friends only appear briefly and their support in the situation feels sidelined compared to the time given to the male characters and her relationships with them. I wish there had been more girls in Cameron’s journey through geek girl culture.

With Cameron’s friends such a defining aspect of her big conflict (the internet harassment), it was disappointing not to see them until really late in the book. The same is true about the source of her internet infamy: cosplay. The representation of costuming in this book didn’t resonate with me the way I hoped. It didn’t feel genuine in any relatable way. I’m not sure how many people would commission a several hundred dollar costume from a teen prodigy and be happy to receive pieces taken out of a thrift store bin with a fabric-paint stenciled t-shirt. As said teenager has the kind of budget to buy new comics and graphic novels then rip them apart for “reference material”, I don’t know that Cameron’s insistence she is ‘just that thorough’ with her creations holds a lot of weight.

Lastly, the pop culture references were distracting. Within the first seventeen pages, I counted six specific fictional characters and celebrities from other franchises name dropped. I don’t know that real world popular culture added to the story any more than fictional films and characters would have. It might have been easier to handle a few distinct (and original) references than another genderbent version of a popular video game character sparking death threats on the internet.

Verdict:
In the end, I like Cameron more than I liked her story. The heart of Chaotic Good is great: girls shouldn’t have anything to prove in fandom spaces. The book and its cover give the impression that cosplay and comic conventions are going to dominate the storyline. They don’t. The book is really more about gaming and internet culture. I wish the cosplay culture aspect was either better represented or not as much of a focus. The part of the story centered on Cameron’s new interest in tabletop gaming is more interesting than her costume designing dreams.

Chaotic Good falls in the vein of Geekerella or Queens of Geek. Unlike those, it follows the story of lone female MC than the female friendships often discovered in geek spaces. It’s a cute, standard young adult romance with a geek dressing. While it definitely will appeal to gamers and girls navigating fandom for the first time, the reliance on pop culture references and heavy use of stereotypes and tropes might turn some readers off.

When I saw that the author of You're Welcome Universe was coming out with a new book I was excited to read it. I loved her debut and this one sounded super cute. And while this was cute and fast read it didn't quite blow me away.

I will say that this was definitely a cute contemporary. I don't read a ton of contemporaries but I like when they are more on the fun and light-hearted side of things. This book did a good job in balancing the more serious issues and themes with some funny and some sweet moments. The romance was pretty cute as well and it briefly thawed my cold dead heart. I think if you are a bigger fan of contemporaries you will like this way more than a casual like myself.

Speaking of casuals, or well people being called casuals, probably my favorite things about this book was the geek culture angle. I love books about nerdy characters especially if the plot of the book deals with anything geeky and this book definitely did just that. Not only was there cosplay but also Dungeons and Dragons. Plus it explored some of the less savory parts of this like what it is like to be a girl geek and online harassment.

The geek culture of course extended to the characters. This is a book full of geeks and nerds. I always relate so much to nerdy characters for obvious reasons. Cameron is fun and feisty. She's having a bit of a tough time but she has a lot of inner strength which made me appreciate her even more. There could have been a little bit more character development but as a protagonist Cameron was likable. The secondary characters were similar but not as complex as I would have hoped. Her brother Cooper was interesting enough but wasn't as involved as much as I would have liked, Brody was definitely complex but he really could have overcome his jerk tendencies a little more. As for the romantic lead, Lincoln, I did like him but like a lot of the other characters he just didn't get as much development as I would have liked. I think a little more time on character development would have made this book a little more enjoyable for me.

But the thing I would have definitely like more of was in regards to this book is the plot. My main issue here is just with the plot development. It didn’t really feel fully-formed. It moved from moment to moment in a deliberate pace and had a climax that had me engaged, but none of the main beats really hit in a significant way. Most of the time it would just move on, which didn’t really allow for any weight behind it. It was interesting it just felt like it was a little rushed and there could have been much more. It made for a really fast read which I appreciated but it also made for a basic read which I didn't appreciate. I'm such a plot driven reader that I really wanted a more complex plot.

All in all though a cute and fun contemporary. It was definitely basic and on the younger end of YA but it was a decent read and I enjoyed it.

3.5 stars - But a high 3.5 stars, like could be 3.75 stars but I only do half stars so it will have to be 3.5 stars

*I received an eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a quick, fun little read where the main character deals with making friends in a new town while also dealing with being cyber bullied due to the gatekeeping and general sexism that can be prevalent in the "geek/nerd community" (I don't know a better way to phrase this). I really enjoyed my time reading this. I thought the writing was well done especially concerning Cam's sewing and I thought all the descriptions of the sewing itself and how Cam felt about it really caused me to become more embedded into the story.

