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How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend
A funny and smart romantic comedy about getting the guy. . . and finding yourself.
Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his ultra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead? Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.
In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?
Allyson Valentine has created a story so full of enamoring characters, pitch-perfect humor, and delightfully frustrating romance that it will leave you cheering. Great for fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss, Susanne Colosanti and Sarah Dessen.
Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his ultra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead? Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.
In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?
Allyson Valentine has created a story so full of enamoring characters, pitch-perfect humor, and delightfully frustrating romance that it will leave you cheering. Great for fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss, Susanne Colosanti and Sarah Dessen.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2013
22 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
About the author
Allyson Valentine
6 books28 followersI'm a writer! And a mom. And a wife. I cook meals, romp with the dog, clean cat barf off the carpet. I have brown hair and brown eyes and I usually wear glasses because contacts make my eyeballs itch.
I moved to Issaquah, Washington from New York because I found that every weekend I woke up hungry to escape the city and get to the forest. I'd grown up playing at an arboretum in Connecticut and have always found trees and dirt and ferns to be about the most soothing friends a girl can have. I figured there had to be a place where you could wake up in the company of trees and solitude and still be a short drive from a cool city. After a brief diversion to New Zealand I wound up here, where my house is within walking distance to trailheads into mountains where I wander by foot or mountain bike. I'm also walking distance to Issaquah Creek where salmon bigger than my arm come to spawn. Seriously—it is a crazy cool place to live.
I worked doing technology stuff but when my kids came along I found myself telling stories. All the time. I started wondering what the difference was between oral and written storytelling, and began taking writing classes. I published in kids magazines. I published non-fiction books. I kept taking writing classes. I did a certificate program at the University of Washington. I completed a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. And I started writing novels.
For me, writing is therapy. When the world is crashing at my feet I can sit with my laptop or my journal and go away to a world where things are better, or at least different. And when my own world feels mundane, my writing brings me to a place where there's WAY more fun going on. When life is a heaping bowl of red-ripe cherries, writing brings me a profound sense of peace and accomplishment. Even if what I've just written turns out, upon later reflection, to totally stink. The joy is in the act of writing.
Here are the things I've done that I am really proud of:
I survived high school
I lived for seven years in and around New York City
I represented a group called Nuclear Free America at a conference in Cordoba, Spain
I spent a year traveling in Africa and Asia (I believe EVERYONE should spend a year traveling somewhere)
I moved to Seattle even though I didn't know anyone there
I followed my heart and became a writer
I moved to Issaquah, Washington from New York because I found that every weekend I woke up hungry to escape the city and get to the forest. I'd grown up playing at an arboretum in Connecticut and have always found trees and dirt and ferns to be about the most soothing friends a girl can have. I figured there had to be a place where you could wake up in the company of trees and solitude and still be a short drive from a cool city. After a brief diversion to New Zealand I wound up here, where my house is within walking distance to trailheads into mountains where I wander by foot or mountain bike. I'm also walking distance to Issaquah Creek where salmon bigger than my arm come to spawn. Seriously—it is a crazy cool place to live.
I worked doing technology stuff but when my kids came along I found myself telling stories. All the time. I started wondering what the difference was between oral and written storytelling, and began taking writing classes. I published in kids magazines. I published non-fiction books. I kept taking writing classes. I did a certificate program at the University of Washington. I completed a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. And I started writing novels.
For me, writing is therapy. When the world is crashing at my feet I can sit with my laptop or my journal and go away to a world where things are better, or at least different. And when my own world feels mundane, my writing brings me to a place where there's WAY more fun going on. When life is a heaping bowl of red-ripe cherries, writing brings me a profound sense of peace and accomplishment. Even if what I've just written turns out, upon later reflection, to totally stink. The joy is in the act of writing.
Here are the things I've done that I am really proud of:
I survived high school
I lived for seven years in and around New York City
I represented a group called Nuclear Free America at a conference in Cordoba, Spain
I spent a year traveling in Africa and Asia (I believe EVERYONE should spend a year traveling somewhere)
I moved to Seattle even though I didn't know anyone there
I followed my heart and became a writer
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 12, 2016
Sometimes, I forget about how hard it is to like someone in high school.
In this book, the protagonist is a cheerleader who is trying to shed her former nerd self (despite being quite smart and from a family that values high intelligence, as both of her parents are college professors and her older brother is a student at Harvard). She seemingly is on the way to being popular, even attracting the quarterback, who is dumber than soup.
