Into The Wild Nerd Yonder

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder: My Life on the Dork Side, by Julie Halpern.  As a self-professed geek (a euphamism for the synonymous "nerd" and "dork") I couldn't resist but place a hold on this book when I saw its title showing up with a dress and a pink background on on the cover after I typed in 'Dungeons & Dragons" onto the library's online search function.  It did not matter that the book was found in the young adults section, the book was obviously told from a female's point of view and it involved Dungeons & Dragons and  I was intrigued.  There are not many women who play the game and even fewer stories are written about women who play it.  What would this book hold?

It has been a long time since I have read such light reading.  Even the fiction that I have been reading these days has involved going through long and complex plots.  I had forgotten how enjoyable some good fluff could be, and this little geeky book was good fluff.  It takes place in a high school setting with a young girl who is trying to figure out where she fits on the clique scene.  In fact, I really like the summary on the book jacket so let me quote it here:

"It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed 'mathlete,' she isn't sure where she belongs.  Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks, and one of them is going after her longtime crush.  Her beolved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime, has shaved his mohawk and started dating... the homecoming queen!).  Things are changing fast.  Jessie needs new friends.  And her quest is a hilarious tour through high school slique-dom, wit a surprising stop along the way - the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone! Will hanging out with them make her a nerd too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?  If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?"

This book represents an excellent balance between humour, teen issues, moral lessons and fluff.  It's not about Dungeons & Dragons, although the game is certainly featured in it.  It is about trying to find acceptance and a sense of belonging within a group while still maintaining your own pride and identity.  I really enjoyed the book.