I really liked reading about her playing dungeons and dragons and watching her try to fit into her new town through it. I also really loved the inclusion of the little comic strips when they were playing DnD! They were so fun and now I want to look for my own DnD group.

I thought all the side characters were well done and diverse (except for Brody, but we'll get to that). I really liked Cam and Cooper's (Gay) sibling relationship and their whole family dynamic. I also really liked how it mentions that their parents are older. I thought Lincoln as a love interest was great, and I just really liked Wyatt (Black and Gay).

I had 2 minor dislikes which brought down the star rating for me:
1. When it came to Cam being bullied, sometimes the bullying could get a little "mustache twirling villain" where it just didn't feel as realistic, specifically when it came to Brody. Almost Every Single Thing he says is somehow sexist or an example of something shitty I've seen in a tumblr post. Just everything out of his mouth, he never says anything good or even decent (that I can recall).
2. I just really hate how Cam hid the bullying from everyone. It gets on my nerves when characters say "you don't understand" and make absolutely no attempt to help the other person understand.

Overall I did enjoy this and the good far outweighed the bad. I would definitely recommend this for the nerdy teen in your life.

When I came across the synopsis for Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardener, I was most intrigued by the nerd culture and the girl undercover plotline. Finding two of my favorite story elements combined in one novel is always a total score!

This story does try hard to be a fangirl/geek fantasy. Cosplay outfits are created. Several games of Dungeons & Dragons are played, and there are even some comic drawings to go with them.

I appreciate the messages that are communicated through the story as well. The protagonist Cameron can wear pretty skirts but also be a fan of "guy" comics. When she reaches a level of relevancy online for the costumes she makes, she is criticized for not being a true fan of what she cosplays, shining a light on how intentionally or unintentionally cruel people can be about such silly things. The reason that prompts her to dress up as a guy in the first place is because a comic book store employee has certain expectations of her comic book taste as a girl.

However, I must admit that I personally could not relate or sympathize with Cameron. The story didn't vibe with me. Cameron is a bit of a Debby Downer, and her relationships with several people are rocky.

I will say that I love her relationship with Dotty, who acts as her mentor. I believe that everyone meets someone who helps them realize something about themselves at least once in life, and they're a great example of that. In addition, Dotty's character feels developed and dynamic. She's lovable but also super cool. She once made costumes for Broadway! She's the type of lady I aspire to be when I grow up, the type who sets kiddos up and dishes out heartfelt advice.

Cameron has preconceptions about people, and I didn't think she would ever come to realize that. She doesn't grow throughout the entire book, but she does eventually realize her mistake. It's growth nevertheless, and other characters grow along with her.

Although it wasn't the fun and lively book I had hoped it would be, Chaotic Good does hold some merit. It touches on topics relevant to society.  This is a 2.5-star book for me, but this is a great read for those who enjoy more pensive reads.

Female geek girls will appreciate Cameron Birch, a cosplaying, fashion designer who gets tired of being judged “fake” for her love of comic book characters and their extraordinary costumes and the idiotic mansplaining of the guy at the comic book shop. With a deadline to create original costumes for her college application to CalArts looming and the help of her father, a former D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) player, she has a way to make her characters, but she can’t face the comic book shop D&D players without the armor of dressing up…as a boy.

This book was had me on a roller coaster of emotions. I definitely could relate to Cam, and I loved her passion for her art and the descriptive way Gardner wrote about it. This is definitely a book I think would resonate with any girl that liked geeky things, and it could be eye-opening for guys to understand just how difficult it is to deal with the constant attacks and questions as a girl that just wants to get into something cool.

The characters were very real and dimensional. I loved Cam’s brother Cooper and the way he supported her and also was torn about helping her keep perpetuating a lie. I loved Why and his sunshine attitude and just rooted for him to find what he was looking for. Ultimately, Chaotic Good dealt with the issues of online bullying and creating safe spaces for girls in what are considered “masculine dominated” places and fandoms really well. The one thing I had issues with was the random comics that sometimes then skipped to a different time/place in the story without any warning. This might just be an issue in the uncorrected e-proof though.

I definitely recommend this to fans of Geekerella or if you like the Adventure Zone podcast, you’ll probably enjoy it too.

I love a good cosplay story with a gender disguise element. Entertaining, cute, feminist and fun. Recommended reading for nerds and geeks galore!

