I love young adult books. Especially real ones like this. And if you are the anime loving student then you’ll enjoy seeing the things you love in this book. Cam has the best personality which has you both in his brain and living his life. I loved getting the detailed thoughts. I felt like I knew all the characters & places from how well he described everything. But, wonderfully, it moved the story along and didn’t drag it along. It touches on ALL aspects of being a teen but does not elaborate - I’d let a middle or high school student read because it’s has some life lessons that they will relate to in it. Great book!

Cameron (Cam), along with his friends Jocelyn and D'Anthony, are the founding members of G.A.N.U. -- Geeks and Nerds United, their high school's only nerd culture club. They are obsessed with anime and manga. The only other regular member is Mackenzie, who transferred from an art magnet school, and who enjoys teasing Cam. The members of G.A.N.U. have a low opinion of the high-status group at the school, led by Student Council President Karla Ortega, the high school's premier golden girl. Karla's crowd and Cam's crowd do not mix. However, unbeknownst to any of their friends, Karla and Cam have been "hooking up" since summer.

As the physical aspect of their secret relationship continues to heat up (Karla is ready to "go all the way"), Cam wants to find a way to befriend the Caravan (as he and his friends call Karla's group) so that the relationship with Karla no longer has to be a secret. Karla is also taking actions that enable them to spend time together in public, albeit not in a romantic manner, and to hopefully help win over her friends. However, Cam's quest is made more difficult by Lucas, Karla's on-again, off-again boyfriend, who has a history of tormenting Cam (and also happens to be Mackenzie's brother), suddenly deciding to turn over a new leaf and be friendly towards Cam. Circumstances also result in Cam and Mackenzie getting to know each other better and seeing beyond the insults and taunts that have defined their interactions so far.

Cam and his friends have pretty strong opinions about what type of people are Karla and her friends, but as he gets to know Karla better and some of her friends better, he realizes that his assumptions are wrong. The school play, which Karla is helping direct and which Cam is covering for the student newspaper, is Pride and Prejudice. The author uses this story and Cam's experience watching a theatrical production come to life as a vehicle for Cam's realization that everyone is a "geek" about something, everyone is a little "weird" in their own way, and that is okay.

One thing that sets this book apart from similar books is that Cameron is a young black man, not the typical representative of a geek/nerd in literature. This is a good thing, because society benefits from having diversity of representation in literature, and young readers should be able to find characters to whom they can relate, whether that is based on racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual preference (or lack thereof), hobbies/interests, or any other categorization into which people can be placed. The author also flips the typical storyline for this type of book. Normally, this type of story would involve the "cool" kids realizing the "worthiness" of the "nerds/geeks" (which does to some extent happen in this book), but instead, it is the "nerds/geeks" who realize the "worthiness" of the "cool" kids.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. As someone who's been out of high school for nearly 10 years, I kept screaming internally to the characters that everything was not as big of a deal as they were making it out to be. Which all in all means I got INVESTED in this. It was cute, but told a pretty good message by the end. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

The Wrong Kind of Weird by James Ramos was a wonderful YA romance.

We meet Cameron, who is smart and truly an engaging character here.
Even the side characters I couldn't help but enjoy also.
The cast of characters around Cameron are so believable and so well-drawn.
Ramos gives us strong and vivid characters. They all were wonderful
I loved that the POV is from a male protagonist.
Fun getting a glimpse from the other side. I liked that alot.
The writing was on a whole new level here IMO.
James Ramos, instantly caught my attention right off rip and once I started I didn't want to stop.
Every single paragraph moved me.
The storytelling was phenomenal and so realistic I was floored.
The connection made here was moving. I believe most YA even adults could connect with these characters. Showing the true struggles of what it's like being a teen.

A fun, well written, remarkable YA contemporary romance that I hope others will read enjoy as much as I did.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Inkyard Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I was really interested in this one, until I wasn’t. The overall idea of the nerdy boy having a secret hook-up with the popular girl was great, but then I struggled to like the nerdy boy. He acted like was in love then tired of being used then totally into her then maybe interested in this other girl then totally in love. Ugh. He was on my nerves. His friends seemed great, but the popular crowd was hard to try to love bc they all seemed like jerks. And finally, if you aren’t into anime and manga, I feel like a lot of this book goes over your heard. I was ok at first, but then when entire paragraphs and pages were dedicated to those things, I found myself skimming and losing interest. I also didn’t really understand what he was going back and forth about with the slow burn concept, because I didn’t see it or understand it with any of the love interests(& I don’t think he did either because he just kept repeating it). I did finish it just to see how it ended, but I wasn’t very vested in it. I did appreciate the diversity in here with LGBTQ+ characters and having young people of all races. FYI a lot of hefty profanity and talk of sex (although they do discuss the need for protection, thank goodness).