Then she meets Adam, a smart, cute guy who is more into the chess club than football.
She then spends most of the book backpedaling her dumb cheerleader routine, blows off the quarterback and engineers a bunch of EXTREMELY convoluted plans just to try to get this guy to talk to her. When, in reality, he would have talked to her all along if she had just stood still and shut up for long enough.
Basically: love and embrace yourself. Because in the end, it doesn't matter that she was super smart AND into chess. Her real friends liked her anyway. And she got the guy she wanted.
As for the quarterback, he ended up with a girl named Fluffy. Because: high school.
In this book, the protagonist is a cheerleader who is trying to shed her former nerd self (despite being quite smart and from a family that values high intelligence, as both of her parents are college professors and her older brother is a student at Harvard). She seemingly is on the way to being popular, even attracting the quarterback, who is dumber than soup.
Then she meets Adam, a smart, cute guy who is more into the chess club than football.
She then spends most of the book backpedaling her dumb cheerleader routine, blows off the quarterback and engineers a bunch of EXTREMELY convoluted plans just to try to get this guy to talk to her. When, in reality, he would have talked to her all along if she had just stood still and shut up for long enough.
Basically: love and embrace yourself. Because in the end, it doesn't matter that she was super smart AND into chess. Her real friends liked her anyway. And she got the guy she wanted.
As for the quarterback, he ended up with a girl named Fluffy. Because: high school.
June 30, 2014
How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend by Allyson Valentine
(2013)
1.7
While reading the book, I couldn't help parallel the story line to the movie, Mean Girls.
A smart girl tries to become popular (for different reasons). She hides her intelligence. She likes a guy. She digs herself a hole, and to fix the hole she keeps on digging.
I found it a little hard to read for the sole purpose that Nora Doesn't really feel that smart. She's using scientific words, but there isn't a line of thought and forethought to anything that she does. There are just so many parts of the book that have me white knuckling. Its almost neurotically unorganized the way she goes about things.
Nora's mother was another moment of pain. For being a hard feminist, her mother was pushing her ideologies on a lot of the women around her in an oppressive manner. Part of being a feminist, for me, is having freedom as a woman to not be judges in how you decide to find happiness. If happiness is joining the cheer squad instead of gymnastics, then good for her. A woman wants to quite her job because she just had a kid and the family is in a stable enough position to accommodate that, then go for it full force.
Plus, I hate the stereotype that all cheerleaders and Jocks are stupid that the book reinforces over and over and over again. Most of the cheerleads and jocks I knew were all taking AP classes because sports scholarships get you nowhere alone anymore. Popular people became a joke with how dumb they were. Although they were constantly perceived as sweet, their idiocracy because a constant punch line. It's completely outdated ideology.
And Adam, poor, oblivious, little cute and sweet Adam.
Overall, I think I understand the main reason I don't like this book. Everything is of her own making, Nora Fullbright's. Nothing that happens in this books is brought about by outside forces. Life is a give and take. And, my person favorite story lines are those where the main character is constantly reacting to outside stimuli. Nora doesn't become a decent human being until the 'big reveal' but so much damage is already made, that I can't come to empathize with her.
It was okay. Although painful, I made it through.
(2013)
1.7
Nora Fullbright, a sophomore with bounds of intelligence and 'potential', decides she doesn't want her high school experience to be just studying, 4.0 GPA's, gymnastic tournaments and completely unpopular. So, to get the ultimate PQ, or popularity quotient, she dumbs herself down at the beginning of the year and decides to go out with the stereotypical dumb jock. But then she meets Adam, smart, kind and everything she used to be. With how she is now, Adam thinks himself too smart for her. She needs to rectify all of the damage she's done, but it seems like things are only getting worse.
While reading the book, I couldn't help parallel the story line to the movie, Mean Girls.
A smart girl tries to become popular (for different reasons). She hides her intelligence. She likes a guy. She digs herself a hole, and to fix the hole she keeps on digging.
I found it a little hard to read for the sole purpose that Nora Doesn't really feel that smart. She's using scientific words, but there isn't a line of thought and forethought to anything that she does. There are just so many parts of the book that have me white knuckling. Its almost neurotically unorganized the way she goes about things.