Things I liked about CHAOTIC GOOD: diversity, comics, D&D - even though I know nothing about how to play since I've never played. Some of my favorite scenes were while the group of friends were at the comic shop D&D. Speaking of characters... Link and Why were my two favorites.

Things I didn't like about CHAOTIC GOOD: The beginning held loads of promise and the ending was cute and sweet. Not sure what happened in-between. My annoyance with the middle parts came from Cameron pretense of being a boy going on far too long, Cooper (Cam's twin brother) at first seemed cool, but turned jerk without any real reason, imho. One of the real disconnects for me was the whole blog and cyber bullying. If I am to believe that Cam and Coop are super close, (stereotypical twin thing) then how the heck is he clueless as to his sister's blog and what happening there?



*Potential spoilers because I'm not sure where my thoughts are going and I'll likely not edit.*

What was going on with Cam is complete crap. Its frustrating and infuriating. Reading about it was hard because even though CHAOTIC GOOD is fiction, we all know this type of harassment is real. I wish there was more accountability, a little due justice, in regards to the "anons" and "randos". Afterall, Cam is a minor. When all this came to light: with her phone number/address being published (even though it was a former address), being sent d*ck pictures, threats, & "go kill yourself" comments... no one... not even her parents did anything?! They gave her a list of websites for her to make sure her personal info wasn't available. Huh? That was a head scratcher. Unsatisfied with the outcome and the a missed opportunity.

As someone interested in sewing, costuming, and other nerdy things, this book really spoke to the social awkwardness that makes it hard to find new friends. I've had experiences very similar to the main character in local comic stores. While there were people who were perfectly accommodating, I was also thoroughly ignored for a while by most of the staff when trying to check out.

Importantly: I loved that there were moments when Cameron (as a guy) tried to avoid standing out by going along with some of the less-than-stellar behavior of Brody. She showed how easy it is to be complicit in bullying and cruelty, just because it saves you from confrontation.

Overall, sweet and fun book that we're definitely going to purchase at my library.

3.5 stars. A really fun, cute story, with some great twists along the way. Also, that cover is ADORABLE.

Things I really enjoyed:
-- Cameron's character voice. She sounded like some of my most charismatic friends in that effortlessly casual, hilarious way.
-- Cameron's sewing. My favorite parts of the book were when we got to be with Cameron in her studio. Reading about a character sewing could easily be boring, but with Cameron it was the most magical space in the book. I loved that.
-- The twins' relationship, with its familiar ease and its rocky moments. And that they didn't swoop in to solve each others' problems, but each character got to dig themselves out of their own personal mess.
-- The portrayal of harassment and the way it infiltrates everything around Cameron. I think this could have been developed even a little more, but it worked in the book as effective motivation for Cameron to put herself in a rather convoluted position.
-- The various adults. I always get excited when there's a YA with adults who love each other (Cameron's parents) and who are just as interesting as the teens (Dotty).
-- The unexpected turn when she displays her costumes at the end. I really appreciated that she didn't get her ending easily.

Things I'm a little iffy on:
-- The middle? In general? During the middle, I just found myself starting to get a little annoyed with everyone.
-- The love triangles got a little bit old.
-- Most of the book, I felt like Cameron wasn't just being used to teach the characters around her a lesson, and I appreciated that. But there were times, especially in the latter half, where I felt like her role was to just teach the other characters (and some readers) a lesson, to the applause of many readers. This could just be a personal preference thing--I might just not be gung-ho feminist enough to get fully swept into the narrative--but there were a few places where I felt the author missed chances to push Cameron harder by having her actually be wrong about some things. I felt like the narrative justified her whenever she was wrong (and faced one consequence or the other) and her basic assumptions about the way the world (and fandom) works at the beginning of the book were the same as at the end of the book. But, again... this is probably a matter of personal taste.
[-- One of those instances being when she tells Lincoln about her blog and the harassment, and he responds something like, "What did you expect?" And she gets onto him about how he wouldn't expect to get harassed on his own personal, not-that-updated blog. I felt like the core of the point she made was valid, but also there are so many variables beyond just gender that influence the differences in their situations. If he was exactly the same as her, with a blog going viral over controversy, he would get a lot of backlash, too--not dick pics and rape/death threats, but the blog would still elicit over the top negative reactions. She assumes Lincoln means, "What did you expect [since you're a girl posting cosplay]?" and shames him. The discussion would be more interesting, I think, if Lincoln was allowed to mean, "What did you expect [since you run a blog going viral/since your blog centers around something that's controversial right now]?" IDK. I could just be nitpicking. (hide spoiler)]
-- Similar to the note above, I liked that in the first third of the book (or so) the character Brody (our token douche guy) showed signs of challenging Cameron's prejudices (she admits that he thinks he's being helpful, etc). And I liked that he never went full stereotypical, nonredeemable jerk. But I again felt there was a missed opportunity to explore what creates people like Brody (since obviously it's not just inherently a male quality, as Why and Lincoln and others in the book show). Perhaps that's just because I prefer antagonists who have more layers, but maybe the author didn't want to humanize to the Brody hoard too much. [I did find it out of the blue and a bit ridiculous that Brody shows up in his (female) D and D character's costume at the end. It was so wildly out of character for him, and the only reason I can think he did it was as a sort of apology to Cameron, but it's so glossed over in the rush to get to the last page that it just ends up feeling forced for giggles. (hide spoiler)]