Well, this was just a delight of a YA read. I don't always dig YA love stories with dudes as the main character, but I really liked this one! The story focuses on Cameron, president of GANU - Geeks and Nerds Unite - Y'all, can we talk about how great it is that this is a club? Cameron is comfortable with who he is and what he loves, but he's got a secret. He's secretly hooking up with Karla, his co-worker, the student body president and a cheerleader. While she's happy to hook up, she isn't ready to take their cross-group romance public. Along the way, Cameron also makes some other friends, including McKenzie. He's intrigued to find someone who's comfortable in her interests and building a bond with him. As you can imagine, things get complicated, and that's what makes this one so great. I loved the dynamics and the characters in this one so much. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this Janury 2023 release!

I was engaged from beginning to end with this young adult story. I really enjoyed every part of the novel. The characters felt like real people and it worked in the world that was set. I was glad to read this and look forward to more from James Ramos.

“Well, this was fun,” Mackenzie said, stretching her long arms. “At least, it was for me. I don’t know how much fun you could’ve had getting beat so many times.” “I know how to bow gracefully,” I said with a laugh. This was nothing like when I used to play with Cassie. Those games were competitive, but malicious. This was different. It had been intense, but it was fun. Mackenzie was fun."

// Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for this advanced readers copy!! //

This was a fantastic story. I really connected with the characters. This book really represents the struggles of being a teen and i love it!

(And also, the last line had me sobbing)

HIGH SCHOOL REALLY ISN'T THAT DEEP!!!

...is what i wanted to scream to cameron and his friends the whole time i was reading this novel! i look back to my days in high school and i realize how, when you're a teen, it's like everything matters so damn much. like who's popular and who can talk to who and who's cool and who's a loser. and i remember caring about that stuff myself and now im just like omg. it really wasn't that deep. you CAN talk to a cheerleader even if ur a weeb who likes anime holy shit.

this story was so entertaining. it represented the high school experience of your typical nerdy black boy pretty well imo? i loved every character -even the dumb jock.

absolutely recommend it! thank you for the advanced reading copy!

THis was a cute coming of age high school romance read! It talks about important topics and we watch the main character, Cam work through his feelings between two girls, the popular study body president and a longtime friend. I love the nerdiness of it and how they navigate through rough subjects.

I would recommend the editor give it another look through, there were some grammar errors I caught, specifically near the beginning it says "who she designs to speak too" and I think it was supposed to be "decides". I could be wrong but the word design didn't fit with the sentence and I re-read it a few times!

Overall this is a really cute book, I enjoyed reading it! I also love the cover, it is what drew me to the book!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

I will start off by saying I am not usually a YA fan. This book was good for me, but not great. I felt like I couldn't identify with the the characters but maybe because I am older 😂

It was still a solid 3.5 stars for me

Cute, and fun, but a bit melodramatic even for a YA romance novel.

Some of the plot elements dragged on too long (the love/hate relationship between Cameron and McKenzie), and the idea that the entire school was still talking about the situation after Cameron had been gone for an entire week seemed slightly unrealistic.

I also felt that the sub-plot of the attempted friendship between Cameron and McKenzie's brother was left mostly unresolved.

Good points however included the banter between Cam and McKenzie, and the casual inclusion of diverse characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard for the eARC!

THE WRONG KIND OF WEIRD is a fun YA romance about a teen boy, Cameron, sorting through his feelings for two girls — his secret summer fling Karla, and the new girl Mackenzie — all while trying to find his place in high school. Although his idea of the social order in high school is very rigid at first, he slowly comes to learn that people aren't always as they appear and the different cliques in his high school may not be so different from each other after all.

