Alan Lawrence Sitomer

This book is definitely one that would appeal to middle and secondary school students. While there is much fun and adventure, life lessons are clear and valuable. The ending is not perfect and everyone doesn't become friends, but it is happy and everything works out well. The Nerd Girls come out ahead but not in the way you might expect. The descriptions of the scholastic competition so very true to life, and I say that as a former teacher of gifted/talented classes and academic coach. Situations like in the book really do happen and there are frustrations in academic competitions just like in sports. The humor will catch the attention of students and the story is far from preachy.… (more)

Personally, I loved this book. It's my favorite type of book to read. When I first saw it, I automatically knew I had to read it. It's one of those books that are so hard to put down, you just want to keep reading it. It's exciting and suspenseful, my favorite genres. I 100% recommend this book to people who are wanting a little bit of everything because at some point it has romance, comedy, etc... But it's not only a good book, but it's also a good message. The book teaches lessons on gangs and violence. It mainly talks about teenagers getting into gangs as early as they can, but it also talks about jail and what a sentence does to a person, old or young.… (more)