Those are my thoughts, for what they're worth! There was a lot to love in the book, and I can see it jiving well with a lot of my nerdy, con-attending friends.

(I received a free copy in exchange for a review. Thanks, Netgalley!)

With nerd culture finally legitimized, it's time to take things a step further. Its time to take a harder look at the culture, to point out it's flaws. Nerds can be very harsh, especially to those perceived as posers and noobs. Anyone who doesn't like the thing we like the way we like it is inherently wrong. And many nerds are especially hard on girls. And Gardner takes us deep into the dark side of the nerd world, pointing out cruelty in abundance. We see sexism, cyber-bullying, and doxing. She also uses D&D as a metaphor for character's fears and failings. The lot is overly predictable. It wraps up neatly. Normally that level of predictability would be annoying but in this case its acceptable because the characters are so likeable. Not terribly complex but certainly likeable.

I read Whitney Gardner's debut earlier this year and really enjoyed it, so I had high hopes for this one. This was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it allllmost as much as You're Welcome, Universe, but I did want a little bit more from the story. This has a pretty abrupt ending (for me) and I wanted a little bit more from the brother before the ending. Saying that, I had a really good time reading this and it was such an easy read as well - I started it and finished it in one sitting. I really loved the friendships that develop through this book and it definitely increased my want to play D&D one day. Ultimately, it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it, I just wanted a tiny bit more from the ending.

I do also have to say - this has a girl dressing as a boy but it doesn't (to my recollection) discuss the gender binary or have any trans characters.

CW: bullying including cyber bullying, doxing

Ever since I read Whitney Gardner's book You're Welcome, Universe, I've been a fan of her writing because the style is comforting. It's an easy one to pick up and put down, like a well worn shirt or blanket you can pull on when you're in need of comfort and just want to relax.

Her newest book embraces geek culture and follows main character's journey through it, a journey that it a lot of fun, but also touches on the darker side of the Internet and the anonymity it lends to cruel people.

There are moments in the book that were uncomfortable to read, including Atomix Comix worker Brody's anti-female rhetoric and the troll emails that Cameron receives online, including but not limited to death threats. Those emails, comments, blog notes, and moments at Atomix Comix when when no one stood up to Brody made for a tense atmosphere that had the hairs on the back of my neck up, even from the comfort of my couch.

There are also amazing times to be found. The geektastic moments range from ones that even a casual fan will get, such as Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and Final Fantasy name drops, to more subtle references such as a podcast warning townspeople not to visit the local dog park (Welcome to Night Vale fans represent!).  There was also some multi generational bonding over D&D with Cameron's dad and his friends for a scene that I liked. 

This was a fairly short book so while the writing was a style that I like and the pacing was good, it still felt like something was missing. Things happened, things were resolved, but almost a little too easily. Cameron's difficulties with the online trolls and the information that they leaked gets moved on from with relative ease. The person who leaked her phone number initially is never revealed as far as I could tell, though I could make some guesses. There's also the nature of Cameron's dressing as a boy and how gender is portrayed as a strictly boy/girl. I think there's more that could have been done with this part of the story, especially considering the feelings that Cameron goes through toward the end when the big reveals are starting to happen.

If you're a fan of geek culture, want to get a look of interspersed pages of Whitney's comic book style art, or want to find a new author good for a chill read, pick up Chaotic Good. You may consider picking up your own d20 by the last page.

I was provided this eARC in exchange for a fair review.
This was a delightful and satisfying read that made my girl geek heart happy! I loved how this addressed the issue that so many girl geeks face; ridicule and animosity for daring to love a “boys” subject. The author told this tale wonderfully and you find yourself so attached to Cam as she deals with the reality of her world. I would suggest this for anyone who loves games, gaming, comics, and cosplay.