It was great to read a contemporary YA romance from the POV of a male protagonist. Cam was loveable despite his sometimes messy decisions, and the novel had a wonderfully vibrant cast of secondary characters. It will particularly appeal to fans of anime, manga, and Jane Austen!

A cute coming of age, teenage romance. I loved the diversity of the characters and the message is great. This is a great read for teens and young adults - especially if one is into anime/manga.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was creative in ira delivery. But the story seemed to be a regurgitation of things I've already read. This book wasn't for me. But that's not to say it won't be for you. Give it a shot and you may like it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eArc! This book was a breath of fresh air. I really liked the romance in this book, and the analysis of the popular kids and the school dynamic. Hooking up with the most popular girl in school must be challenging to say the least. I also liked that throughout the book, the "popular kids" were humanized, and showed that anyone can be friends throughout the book. and I am SO GLAD Cameron found someone that treated him better than Karla, because she was ultimately not for him. As an anime and theater kid, this definitely spoke to me in all of the ways that it needed to, and it was nice, fluffy and fun! Perfect soft read after high fantasy, or if you just need a mind break!

I don’t normally read YA contemporary romance but I’m so glad inkyard press trusted me to read this! Thank you!
It did take me a couple of chapters before I was in to the story but once I was in there I did not want to put it down. This was such a funny cute read that was so easy to get though. All of the pop culture nerd references so effortlessly weaved in to the story with so fun and exciting to see. Cameron was so relatable with the awkwardness and just trying to figure everything out, seeing sex and consent being talked about was so great to read. All the characters felt very fleshed out and like real people I would see at a high school. I loved the queer representation. I would recommend this book to my friends.

This was cute as heck! I loved the pop-culture references, the main character's geeking out, and the overarching romance plot -- I love opposites attract as a trope, and this did not disappoint. Secret relationships are ALSO a favorite trope of mine, so Cam and Karla were absolutely lovely, and I found myself loving Cam so much. There are not enough male MCs in YA novels, so Cam was a breath of fresh air I didn't realize I needed. Overall, I'd highly recommend THE WRONG KIND OF WEIRD for anyone looking for a heartwarming and fun contemporary novel.

Humorous, sarcastic, and vibrant. For lovers of anime and other nerdy things, and Pride and Prejudice.

Since summer, Cameron (Cam) has been secretly hooking up with Karla, the student council president, but nobody can know because their friend groups are Iike day and night. Cameron, part of the multicultural Geek and Nerds United (G.A.N.U), and Karla, part of the Caravan, the most popular teens at school, couldn’t be more different. Then Cam unexpectedly bonds with Mackenzie, the new girl, and he starts to wonder who might become more than a friend.

The above synopsis reads like a mainstream high school romance, but this story is far more than that. James Ramos tackles important topics such as masculinity, sex and consent, and of course, the social order at schools (loved the reference to Pride and Prejudice). Still, the story is easily readable and light, and I laughed out loud at all those awkward moments. If I’d compare the writing to another author, I’d say Simon James Green. I also loved the casual queerness of some of the side characters, even though Cameron is straight (James Ramos is non-binary themselves).

Thanks so much, Inkyard Press, for trusting me to read and review this ARC! I can’t wait for this book to enter the world, and James Ramos is an author to watch out for!

Cameron is a GEEK and is secretly dating the student council president, Karla, after having spent time working together at the local coffee shop over summer. Now their senior year has started and they cant be seen in public together. Karla’s ex is Cameron’s biggest tormentor and all of Cameron’s friends hate Karla for being perfect. Then enter Mackenzie, she is the twin sister of Karla’s Ex and actually has way more in common with Cameron then anyone, ever. They get along great, when the banter allows for it. With his secret girlfriend snubbing him in public and Mackenzie and him getting closer in club activities Cameron is starting to wonder who he is really meant to be with.

A big thank you to Netgalley.com and the publisher for the pre-published copy of this in exchange for an honest review. This was slow for me to get into, but it is chock full of cultural references, big words, and friends that can be a bit much. So of course I like this one, but there is a lot of cursing in this when it really didn't need it to keep the story going. Basically Anime Geek and Class President get together over summer, but are too embarrassed to make the relationship public. At which point enter the Anime Geek Art girl who Anime Geek starts to fall for while trying to integrate himself into the Class President’s world of friends. It was a cute one that made me smile.