A Heartwarming Celebration of Fandom and Friendship - "Queens of Geek" by Jen Wilde

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Queens of Geek" by Jen Wilde is a delightful and empowering tribute to the world of fandom and the enduring power of friendship. This young adult novel effortlessly blends themes of self-discovery, love, and the acceptance of one's true self.

The story revolves around three best friends, Taylor, Charlie, and Jamie, as they embark on an epic adventure to SupaCon, a pop culture convention. Each character is beautifully drawn and represents different facets of the fandom community. Taylor, a geek with social anxiety, undergoes a profound transformation in her journey, learning to find her voice and embrace her identity. Charlie, a talented vlogger, grapples with her own romantic and personal challenges, while Jamie provides unwavering support and positivity.

What makes "Queens of Geek" stand out is its representation of diversity, inclusivity, and LGBTQ+ characters. The book tackles important issues, including anxiety, body positivity, and the complexities of relationships, with sensitivity and authenticity. It's a refreshing and relatable exploration of the challenges faced by today's young adults.

The backdrop of a pop culture convention provides a rich and immersive setting for the story, offering readers a glimpse into the vibrant and passionate world of fandom. Wilde's writing captures the infectious energy of fan conventions and the deep connections formed through shared passions.

The novel's pacing is spot on, keeping you engaged from start to finish. The alternating perspectives of the three main characters add depth and insight into their individual experiences and challenges. You'll find yourself emotionally invested in their journeys, rooting for their successes, and empathizing with their struggles.

"Queens of Geek" is a love letter to fandom, a celebration of individuality, and a reminder that true friendships can weather any storm. It's a heartwarming and uplifting read that will resonate with readers of all ages, especially those who have ever felt like outsiders or experienced the magic of discovering a supportive and caring group of friends. Jen Wilde's storytelling is a beacon of light in the realm of young adult literature.

I'm all for representation and diversity, so it was great that this book did it so well! I hope there will be more books like this in the future. I thought the story was really cute, and it was a nice, easy read.

I really enjoy the quirkiness and diversity of this book! It was fun to read an experience like comic con and I think the other did a good job!

This book was FUN but it was also affirming to see something that younger, burgeoning feminists can see themselves reflected in. It made me remember this period of my own life and how much I would have loved to have had a book like this that wasn't preaching things to me but simply showing that they could exist within who I already was and how I navigated the world.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book and decided to review it. This in no way impacts my opinions.

This was a good novel but I did have some issues with it. I thought it was really interesting for it to take place over the course of a weekend at a Con, but every character was too perfect. I wish there had been a bit more conflict or problems in general or that someone dealt with something a little poorly? It just felt as though this was a utopic world where no one could do anything wrong and that's not true.

I did like the characters. I was glad there was a dual POV in this that showed us both of the relationships but I do wish I had seen Jamie's perspective to understand his thoughts on it. It was great to have a bisexual main character and an autistic main character. But some of the monologues were long and felt a little preachy.

Speaking of... Why is every Jamie character in every book a male. I wanted this to be a double dose of f/f relationships but no I was disappointed. Because Jamie was a male.

Overall though, it had a good message and good characters. But again, the characters were too perfect. Everything they said and did was PERFECT. It took me out of the story because it just wasn't realistic.

The reason this book gets as high as 3 stars is solely because it has some very important aspects of it that I would like to see in more books. It has a teenage girl who had already been sexually actively before the book started, a queer person of color, and an autistic girl with anxiety.

However, other than that, this book didn't really work for me. The vast majority of the book had very little plot, and only really got good in the last 20%.

I had heard that this book was a love letter to nerd culture, but any true nerd references were very forced and just thrown in there because "there hasn't been a nerd reference in awhile! Let's stick one here."
And any nerdy things that made up a significant part of this story were made up for this book, and we were given no real backstory on it.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

I love, love, LOVE this book! Geeks, nerds, whatever you want to call us, this books is for the people who love fandoms, who are obsessed with books and movies, cosplay, and dream about going to conventions. Jen Wilde looked into my nerdy soul when she wrote "Queens of Geek." 5/5 stars.

