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Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
Rating: 4/5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A book full of short stories about geeks written by geeks for geeks. Geektastic is an apropos title for this collection of YA author-written short stories. I have not read many books like this, where each story is a piece of the whole. Even though each story was incredibly different from the next, they all tied geekiness together in clever and insightful ways. Because this book was written and edited by YA authors exclusively, Geektastic becomes not only a story of geekiness, but of being a geek during one of the most turbulent time of one’s life: the teenage. Every story hits the mark but does so in a variety of ways.
My favorite short story is John Green’s, “Freak the Geek.” In an all-girl high school overrun by traditions, Lauren and her BAOF (best and only friend) Kayley become victims of the “Freak the Geek” tradition. This unfortunate tradition targets geeks in pranks done by upperclassmen. The pranks are always done ambush-style, and the girls are surprised when they find Lauren’s car circled by dozens of girls with red paint-filled paintball guns. When they run and hide, Lauren and Kayley fight about popularity but come out of hiding with a renewed strength in their friendship. I like this story for its simplicity. It is one event with two main characters, a conflict, and a resolution. It tells a compelling story about fitting in that is resolved faster than a Full House episode.
Some other favorites include “The Stars at the Finish Line,” “The Truth About Dino Girl,” and “I Never.” The first is about two astronomy enthusiasts who become enthused about each other. 😉 The next is about a dinosaur-obsessed geek who falls for a boy and revenges upon an unsuspecting girl. The last is a story of an IRL meetup party for online gamers, and what was thought to be a romantic meeting turns into an upsetting evening.
This book is bound by the themes of “geek” and “teenage,” and every story tells different perspectives of what it’s like to be a teenage geek. Because every story is so different, the audience understands the complexities of people who are often pigeonholed into one group. Geeks are diverse and into so many fascinating things. Geek culture is explored and celebrated in Geektastic, and it’s a ton of fun to read. I’d recommend this to all sorts, geeks and nerds, teens, and general book lovers.
The authors: Holly Black, Cecil Castellucci, M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, John Green, Tracey Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.
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