Given that the humor was maybe my favorite part of that book, the lack of strong voice really disappointed me.ĭon't worry, though the nerdy bent of this novel made up for it. While our heroine, Cameron, is feisty and real, she doesn't have the snarky whit of Julia from You're Welcome Universe. I have to say, I don't think I loved this quite as much as her debut. Her second novel is about a nerd girl who dresses as a boy to avoid harassment.

Her debut was a romance-free book about a Deaf street artist and the friendship she forms with a girl at her school.

She's got a strong writing voice, fantastic concepts, and a great commitment to casual diversity. Both are quite different from the usual cute fluffy romances / issue books that I seem to pick up all the time. I have really loved both of Whitney Gardner's contemporaries so far. But as her 'secret identity' gets more and more entrenched, Cameron's portfolio falls by the wayside-and her crush on one of the guys in the group threatens to make a complicated situation even more precarious. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town-her main destination for character reference-is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.Īt her twin brother's suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she's shocked at how easily she's accepted into the nerd inner sanctum.

When Cameron's family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. But after she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans online. Cosplay, comic shops, and college applications collide in this new novel from the author of You're Welcome, Universe, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Noelle Stevenson!Ĭameron's cosplay creations are finally starting to earn her attention-attention she hopes to use to get into the CalArts costume design department for college.

Chaotic good whitney gardner