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! SO MUCH CUTENESS AND NERD STUFF AND AHHHHHH I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD. <3333

I absolutely ADORED this book. For me, there was nothing that I didn't love. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Taylor and Charlie, two best friends who are attending SupaCon (a San Diego Comic-Con style event). Charlie is an up and coming YouTube vlogger who has also recently starred in a cult hit zombie movie and she is attending the con as a guest. Taylor and Jamie, her two best friends, are attending with her and they are all so excited to be there. As the story unfolds, we follow both girls as they embark on love stories of their own.

I hardly even know where to start with this review. There's SO MUCH to love. I suppose we can start with the actual geekiness of it all. There were so many pop culture references here to adore. I didn't get all of them, necessarily, but I could not have been happier about the inclusion of one of my favorite fandoms--Supernatural! I feel like properties like superheroes and Dr. Who get so much play in books, but I do believe this is the first time I've encountered so much Supernatural goodness in a book. Definite plus. I also loved the discussions of fandom and what fandom can mean to different people. Taylor, for instance, has anxiety about a lot of things stemming from other things about her that I will leave for you to uncover. For her, the con is a place where she can find community and start to feel a little more at home as her whole self, anxiety and all. I can relate to this, as I never feel more like I'm among my people than when I'm at DragonCon in Atlanta, GA, a trip I make yearly with a friend from high school. Fandoms are fun, the people in them are generally amazing, and I'm so happy to see a YA novel that makes it awesome (aka I maybe could've used this book as a teenager!).

This book was also just a really nice distraction. It's a fun, light, generally happy story with all kinds of fluff, and sometimes you just need a read like that. I also loved the inclusion of two different types of love stories. One, between Taylor and her best guy friend Jamie, and the other between Charlie and her long-time vlogger crush Alyssa. Charlie is unapologetically bisexual and I love how she was portrayed here. Amongst these mostly fluffy love stories, there were also moments of great social commentary. Some of my favorites included assertions about equality, conversations about whether bisexuality is "real" (with Charlie's douche-y ex), etc. For me, it was really amazing to see such a diverse, geek-y novel that I really feel is utterly relatable for lots of different kinds of people not widely represented in YA lit.

If I haven't convinced you yet please let me know in the comments how I can convince you further to read this novel. If you're geeky in any way, shape, or form, I just know you will love this book! It's a quick read and hard to put down, and it's just FUN (and the cover is so pretty). That's the best way to describe it. Please, please, please check this book out!

Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I’ve first picked Queens of Geek I didn’t know what to expect. Being a geek myself, I liked the quirky cover and the title. I had the feeling it was going to be a lightweight read – and well, it was that but… so much more. This awesome book is easily digestible while being diverse, realistic and sensitive at the same time.

What could possibly happen during a convention that could change someone’s life, you wonder? With such a simple plot, it’s surprising how much this book was able to deliver. Following three BFFs, who are all geeky like me and deal with real problems like any of us, the book includes a fun amount of pop culture references. You read about this cool convention called SupaCon from different perspectives, so you know how it feels like to be there whether you’re the guest or one of the stars! But Queens of Geek goes beyond what is obvious (hint: there’s romance) and explores other subjects such as bisexuality and anxiety. I am someone who deals with anxiety, so I can say that not only this topic has been accurately represented here, but it also came with added value. Raw, yet uplifting. Real, yet bright. It described so well so many of the things I’ve felt and by reading Taylor, not only I understood her but felt she understood me too.

Despite having a fairly simple plot, Queens of Geek makes it up to us by finding ways to make us want to turn the page and keep following these awesome characters. While doing so, the book focus on their personal journeys towards self-acceptance and sends a message across.

The characters are diverse – and I mean, SO diverse – and never boring! Meet Charlie, bisexual Asian YouTube celebrity; Taylor, autistic fangirl dealing with anxiety issues; and Jamie, the best friend we all fall in love with at some point in our lives – and these are just the main ones. We get easily attached to many of the characters and even though they are all different, they all deal with things we also do. Falling in love, starting a new chapter in your life, dealing with a douchebag ex (ugh).

Because these characters are not typically “perfect” (even though they are pretty awesome), it’s easy to relate to them. The way they support each other and still remain strong regardless of fame or personal issues is inspiring! Specially what I really like about the book is that it focus on how they move on towards a new brighter chapter in their lives.