Nora's mother was another moment of pain. For being a hard feminist, her mother was pushing her ideologies on a lot of the women around her in an oppressive manner. Part of being a feminist, for me, is having freedom as a woman to not be judges in how you decide to find happiness. If happiness is joining the cheer squad instead of gymnastics, then good for her. A woman wants to quite her job because she just had a kid and the family is in a stable enough position to accommodate that, then go for it full force.
Plus, I hate the stereotype that all cheerleaders and Jocks are stupid that the book reinforces over and over and over again. Most of the cheerleads and jocks I knew were all taking AP classes because sports scholarships get you nowhere alone anymore. Popular people became a joke with how dumb they were. Although they were constantly perceived as sweet, their idiocracy because a constant punch line. It's completely outdated ideology.
And Adam, poor, oblivious, little cute and sweet Adam.
Overall, I think I understand the main reason I don't like this book. Everything is of her own making, Nora Fullbright's. Nothing that happens in this books is brought about by outside forces. Life is a give and take. And, my person favorite story lines are those where the main character is constantly reacting to outside stimuli. Nora doesn't become a decent human being until the 'big reveal' but so much damage is already made, that I can't come to empathize with her.
It was okay. Although painful, I made it through.
May 24, 2018
3.5 stars.
This time around, I found the book just okay. I loved all the characters, but Nora was just so ridiculous with all the swapping!
------
I am really surprised at how much I liked this book.
Nora was a social outcast in middle school because everyone saw her as a huge nerd. So when her parents move and she has to switch schools, she joins the cheerleading team and does everything that she thinks will make people like her. But when she starts crushing on Adam, a nerd in his own right, she starts rethinking her decision to play down her smartness and conducts a bunch of swaps to get closer to him and prove to him that she's not just another dumb cheerleader.
This book was all about breaking stereotypes. I love how this book made me laugh aloud! I love how Nora's mom is a hardcore feminist. I love how her stepfather Bill quizzes them on math at the dinner table. I adored Joshie. I used to think that siblings should be close in age to be close to each other, but this book (and also All Laced Up and Bittersweet) show that that's not necessarily true. Adam was really sweet. I wish there were more scenes with him throughout the book though.
For a smart girl, Nora made some annoyingly frustrating decisions that I would never have made. But there were a few scenes where I could see myself reacting the same way. Like why Nora keeps her dad at a distance or how her mum keeps forgetting that people have the right to make their own choices without being judged for them. There were so many important takeaways from this book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like highschool stories.
This time around, I found the book just okay. I loved all the characters, but Nora was just so ridiculous with all the swapping!
------
I am really surprised at how much I liked this book.
Nora was a social outcast in middle school because everyone saw her as a huge nerd. So when her parents move and she has to switch schools, she joins the cheerleading team and does everything that she thinks will make people like her. But when she starts crushing on Adam, a nerd in his own right, she starts rethinking her decision to play down her smartness and conducts a bunch of swaps to get closer to him and prove to him that she's not just another dumb cheerleader.
This book was all about breaking stereotypes. I love how this book made me laugh aloud! I love how Nora's mom is a hardcore feminist. I love how her stepfather Bill quizzes them on math at the dinner table. I adored Joshie. I used to think that siblings should be close in age to be close to each other, but this book (and also All Laced Up and Bittersweet) show that that's not necessarily true. Adam was really sweet. I wish there were more scenes with him throughout the book though.
For a smart girl, Nora made some annoyingly frustrating decisions that I would never have made. But there were a few scenes where I could see myself reacting the same way. Like why Nora keeps her dad at a distance or how her mum keeps forgetting that people have the right to make their own choices without being judged for them. There were so many important takeaways from this book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like highschool stories.
July 17, 2013
One of the lessons this book thought me is, de-smarting yourself won't land you the guys and seriously being who you truly are is the one key in landing the love of your life.
March 21, 2014
Este es el peor libro que he leído en lo que va del año.
Esperaba encontrarme con un libro sencillo y divertido pero oh me he encontrado con una heroína de lo mas frustrarte e idiota, ¿irónico no? el libro trata de Nora Fulbright una ex "reina de los nerds" que ahora harta de serlo decide convertirse en la típica hueca popular y para lograrlo no se escatimara en hacer estupideces, hasta que conoce a Adam, su nuevo y atractivo vecino, quien es un nerd de primera y del cual cae profundamente enamorada, a primera vista por supuesto.