3.75 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy quirky YA contemporary novels, or the female perspective within "nerd culture".

This story follows Cam a cosplay genius. She makes her own costumes, blogs, takes them to cons, etc. But when she moves from Portland to Eugene, she finds herself unable to go into the comic shop without the owner's nephew mansplaining during her entire visit. Naturally, to visit the shop and avoid the awkwardness, she cosplays as a boy. When the guys at the shop ask the guy version of her to play D&D with them, she thinks this is just what she needs to finish her portfolio for costume design school... however, it might jeopardize brand new friendships along the way.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It reminded me a little bit of Fan Girl. It definitely had that nerdy, coming of age feel to it. However, the D&D bits were woven in a bit more directly, and a bit more subtle than the fan fic in Fan Girl. I loved that this was also a critique of what it is like to be a female who is interested in things withing nerd culture, it can be hard. While I haven't dealt with a lot of these issues first hand, I have lots of friends who have. I appreciated it being addressed here. I loved Cam's character. It was so fun to read about her nerdy and creative pursuits, it makes me wish that I could sew! hehe I loved Dot, I loved Cam's family, I honestly could have done with a little more of the family dynamics within the novel as well. Dot and Lincoln were the cutest, and I'd have loved to know more about them! Overall I think this book is a little bit niche, but is definitely accessible if you are interested in it. My knowledge of D&D and Cosplay are fairly low, and I didn't have any issues with it. I really liked the illustrations thrown in here and there. I think it would have been neat to see sketches of her costumes as well!

Warnings: cyber-bullying, mention of doxxing

Chaotic Good calls out the sexism in geek culture, where girls are not given spaces or seen as fake. Cameron loves designing clothes, especially for cosplays, and her dream is to be in CalTech and work for costuming. In a new place, she starts to encounter sexism all over again when she is seen as a fake fan at a comic book store, and to teach the guy a lesson, she dresses up as a boy. But soon, her fake persona feels more comfortable to move around in the geek world, and she keeps the ruse up. But she soon has to realize that discarding your femininity is not a way to counter sexism.

Cameron's character is a determined young woman who knows what she wants in life. While she isn't very deeply into the comic books or games as an consumer fan, she is very invested as a creator of artwork - she designs costumes for both personal and professional use. At a convention, a comment made by her led to incessant online bullying and even doxxing as the book progresses - but she keeps it all to herself. She doesn't even tell her twin brother because she thinks her problems are little compared to him having to navigate as gay in a not-so-progressive town.

Now, there are a couple things I had regarding the concept that I would like to get out of the way - yes, cross-dressing books have been around, but this is the first that I have read in contemporary fiction, I think. And so I expected some acknowledgement of transgender/non-binary people having similar troubles (which is worse for them because they ARE dressing for their gender, while she is wearing it only as a 'costume'). Actually, even fantasy books should acknowledge this, but that's a discussion for another day. Secondly, I don't see why Cooper (her twin brother) was pressuring her to talk to Why about her being a girl as necessary for him to ask him out, when those events are unrelated. Also, the way it is revealed was so lazy and predictable, I saw it coming a mile away.

Moving on to the good parts of the book - it encapsulates her frustration pretty well. There is the bullying she is facing online, the everyday sexism she faces as a girl, and then the hidden sexism she sees when she is dressed as a boy, when Brody acts like a Typical Dudebro and even the other guys who seem decent otherwise don't call him out on it. All of it just drives her to be focused on her work, her presentation for the CalTech interview and to take a break from being a girl by dressing up as a boy. The prose of the book carries the story over the summer, as she and her brother get involved in the comic store guys' D&D games, and run a campaign together (is that what it is called? I am not in D&D). It challenges the idea that a girl should downplay her femininity to be taken seriously, whether it is as a fan, or in a professional scenario (let's just say the interviewer was terrible), and advocates embracing your interests, and not playing to what others perceive of you.

The novel is also running the storyline of the campaign, through comic panels that show how their fantasy story is going on. The art on that is pretty basic, but it is rendered well, and blends wonderfully with the prose. The romance is cute, and Lincoln is a pretty good love interest. Cooper and Why's storyline is also good, but it is mostly in the margins. I love the sibling relationship between Cameron and Cooper as well, and how they respond to the other's troubles. Overall, an adorable coming-of-age novel that hits on key points in geek culture, while also being serious about its dark parts.