It’s a present-tense first person narrative! And it’s told from 2 POVs (Taylor and Charlie). Bold move, Queens of Geek. I’m not easily impressed by this writing style but Jen Wilde nailed it. It’s simple, yet it fits the characters, the tone, the vibe, and no, it doesn’t make the book sound silly or too simple. Oh, and it’s very quotable too (it was difficult for me to pick my favorite quote). There’s a layer of depth and realism that is automatically added once we feel we are in each of these character’s shoes. Interesting also to read about Taylor through Charlie’s eyes and Charlie through Taylor’s eyes, and realize how this makes you feel differently about each character. The smart choice of the writing style certainly helped making this book a page turner.

Overall, Queens of Geek is nearly perfect. It’s a book full of awesomeness that captures the excitement of going to a convention while adding a diverse cast to the mix. Representation on point. I forgive Queens of Geek for the simple plot and for being sometimes a bit too cheesy. Also, geekiness, so much geekiness! What is there not to like? 5/5.

Can read the review in the link provided!

When I first saw this on NetGalley I had no idea that it was gonna be such a huge hit in book blogging circles. All I saw was geek in the title and I was all like

FANDOMS AND OTHER NERDY THINGS.



A GIRL WITH ANXIETY HEY THATS ME!!






And I was so overjoyed when I got approved for it. Then I forgot about it until I saw it popping up on alllll the book blogs and I looked on my kindle and I was all like I HAVE IT yay! So I started reading and this book..was…so..good. I read it all in one sitting.



Those of you who know me know that I suffer from anxiety. It can be debilitating at times and it is so infuriating when an author trivializes that actual disorder. I have read a book where they make it seem if I just set my mind to it then I can overcome the attacks and that is just not true. Trust me no one WANTSan anxiety disorder. It is annoying and it can keep you from being truly happy



it is like you WANT to do things, like in the book she wanted to enter the fan contest to meet the author of her favorite book but her anxiety was so high that the very thought of it freaked her out. I can so relate to that, I mean sometimes I can’t even get up the gumption to leave my apartment. Like her, I also have to prepare for stuff. Like if a friend calls me up wanting to go out THAT VERY MINUTE well it ain’t happening. Have to have at least 24 hours to mentally prepare me.



I loved all of the geeky stuff in it too. I am a big geek. Although my fandoms seem less cool than the people in the book. Like I am obsessed with Zombies. Anything Zombie and I want it. I even have the Zombie Couch to 5K thingie on my phone so I can pretend to be running for an actual reason than to mindless go nowhere on the treadmill. I could so relate to the comic thingie too I have only recently gotten into the whole Comic Scene but I love it. I used to even play games but I had to quit that or I would never get out of the apartment. Hours and hours I used to spend in the land of World of Warcraft.



I loved the diversity in this book. It is hard to find the book this well was written that has believable diversity in it. These were not just walking diagnoses but rather people that happened to HAVE anxiety and be on the autistic spectrum. They had a bi person in the book and it was so refreshing not to have the person be all like what is wrong with me but rather view it as a natural and normal part of who she was. I loved that.



This is going onto one of my top ten reads this year for sure. In fact, so far this is my favorite read this year. I hope the author writes more soon!

I LOVED this book so much! It was everything I dreamt it would be and so, so much more. I loved that this was set in a convention and just how much all of the characters were fangirling over their favourite authors and YouTubers. It just felt so real and I’m sure thousands of people will easily relate to this story.

I have fallen head of heels in love with the characters in this book. I liked that it was told from two different POVs: Tay suffers with anxiety and ASD and Charlie is a famous YouTuber who is also bisexual. I loved both of these girls and how their mental health and sexuality was not what this book was about but that it was just a part of their being. I loved the dynamic of the friendship between Charlie, Tay and Jamie and I was pleased with where it ended up. Although there was a tinge of instalove I did think it was sweet and found myself rooting for a particular couple quite early on. (No spoilers!!)