Entonces como Nora se obsesiona tanto con Adam, trata de demostrarle que en realidad no es la típica porrista hueca sino que es bastante inteligente.
Juro que nunca había rodado tanto los ojos desde Bella Swan y Nora Grey (empiezo a odiar el nombre de Nora), no podia creer lo superficial que era Nora y como pasaba por encima de todos, haciendo tratos y utilizando a las personas solo para acercarse a Adam y demostrarle que no era estúpida, cuando claramente LO ESTABA SIENDO.
Esta frase fue sin duda la mejor del libro.
"Wow. For a smart girl you’ve had a pretty solid run of stupid."
En cuanto a los demás personajes, la mayoría me agrado, sobretodo Adam y Sarah la tetera.
Y sin duda lo mejor del libro fue el final, no porque fuera grandioso, sino porque estaba feliz de por fin terminar este libro, aunque debo admitir que las ultimas 50 paginas no fueron tan malas.
En fin, no espero que todos opinen igual que yo, estoy segura a muchas les gustara pero al menos a mi no, quizás a mis 12 años no me hubiera parecido TAN malo pero por ahora me lo ha parecido y no, obviamente no lo recomiendo.
Esperaba encontrarme con un libro sencillo y divertido pero oh me he encontrado con una heroína de lo mas frustrarte e idiota, ¿irónico no? el libro trata de Nora Fulbright una ex "reina de los nerds" que ahora harta de serlo decide convertirse en la típica hueca popular y para lograrlo no se escatimara en hacer estupideces, hasta que conoce a Adam, su nuevo y atractivo vecino, quien es un nerd de primera y del cual cae profundamente enamorada, a primera vista por supuesto.
Entonces como Nora se obsesiona tanto con Adam, trata de demostrarle que en realidad no es la típica porrista hueca sino que es bastante inteligente.
Juro que nunca había rodado tanto los ojos desde Bella Swan y Nora Grey (empiezo a odiar el nombre de Nora), no podia creer lo superficial que era Nora y como pasaba por encima de todos, haciendo tratos y utilizando a las personas solo para acercarse a Adam y demostrarle que no era estúpida, cuando claramente LO ESTABA SIENDO.
Esta frase fue sin duda la mejor del libro.
"Wow. For a smart girl you’ve had a pretty solid run of stupid."
En cuanto a los demás personajes, la mayoría me agrado, sobretodo Adam y Sarah la tetera.
Y sin duda lo mejor del libro fue el final, no porque fuera grandioso, sino porque estaba feliz de por fin terminar este libro, aunque debo admitir que las ultimas 50 paginas no fueron tan malas.
En fin, no espero que todos opinen igual que yo, estoy segura a muchas les gustara pero al menos a mi no, quizás a mis 12 años no me hubiera parecido TAN malo pero por ahora me lo ha parecido y no, obviamente no lo recomiendo.
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April 16, 2013I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this one. Although I'm not a teen, my teen self would have loved it. This writer has a great ear- and eye!- for readers twelve and up (publisher's suggested readership). Even though my favorite character isn't the narrator, Nora- smart girl turned talented cheerleader to move from brainy nerds to the popular h.s. in-crowd. I loved her little brother, Joshie. How about this for a perfect sentence that tells us a lot about him-- from the description of his room: "Joshie's room looks like it was decorated by a team composed of a first-grade boy, a college math professor, and Charles Darwin."
A lot of Allyson Valentine's writing impressed me like that! She really nails the conflict Nora has when (Cute New Boy) Adam moves to her neighborhood. He's more complicated than jock vs. brainiac. And of course Nora's attempts to impress him- or even to get close to him- get her in a lot of trouble.
There are consequences for her misguided behavior however, and the story plays out to a predictable but satisfying ending for young (mostly female?) readers. Plus, there are some nice turns here. Cheerleaders aren't necessarily airheads. Divorced dads aren't always the bad guys. Strong, liberated moms have a softer side. And in the end, there's a nice takeaway: Be yourself and stop worrying about what others think. All this and a fun, funny story make for a great, quick read, expertly written.
A lot of Allyson Valentine's writing impressed me like that! She really nails the conflict Nora has when (Cute New Boy) Adam moves to her neighborhood. He's more complicated than jock vs. brainiac. And of course Nora's attempts to impress him- or even to get close to him- get her in a lot of trouble.
