I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I requested The Wrong Kind of Weird based purely on the premise, and as expected, it’s a lot of fun. I also like that it’s not afraid to be a bit messy, with the complicated romantic entanglements, while also tackling deeper themes simultaneously.

I liked how the interactions between the characters felt very non-stereotypical and realistic, for the most part. While you’ve read about these high-school hierarchies before, Ramos makes them feel believable, and you feel invested in the fact that Cameron is troubled by the fact that Karla looks down on him in school due to who he hangs out with, even though she was totally fine hooking up with him over the summer.

I did like that, while Karla does snub him in school, she isn’t portrayed as an all-out villain, and there’s dimension to her and some of her friends, even if it becomes apparent that things may not work for her and Cameron after all. Lucas, her on-off boyfriend, actually being nice to Cameron, also helps.

Mackenzie makes for a great foil for Karla, in that she is incredibly free spirited. While I can’t say I was super blown away with how the romantic arc was executed, I do think they make a great fit together overall.

And while there’s a lot of pop-culture stuff in the book, some of which went completely over my head, I liked how the story applied the broad themes of Pride and Prejudice, even though this isn’t a retelling by any means. I particularly love how Cameron’s observations of Darcy’s arc in regards to his love for Elizabeth seem to somewhat parallel his growing awareness of Mackenzie’s positive attributes.

This is a fun read, and I’d recommend it to fans of Y contemporaries.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher of an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a great read. Very enjoyable experience. Good characters. I can see this becoming a new favorite for people

Cameron is a geek. Even though he knows he's gone up a few steps on the list of boys in his school, he loves his anime, and manga, and friends from his geek club. But he has a secret, he's been hooking up with Karla, one of the It girls, part of the gang who his club consider their rivals. And if that's not weird enough, another member of that group, the jocker who's always bullied, wants to make up for all he's done. As a bonus, Cameron sees his former bully's sister Mackenzie join his club. Even though she seems to hate him, they find more and more in common. 

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The title does its job of making you want to read the book but I don't think it describes it well. I like how Cameron's journey is to fit in his own weirdness, if I were to use the title. Although his weird situation (sorry for the repetition of the word) does bring him a lot of trouble, I can't call it wrong either.

I did take a little long to sympathize with him, though. I was that very kind of teenager, who loved Japanese media, etc, not that I was part of a club, my friends weren't in the popular crowd like Karla's, but I'd say our relationship was more like that, each liking their own thing. So maybe I envied how he'd found his place and yet wasn't satisfied? Also, I never bought his relationship or even his feelings for Karla, so the love triangle failed for me. Last, I didn't understand his problem with Mackenzie, which made it even harder to believe he couldn't see how much happier they were together from the start. As the story goes, however, things fit better. He doesn't argue as much with Mackenzie, so I don't frown seeing through the author's efforts to make me buy that they're enemies, and we start understanding Karla better, and despite still not buying his feelings for her, I did like her, it's a great character. Both girls are. And I grew fond of Cameron, too. 

This story is not strong in the love triangle trope or the enemies to lovers one, but it's still a good YA, from the pov of a boy, and not written by a cis woman, but by a nonbinary author. I love women writing, most of what I read are by them, and I think it's great to get another voice.

 Regardless of genre, it's got solid writing and good development and conclusion, so I recommend it to any lover of YA romances, especially if you're a fan of anime/manga.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

I wish the book focused more on the characters rather than atmospheric descriptions, I found myself getting lost in the atmosphere without properly understanding the characters.
Also the romance felt extremely underdeveloped. This is most likely due to the off pacing. By having there be no romantic interest in the final LI till about 50% in puts the romance at a disadvantage, especially in a story like this

I absolutely loved this book! I 100% would like to be part of the GANU club😍
High school can be tough.. what am I saying it IS tough, and although all of our journeys are different, I loved reading about Cameron and his story.
We can all learn a thing or two from him.. it was funny, it was sad, it gave me all the feels. As high school events usually do. The rollercoaster of emotions.
Already my favorite book of the year so far!!

My Reaction: Super cute, dramatic, and as salaciously cornball-ish as a high school romantic, enemies to friends trope can.