The writing is absolutely delightful and I probably could have filled a notebook with the quotes that made me laugh out loud. I loved how contemporary this book was too, filled with references to social media platforms, which makes this book so easy to relate to. This book deals with so much that I did wonder if it was a bit too much for a second, but that second quickly passed and I realised that I just love this book. Body shaming, sexuality, sexual experience, mental health, friendship, romance and so much more is relevant in this book and dealt with in a way that is relatable and accessible.

I loved how diverse this book was but also how Tay’s anxiety and ASD and Charlie’s sexuality didn’t define them or their story. Sure, this added to who they are but this story was not about Tay and her anxiety or Charlie and her sexuality. It was about Tay following her dreams of meeting her favourite author and Charlie falling in love. That being said we got an honest insight into how anxiety affects certain situations. I thought some of the scenes where Tay is overwhelmed by her anxiety were really powerful and there was something so raw about them that can only be found in an #OwnVoices book.

Overall I just loved this book and thought it was super sweet and fluffy. It was just what I needed at the time. Filled with fangirling, wonderful characters and lovely writing, I’m sure this will be a lovable read for many of you!

First, I should probably start by saying this book does something that I have already acknowledged (if not in my reviews, then in my own mind) does NOT work for me: "Fake" nerdy things that are supposed to be "real" nerdy things. For example: The con that Jamie, Taylor, and Charlie are at in Queens of Geek is SupaCon. Not Comic Con. The person/character Taylor is obsessed with? Not a real person. Which is all well and good, and I'm sure there are copyright things involved that prevent authors from just saying Comic Con or whatever. But let's be real -- SupaCon sounds kind of stupid. Maybe Comic Con does too, but it's real and so I know what it is, and I'd rather just have it be acknowledged that that's where they are than some made up Con that is supposed to be the one we know.

Okay, that was a long rant. And maybe still isn't clear. Just for comparison, I love Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. My least favorite part of that book? The fanfic parts. Not because I don't appreciate fanfic (I do. I've both read and written it), but because it was essentially Harry Potter fanfic that couldn't be called Harry Potter fanfic. Which is also why I will most likely never read Carry On. The whole point of geeking out about something is how much you love it -- while I understand the sentiment of a "fake" thing that the characters love, it just is not usually a successful draw for me as a reader.

Okay so that's out of the way. How about the story itself? Eh... I liked Charlie. I will say that. I thought she was pretty kick ass, and even though she was clearly figuring things out, I enjoyed reading her story. She had the bonus of being there as one of the "stars," so it was cool going behind the scenes with her. She was also just a cool character.

Taylor, on the other hand, I found problematic. I was on board with her at first when she started talking about her anxiety -- I have people I'm very close to that suffer from anxiety, in different ways and to different extents. So a character suffering from anxiety? Sure, I get that. However...almost halfway into the book, we also learn that she is autistic? If that's the case, why is the reader not clued into this fact sooner? Why does it feel like a throwaway thing to learn, but also then suddenly immensely important? It is also never explained how her autism differs from her anxiety. There's a comment or two about how, when she's writing or putting her cosplay together she gets so into it that she completely loses track of the time, and doesn't hear people calling her name. That doesn't really feel that unusual to me, honestly. Haven't we all been there at one point or another, so engrossed in an activity that we kind of forgot the world around us existed?

Here's my other gripe...while I admire any author's attempt to write diverse, inclusive books, this one felt like it cheapened a lot of the diversity that was present. It was almost like the author had a diversity checklist: Characters that are minorities? Check. Bisexual character? Check. Anxiety disorder? Check. Autism? Check. But...throwing these things in there didn't really enhance the story or the characters in anyway. Knowing Charlie was Asian didn't really have any affect on the story, aside from a reference to her favorite home made meal. You'd never even know Jamie was of hispanic descent if not for a hispanic-sounding last name and a reference to his abuela. To me, truly diverse stories are about people whose backgrounds are critical to who they are, and are an integral part of the story without being in-your-face. The most recent (and best) example I can think of is The Hate U Give . In that story, I felt immersed in a community and culture that was very different from my own and who those people were and how they grew up was just a part of the story. It was entwined in every fiber of that story, because it was who those people were. It was not as ingrained in the characters in Queens of Geek.