There are consequences for her misguided behavior however, and the story plays out to a predictable but satisfying ending for young (mostly female?) readers. Plus, there are some nice turns here. Cheerleaders aren't necessarily airheads. Divorced dads aren't always the bad guys. Strong, liberated moms have a softer side. And in the end, there's a nice takeaway: Be yourself and stop worrying about what others think. All this and a fun, funny story make for a great, quick read, expertly written.
October 26, 2015
It was in my principle to not give a 1 if I can help it but this was simply pathetic!! I stayed up until 3 am when I need to wake up at 5am just to finished this damn book because I can't take it if I have to read it for the next day. I skimmed through the pages until the end so I didn't literally finished it like a normal freaking book, if I didn't do it like I did, this will be label DNF in my shelf.
Nora, a nerd turned cheerleader, happens to be one of the most pathetic heroine I ever read. She pretends to be a little stupid just to be popular because she thought that everyone thinks that popular cheerleaders are supposed to be stupider than her and geeks like her are loser. In the end, she's the one who strongly believes that!! The one who was so judgmental was HER!!! That's pathetic enough but it seems it wasn't enough for the author so here goes, one hot smart new guy(Adam) and Nora turned stupid, for real. She was extremely pathetic in chasing Adam. She did MANY desperate things, It's embarrassing!! I can't believe we belong to the same gender.Ugh!
The storyline gone south the moment Nora stalked Adam like some creepy creature. All I saw/read was Nora's stupidness, one after another until things blows up. The chess thing was actually a good concept but hell with the main characters.
Argh, I need to find something good to read. Heaven knows I need one!!
Nora, a nerd turned cheerleader, happens to be one of the most pathetic heroine I ever read. She pretends to be a little stupid just to be popular because she thought that everyone thinks that popular cheerleaders are supposed to be stupider than her and geeks like her are loser. In the end, she's the one who strongly believes that!! The one who was so judgmental was HER!!! That's pathetic enough but it seems it wasn't enough for the author so here goes, one hot smart new guy(Adam) and Nora turned stupid, for real. She was extremely pathetic in chasing Adam. She did MANY desperate things, It's embarrassing!! I can't believe we belong to the same gender.Ugh!
The storyline gone south the moment Nora stalked Adam like some creepy creature. All I saw/read was Nora's stupidness, one after another until things blows up. The chess thing was actually a good concept but hell with the main characters.
Argh, I need to find something good to read. Heaven knows I need one!!
December 30, 2014
Let me begin, many people seemed to enjoy this book, maybe I missed something but I most certainly did not like this book, so much that while I painfully tried to get through it I finally gave up trying to finish it. Nora Fulbright is supposed to be smart but I never saw it, she continued to dig herself deeper and deeper into a hole frankly I don't think she deserved to get out of. She would stop at nothing for a guy and to be popular. She had no thought to what she was doing and the possible consequences of the favors she asked and promised to return without the consent of her friend WHO HAD A BOYFRIEND. The constant dumb choices she made drove me insane, she was beyond fake, after changing who she was to try and be "little miss popular". Nora was a VERY unlikeable character in choices and wannabe attitude. Like I said some of you may disagree but I would not recommend this book as the character and the actions made irritated me beyond belief.
September 4, 2014
Well..it all seems too cliche and the girl is stupid. I normally don't read anything else when I'm still finishing another book but...I just can't seem to find the will to finish this. D:
I disliked the main character so much.
I disliked the main character so much.
December 31, 2013
Nora is annoying, repetative and shallow as a protaganist.
January 28, 2018
*fans myself* I never expected to like this. It was predictable and too over the top but yeah, one thing led to another.
Loved the ride(and what a ride it was). Cute characters. Swoony book-boyfriend. Funny puns. Some emotional interlude. Series of disasters but all's well that ends well. Lastly, CHESS!
P.S. I really love Joshie and his cuteness (I'm crying), little brothers are so adorable.
Loved the ride(and what a ride it was). Cute characters. Swoony book-boyfriend. Funny puns. Some emotional interlude. Series of disasters but all's well that ends well. Lastly, CHESS!
P.S. I really love Joshie and his cuteness (I'm crying), little brothers are so adorable.
November 11, 2013
My Thoughts: When I first read the summary of this one, I knew I had to read it! My type of book!
And I was right!