Cameron Carson is the epitome of quirky, nerdy and geeky. He's a member of his school's G.A.N.U. (Geeks and Nerds United) and he knows better than anyone that appearances aren't always what they seem. Cameron has been secretly "hooking-up" with one of the most popular girls in school, Karla Ortega. And no one knows it. They've kept their secret since summer and neither have any intentions to divulge to their respective friends/cliques what they have been doing.

It's business as usual, until the new kid on the block, Mackenzie Briggs (who I've come to absolutely adore and enjoy) steps on the scene and essentially shakes up the entire social scene and brings into question for Cameron what's really most important to him: keeping up appearances or true friendship.

The story is heavy on nerd culture, anime, and all things high school. And there is lots of fandom surrounding cosplay, Dragonball Z, manga, and anime. If that's you, this is certainly a book you'll enjoy!

Publication Date: 1/3/23

This book was a light, enjoyable read. Things i like: it gave a glimpse into the World of anime and cosplay. It highlighted the journey of an unlikely character finding himself and love. The main character had to make decisions regarding his friendships and family life in order to grow. Im bot sure if missed something while reading but the race of the girls our main character liked was never explicitly stated so the reader is left to make assumptions. Not a bad thing just st an interesting method used by the author. The overall theme of differences not being a deterrent when you truly care about someone BUT also being true to who you are and what you want was spot on. I would love to use this book in my school library to encourage some of my anime lovers to read a novel.

Cameron DeAnthony and Jocelyn are the geek squad and every now and then McKenzie joins them but what the gang don’t know is that Cameron has been hooking up with Carla Ortega the popular girl at school and the bully Lucas is on again off again girlfriend. He even wants to join the place that they could spend even more time together is it his life wasn’t going great enough Carla tells him she wants to lose her virginity with him. Even though this is every teen boys dream come true Cameron says he hast to think about it because what Carla doesn’t know and the gang doesn’t know is it Cameron has been seeing someone else not officially but enough that it will eventually affect his relationship with Carla his friends and unfortunately with Lucas. This was such a good book I really am not into teen romances and I thought this was something different but having said that I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. There’s a little mystery and a lot of LOL moments I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind to dictate my review.

3.5 stars

After the more serious books I've been reading lately, this was a nice change of pace, although I think I would have appreciated it even more if I had been more of an anime/manga geek. I understood maybe half of what Cameron and his friends talked about, and while I'm definitely a fan of Studio Ghibli, I don't read much Manga and I'm by no means an expert on anime. Still, I loved Cameron's enthusiasm for the craft, and I laughed at some of the arguments his friends had over which was better. But what I loved was his realization that each of the cliques was obsessed with something or another, whether it was anime or theater or even sports, and that one didn't have to belong to one group or another. Rather, people could connect with others via some sort of common ground, not just one's obsession.

This was entertaining and lighthearted, and I liked the author's casual queer and person-of-color representation without making it the point of the story. The author's own apparent passion for anime really came out, which I enjoyed even if I didn't completely get it. I also loved how Cameron learns the wonders and value of something like Pride and Prejudice even if it turns out to be not quite his cup of tea. It was cool how he made connections between what he was experiencing and the play/book.

I'd be open to reading more by this author and hope that they continue writing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute YA Romance!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Cameron Carson. He finds himself in the middle of two girls that are very different from one another. I wouldn’t say that it is your typical love triangle, but it does cause a lot of problems for Cameron.

Through the hookup with Karla and getting to know Mackenzie better, he learns what he wants from a relationship and also how to be himself. Karla comes from a different group of friends and Cameron hasn’t always got along with them because they seem him as that weird, nerdy kid. I could definitely relate to him on that front because I was that kid in high school. Mackenzie brings out the best in him and he can be more of himself. He doesn’t have to change who he is and that is the kind of message I enjoy reading about!

There were only a couple things I wasn’t a fan of, but this is just personal taste. There was more sex talk than I like in YA as well as jokes that just don’t fit my humor. These two details won’t be an issue for others so definitely take it with a grain of salt!

Overall, this was a nice YA romance. Cameron learns a lot about himself and I think many teens will be able to relate to him. It’s also a very quick read too!