I will say the one area that I didn't have a gripe with was, again, how Charlie's storyline was handled, and the way her bisexuality played a role in the story and her journey. I did think that was handled well, and I truly enjoyed Charlie, and her unfolding relationship with Alyssa. I also liked the romance between Taylor and Jamie, though it felt slightly less genuine? Maybe because Taylor is in such denial about her feelings for him, and his for her. When they do get together, it feels sudden. It's exciting, but handled unevenly from that point on. It also would have been nice to get some chapters from Jamie's POV -- the 3 friends are so close, it's kind of strange not to get his perspective.

I feel like I've been kind of harsh in this review. I think I just expected so much more from it, because I am a nerd, and all about fandoms and cons and all that stuff. I wanted this book to be great and had very high expectations, but it just never reached them. Luckily the book was a quick read -- if it hadn't been, I think it would have ended up as a DNF on my shelf.

This book was wonderful! As a teen nerd with anxiety, I struggled with so many things I couldn't put into words. These characters have those struggled as well, but they give you the words you've always needed. So relatable!

Full review available on my blog (linked below).

I absolutely adored this book! It was my most anticipated release of the year and it did not disappoint me at all. I loved everything about it – the convention setting, the fandoms, the characters, the romance. Everything about it is so sweet and there are a lot of different topics dealt with in a sensitive manner, including sexuality, anxiety, and autism. I loved the storyline and how each character evolves. I can’t even choose a favourite scene because the whole book is so wonderful!

I especially love how exciting the setting is, and how absolutely nothing is boring. There are scenes in the characters’ hotel, scenes in a spooky zombie-infested set, and scenes just waiting in queues for signings, and they were all equally entertaining, because it’s the characters and the writing that drive this book.

Both romances are so lovely – the one between Taylor and Jamie, and the one between Charlie and Alyssa. They’re both well-written and the pacing is perfect – it’s such a short book, but it never feels like instalove. The characters are all so organically diverse too.

The writing of this book is gorgeous – I didn’t feel myself drifting off or getting bored once, which rarely happens for me. The way things are addressed – autism, slutshaming, body positivity – is so wonderfully done and so important for young teenagers and older people alike to read.

Possibly my favourite aspect of this book is how the main character describes anxiety. It’s so spot on and so reassuring to know, as someone who also lives with anxiety, that other people understand.

Overall this book is so beautifully written and I can’t recommend it enough.

Told in alternating chapters, Queens of Geek follows Charlie and her best friends Taylor and Jamie as they arrive at SupaCon (think San Diego Comic Con) and dive straight into all things fandom. Charlie is a Youtube sensation and upcoming actress who must navigate panels, superfans and the guest experience of a fan convention. Taylor, avid reader, cosplayer and writer, just wants to spend some time with her friends, meet her author lord and build some memories before everything changes and they leave for university. In the four days of the convention, both girls will face challenges, make choices that will shape not just who they are but who they want to be.

This is a light romp that deals with some heavy topics (sexuality, social anxiety & social media) set on the backdrop of conventions, fandom and all things geek. Both narrators feel genuine and the reader can't help but empathize with their individual plights and cheer for their successes. The geek content is very current, with nods to fandoms like Star Wars, Walking Dead, Back to the Future and to famous geeks - like Felicia Day. If you are at all immersed in geek culture, this is a book for you.

A really sweet story full of friendship, girl power, diverse representation and the intensity and fun of fandom. A fun read for anyone who has ever considered themselves a little bit nerdy, and a whole lot fierce.

This book had everything I love going for it. Fun, fresh characters, friendship, romance, geekiness and cons! All the girls were super cool and very well done, the romance was really nice and I was squealing with joy at a few parts. Overall this was a really quick read that I sucked up between books. It wasn't completely memorable since I've read three books since then and can't remember everything that happened. That being said it was still nice.

One of my only complaints (and I know some other bloggers felt the same way) was that there wasn't enough con exploration. I wanted more of that incorporated into the story that it just being a simple setting. I've gone to quite a few cons in my time and they are overflowing with things ripe with possibility and I felt like the author just skinned the surface.

I would recommend this to those that like a little geek with their romance but don't expect some world shattering plot.