We are introduced to Nora who is really smart but decided to reinvent herself so she has become a cheerleader and she hides just how smart she is. She drops her AP classes and takes more normal level classes. She hides a lot of things, even from her best friend.
But when a new boy arrives named Adam she can’t resist letting her inner nerd show. Adam is also very smart so she doesn’t think he’ll be interested in her, since he thinks shes a brainless cheerleader.
I loved all the interactions between Nora and Adam. I also loved seeing how much Nora grew as a person. I loved her relationship with her family even if it was rocky at times.
And I loved loved how the chess angle fit in this one. I don’t know much about chess but I loved how Nora had to make deals to make everything fall into place.
This one was a very cute novel yet it had so many lessons throughout the pages. I loved Nora’s voice. I loved her family and friends and especially Adam.
Overall: If you are looking for a cute contemporary than you must try this one! It was spunky, cute, adorable, and I loved every minute of it! I’d definitely recommend this one!
Cover: Its neat! Love the guy as a chess player! Thought provoking cover!!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
__________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
And I was right!
We are introduced to Nora who is really smart but decided to reinvent herself so she has become a cheerleader and she hides just how smart she is. She drops her AP classes and takes more normal level classes. She hides a lot of things, even from her best friend.
But when a new boy arrives named Adam she can’t resist letting her inner nerd show. Adam is also very smart so she doesn’t think he’ll be interested in her, since he thinks shes a brainless cheerleader.
I loved all the interactions between Nora and Adam. I also loved seeing how much Nora grew as a person. I loved her relationship with her family even if it was rocky at times.
And I loved loved how the chess angle fit in this one. I don’t know much about chess but I loved how Nora had to make deals to make everything fall into place.
This one was a very cute novel yet it had so many lessons throughout the pages. I loved Nora’s voice. I loved her family and friends and especially Adam.
Overall: If you are looking for a cute contemporary than you must try this one! It was spunky, cute, adorable, and I loved every minute of it! I’d definitely recommend this one!
Cover: Its neat! Love the guy as a chess player! Thought provoking cover!!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
__________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
July 29, 2016
So our heroine is a chess loving nerd from a family of nerds. You have to answer a math question to get the salt passed at dinner. Seriously. But that all changes when her family moves her to a new school district. She become a cheerleader flying under the radar academically, quitting chess and working very hard on her P.Q. (popularity quotient). She almost has it when the new boy arrives. He is a chess loving geek and she just can't get him off her mind. What is a girl to do. Well she orchestrates a complicated web of swaps just to get into his classes and then to sit with him during them. Yup stalker. But in true teen lit style, she gets the guy and her popularity in the end. (OK spoiler, but did you really expect anything different?)
This book was entertaining and I don't regret reading, but it was relatively run of the mill as teen high school romance novels go. There was nothing unique to make it stand out. Sometimes you just need a predictable easy read to rest your mind.
This book was entertaining and I don't regret reading, but it was relatively run of the mill as teen high school romance novels go. There was nothing unique to make it stand out. Sometimes you just need a predictable easy read to rest your mind.
September 7, 2018
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** Es un libro bastante flojo pero rapido de leer. Antes de leer el libro me había leído varias reseñas donde lo dejaban por los suelos pero eso no me impidió darle una oportunidad.
Sin duda lo mas frustrante del libro es la protagonista (Nora) y ese es un gran problema (que la protagonista no sea de tu agrado). La escritora nos la describe como una chica super lista pero en mi opinión se lee otra cosa diferente, una chica que cree fervientemente en los estereotipos al principio de la novela y que toda la trama sea sus planes para gustar a un chico, porfavor yo pensé que tendría un poco más de dignidad. Sin duda hubiera preferido leer desde el punto de vista del chico aunque entonces no habría trama porque es ella la que lo persigue como si no hubiera nada más importante en el mundo intentando esconder lo inteligente que es o su afición al Ajedrez solo para encajar o gustarle a un chico.
Resumiendo, esperaba una protagonista con más carácter y una trama basada en algo más que la persecución del chico que le gusta.
Sin duda lo mas frustrante del libro es la protagonista (Nora) y ese es un gran problema (que la protagonista no sea de tu agrado). La escritora nos la describe como una chica super lista pero en mi opinión se lee otra cosa diferente, una chica que cree fervientemente en los estereotipos al principio de la novela y que toda la trama sea sus planes para gustar a un chico, porfavor yo pensé que tendría un poco más de dignidad. Sin duda hubiera preferido leer desde el punto de vista del chico aunque entonces no habría trama porque es ella la que lo persigue como si no hubiera nada más importante en el mundo intentando esconder lo inteligente que es o su afición al Ajedrez solo para encajar o gustarle a un chico.
