The Wrong Kind of Weird

By James Ramos

Book Overview

"Sweet, snarky, and delightfully dorky." --Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters

Cameron Carson has a secret. A secret with the power to break apart his friend group.

Cameron Carson, member of the Geeks and Nerds United (GANU) club, has been secretly hooking up with student council president, cheerleader, theater enthusiast, and all-around queen bee Karla Ortega since the summer. The one problem--what was meant to be a summer fling between coffee shop coworkers has now evolved into a clandestine senior-year entanglement, where Karla isn't intending on blending their friend groups anytime soon, or at all.

Enter Mackenzie Briggs, who isn't afraid to be herself or wear her heart on her sleeve. When Cameron finds himself unexpectedly bonding with Mackenzie and repeatedly snubbed in public by Karla, he starts to wonder who he can truly consider a friend and who might have the potential to become more...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1335428585
• ISBN13: 9781335428585
• Release Date: January 2023
• Publisher: Inkyard Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Fun, nerdy, Austenesque RomCom

The Wrong Kind of Weird is a coming-of-age story that follows Cameron, a nerdy high school senior who is struggling to mold himself into something he isn't because of a girl. Cameron has been having a secret physical relationship with the queen bee student council president Karla ever since they worked together as baristas over the summer. Cameron is a member of Geeks and Nerds United (GANU) along with his small group of anima and manga loving friends. Cameron and Karla occupy different high school social strata and, as such, can't be seen together. As Cameron tries to infiltrate the popular crowd, along comes confident nerdy Mackenzie, the sister of Karla's bullying ex. Just as Cameron is making decisions about who he wants to be with and how he wants to be treated, everything melts down due to an exposure on social media. Cameron is relatable and likeable, as are his GANU friends. There is an Austenesque quality to this book, because the reader knows, far before Cameron does, who and what is right for him. The Wrong Kind of Weird is entertaining, witty and fun, exploring the themes of self-acceptance, friendship, and the dangers of stereotypes. I appreciate the diverse and LBGTQ+ representation among the characters. Not a reflection on the quality of the book but it is incongruous that Karla is portrayed as blonde and white on the cover, yet the character definitely isn't.