Rating: 3.5 stars

I loved Cameron and Mackenzie, they're a great couple and I love they're being nerdish and sweet.
Karla is a complex character, one you love to hate as she's not very likeable and very queen-bee.
it's a well plotted and entertaining story, there's more layer and I liked it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I absolutely adore this cover, so major kudos to the person who designed it.

The storyline, however, I wasn't quite as enamored with it. "The Wrong Kind of Weird" has some "Pride and Prejudice" parallels, but they're not obvious right away. Cam is a wonderful character who spends way too much time chasing after someone who refuses to be seen in public with him. While the big climax wasn't bad, it failed to reach it's full potential because the author did not spend enough time with Cam and his friends. It needed more Mackenzie and more Cam with his friends.

This story is the type of story that you picture on the big screen. It was honest in the sense that it showed how awkward high school can be, but also showed the funny moments that one can experience.

I wanted to keep on reading and not put down my kindle! I really enjoyed how real and honest the characters were with themselves. I liked how Cameron worked through his feelings and found himself again. He learned to be proud of who he is and what he likes, and not changing for anyone in order to fit in.

I recommend this book to fans of coming of age, self-discovery, and friendship stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rate: 3.5

I don't know how to explain it, but this book was better than I expected. This story was a love letter to being a dork, and delightfully snarky and sarcastic.

I really enjoyed this book! The humor was amazing and the characters were all so relatable. I thought this was the perfect YA read. So many high school memories came to mind while reading this and I loved reliving what I felt back then.

This was such a quick sweet read.

Cameron is a member of the geeks and nerds club, a club as you guessed it for members like that. But Cameron had a secret that could end his friendships real quick. He’s been hooking up with people from other clubs. What he was hoping was a summer fling is all tangled up now. Especially when he meets Mackenzie, a girl who isn’t afraid to be who she is.

This story tackles high school and sex and cliques. It was funny and had a great message. I felt like I was reading a romcom that I’d watch.

I made it about 50% through the book and gave up. I had a hard time with the way the author structured time in the book. Flashbacks interwoven with present time always mess with me and don't read right. I also really did not care about any of the characters so I decided to stop reading. I will not be providing a public review since the book was just not for me.

This story, while it seemed very appealing, just did not draw me into it. I was unable to connect with the storyline and the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC of this!

Cute, funny story about an outsider and a queen bee having a secret relationship, him meeting another nerd and starting to fall for her, and the kind of drama you’d expect from secret relationships and love triangles. It wasn’t ground-breaking but it was fun to read and I enjoyed it. I definitely liked seeing all the friendships in the background and how social dynamics came into play.

Recommended: sure
for a sweet story of figuring out what's right for you, for healthy and balanced looks at teen / first-time sexuality, for really lovely friendships that are important as well

Thoughts

What stands out to me most in this book is that there's a boy who is hesitant about having sex because he's unsure he's emotionally ready for it, and a girl who enjoys sex and appreciates a partner who ensures she's satisfied and taken care of as well. Both of these are SO IMPORTANT AND HEALTHY! I feel like these are almost complete opposites of the usual tropes, where boys are portrayed as having no emotional involvement in sex and just want sex with anyone anytime, and women are not enjoying it (or at least not supposed to talk about enjoying it) and not empowered to do anything to change that.

And look, sex is a driving plot point in a way, but it was about so much more than that. It's the kind of story that I read now as an adult and think "man this would've been great to have as a teenager." It would've been comforting to read about characters who assuaged some of the common questions. Anyway.

There's not quite a love triangle in this, but it's definitely a bit of a "who do I choose" storyline. Where it shines in that is ensuring no one is made out to be a villain for no real reason. It's not like one person is manipulating another; it's just a matter of being young and trying to figure out what you truly need and want when hormones are wreaking havoc on your brain at the same time.

Everyone was portrayed as a multifaceted person and had something shown about them to admire and love and empathize with. The friendships were key in this all through it and I love me a romance (or any story) where relationships with friends are not pushed to the wayside due to a romantic relationship. They are wonderful as well!

So overall, this was a sweet read with a fairly predictable plot and genuinely likable characters. They do make some stupid choices (see: human, teenager) but they also learn to own up to them and grow from them. The healthy portrayals of sex are something I'm always a fan of, and robust friendships that last and matte are icing on the cake!

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.