Resumiendo, esperaba una protagonista con más carácter y una trama basada en algo más que la persecución del chico que le gusta.
April 20, 2014
After a kind of slow start, this book had me hooked.I had a rough start getting into the book just because all I could think about was "Why does Nora think she has to act like this for Adam to like her?!?!" She spent the entire rest of the book trying to fix her mistakes from her previous choices. Once I got past that initial bump in the road, the book was really good and I was entirely hooked. I love how Adam is super smart and attractive. He is absolutely fantastic! I always looked forward to any scene with Adam in it. By the end of the book, I was a huge fan on Nora, but throughout the rest of it, I was not so much. Only because of some of the choices she was making. Besides that, this book was really good.
October 9, 2019
Rating: 3 1/2 stars.
It is a little similar to The Summer I Became A Nerd, but I think the main character annoys me a bit more in this one. There is also a gay couple (pretty minor characters), which I didn’t agree with having. It also felt like the author was trying to push a belief down the reader’s throats. Overall, it's a pretty good story. Cute and funny. Although I would recommend it for young girls. Maybe 16 and up, but due to content, it’s a bit questionable. I wasn’t terribly impressed.
It is a little similar to The Summer I Became A Nerd, but I think the main character annoys me a bit more in this one. There is also a gay couple (pretty minor characters), which I didn’t agree with having. It also felt like the author was trying to push a belief down the reader’s throats. Overall, it's a pretty good story. Cute and funny. Although I would recommend it for young girls. Maybe 16 and up, but due to content, it’s a bit questionable. I wasn’t terribly impressed.
May 29, 2013
3.5 flowers :)
July 25, 2013
An enjoyable light teen read. No surprises; with this book what you see is what you get.
November 1, 2013
I did not even make it to the end of the first chapter. I did not like the tone of the book/characters.
April 8, 2014
Bueno para superar la abstinencia literaria.
November 21, 2014
It was good at the end. I loved Joshie and at the end, when I got to know Adam, I loved him too.
Krista and Dex are good characters too, ok, I guess I liked all characters but Nora. Sorry.
Krista and Dex are good characters too, ok, I guess I liked all characters but Nora. Sorry.
November 19, 2015
It was okay, but for someone who claims to be really smart, the main character acts pretty dumb and is rather short-sighted regarding her future.
Light-hearted and silly.
Light-hearted and silly.
December 28, 2015
Very entertaining! I loved the plot and the characters. The author also made a good job wrapping up the story. Great YA read. My heart is so fluffy and mushy right now.
August 23, 2024
My Auntie (the most inspirational person on this Earth) wrote this book!! I read it when l was visiting her and thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is such a sweet, feel-good book. If you just want a super easy read for the summer which requires 0 thinking power, then this book is for you. Its main point is not to pretend to be someone you’re not just to get other people to like you, and that other people’s opinions don’t really matter, which is such an important message.
Having said that, I did find the protagonist, Norah Fullbright, very annoying (‘I can’t help it, I’m just so smart and all my non-AP classes are so BORING urgh’ blah blah blah), though this doesn’t negatively affect the reading experience very much I don’t think (I still loved the book even though I disliked Norah). You also have to take into account that this book was written in 2013 and is extremely stereotypical and probably slightly problematic in multiple ways.
Despite these points, I loved it. Just a super cute story which you can’t help but enjoy reading. My Auntie is also an incredible person - she wrote this book as she was discovering her husband had dementia (barely in his 50s) and managed to persevere and finish it despite this massive setback. She now runs her own company which provides entertainment specifically catered for dementia patients and their carers, and was inspired to start this business after her husband’s death. She is truly an inspirational lady and her sons especially look up to her so much. Reading this book is like listening to her talking to you, and honestly what more could you want? I highly recommend reading it, you will be supporting an incredible woman as well as enjoying a great story. Go for it!!
This is such a sweet, feel-good book. If you just want a super easy read for the summer which requires 0 thinking power, then this book is for you. Its main point is not to pretend to be someone you’re not just to get other people to like you, and that other people’s opinions don’t really matter, which is such an important message.
Having said that, I did find the protagonist, Norah Fullbright, very annoying (‘I can’t help it, I’m just so smart and all my non-AP classes are so BORING urgh’ blah blah blah), though this doesn’t negatively affect the reading experience very much I don’t think (I still loved the book even though I disliked Norah). You also have to take into account that this book was written in 2013 and is extremely stereotypical and probably slightly problematic in multiple ways.
Despite these points, I loved it. Just a super cute story which you can’t help but enjoy reading. My Auntie is also an incredible person - she wrote this book as she was discovering her husband had dementia (barely in his 50s) and managed to persevere and finish it despite this massive setback. She now runs her own company which provides entertainment specifically catered for dementia patients and their carers, and was inspired to start this business after her husband’s death. She is truly an inspirational lady and her sons especially look up to her so much. Reading this book is like listening to her talking to you, and honestly what more could you want? I highly recommend reading it, you will be supporting an incredible woman as well as enjoying a great story. Go for it!!
July 18, 2019
En efecto es una comedia, pero romántica, lo que se dice romántico pues no tanto en realidad. Nora es una chica que sufre algunos trumas (por así decirlo) de su antigua escuela en la que todos la tachaban de nerd y por eso solo le hablaban bonito cuando querían un favor de tareas o cosas así, es por eso que cuando se muda con su familia, ve la oportunidad de demostrarle al mundo otra Nora.
Los cambios de humor de Nora, la indesición y los enredos que ella misma crea por llamar la atención de Adam el chico nuevo que la cautivo a primera vista.
Algo que me ha gustado de este libro es que Adam no tiene mucho protagonismo, todo se centra en Nora y su vaivenes por él claro, y por supuesto ahí se va el romanticismo también, porque Adam es muy lento.
Encontramos el mundo de porristas, claro que me dejo agradablemente sorprendida, porque es cierto el estereotipo de las porristas tontas, pero también frívolas, me gusto el personaje de Chalse la porrista líder, y es porque rompe con más de un estereotipo.
En general el libro me ha gustado mucho, te hace reír aunque unas gotitas más de iniciativa por parte de Adam no hubieran caído nada mal.
Los cambios de humor de Nora, la indesición y los enredos que ella misma crea por llamar la atención de Adam el chico nuevo que la cautivo a primera vista.
Algo que me ha gustado de este libro es que Adam no tiene mucho protagonismo, todo se centra en Nora y su vaivenes por él claro, y por supuesto ahí se va el romanticismo también, porque Adam es muy lento.
Encontramos el mundo de porristas, claro que me dejo agradablemente sorprendida, porque es cierto el estereotipo de las porristas tontas, pero también frívolas, me gusto el personaje de Chalse la porrista líder, y es porque rompe con más de un estereotipo.
En general el libro me ha gustado mucho, te hace reír aunque unas gotitas más de iniciativa por parte de Adam no hubieran caído nada mal.
April 26, 2018
When I first started this book I wasn't entirely sure that I liked the main character and her choices. I don't like the idea of completely changing yourself for another person just because you like him/her. As things progressed my opinion of her changed a little. The story was well written but I don't like the emphasized cheerleaders are dumb stereotype. The ending was cute which is what I like.
October 15, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me longer than normal to finish it because I just got so busy with life, but I would definitely read it again. The story proves that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and that it works both ways (with Nora and with Adam). The ending was what I hoped it would be and didn't seem too drawn out since the obstacles were those that most could encounter in real life.
October 7, 2019
I loved this smart and funny book, from the raddled leading girl she-ro to the gaggle of complex and interesting secondary characters, all propelled by an intriguing plot (which is cleverly structured to parallel a brilliant game metaphor). With its crisp, vivid writing that never talks down to the reader’s intelligence, I couldn’t help but devour all 300 pages in two days. I haven’t read of ton of YA, but this book is definitely my favourite of the bunch.
December 18, 2022
You know it’s a high school story when it’s hard to go along with the main character while they mess up colossally. But we struggle through. We pain our way through the character development. Learning with the character while she grows as a human person. I loved experiencing her fall in love and that’s all I ask of books most days.
October 2, 2017
I think the book was average. It definitely started getting better towards the end because the main character's cover-up came unraveled. The book wasn't bad but I wouldn't read it again. I would recommend this book to a person who likes teen romance.
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