Cute, cute, cute!!!
That's really the best description for Queens of Geek. This book is funny, heartfelt, adorable and genuine. The story resonates with me and I wish I had had this to read as a teenager. Not only is there lots of talk about coping with anxiety, but there are also moments discussing self esteem. These are two major issues I had as a teen and still have today even at the age of 34.

This book does a wonderful job at showing that everyone gets nervous, anxious and self conscious. Whether your a celebrity, a shy girl, a geeky boy or a confident go-getter; you will still have moments of doubt and need support.

True to its title Queens of Geek is very... well... geeky! So many amazing references to dozens of movies, books, tv series and comics. I couldn't help but feel like I was living the SupaCon alongside our characters as I appreciated every geeky moment.
If you are not much of a geek you may find this book silly or ridiculous. But if you want to know how us fan girls feel surrounded by the geekiness we love this is a good book to portray it. Clearly Jen Wilde is a geek herself.

So why only four stars... while this adorable book has some amazing moments of clarity in describing anxiety and self esteem; it's use of a three day span to bring two relationships together is a bit too quick for me. I especially felt that Charlie's storyline was a bit too rushed and somewhat unrealistic; even for a celebrity. That's not to say that there aren't some amazing moments in this book; it's just to say that Charlie's romantic moments seemed too soon. On the other hand Taylor's storyline was almost perfect.

Overall an excellent teen read and one I'd buy for teens in the future. It knows it's audience and this is a true teen book, written for teens. It doesn't pretend to be anything else which I greatly appreciate.

Very good and surprisingly Australian is how I described this book to a friend, and after finishing it I've decided it's a perfect summary of this book. Queens of Geek is an amazing story about three best friends who are involved in fandom and are self-conscious- but not about being nerdy. It's amazing that it's taken 24 years for me to find a book with a main character who is both fat and autistic (and part of fandom on top of that!), but I'm so glad that this book has it. The story was amazing, but the characters are what made this book shine. I hope everyone gets to read it, and I hope it helps more than just me by seeing someone like them in a main character.

After reading the description of this book, I immediately put it on the list for our library to purchase it. And I have to say, the book did not disappoint! Perfect for teenage nerds of all walks of life and orientations. I can't wait to introduce it to our teen book club!

This book is really cute, a perfect summery YA romance. The cover is a wonderful, bright representation of the book inside. As a complete and total self-declared geek, I had to read it.

The characters are wonderfully written and completely kick-ass. The representation is wonderful - a bisexual Asian FMC in Charlie and a chubby, anxious/ aspie MC in Taylor. Both girls, along with the secondary characters Jamie, Alyssa and Reese, read as well-round believable people. The POV shifts between Taylor and Charlie and, apart from a little cross-over, they both have separate plotlines (Taylor entering the Firestone fan contest and her relationship with BFF/ secret crush Jamie, Charlie having to make nice with her douchey ex and burgeoning relationship with Alyssa). Each is easily distinguishable as a reader and it's great to see two such different examples of girls being strong in their own ways.

I thought Taylor's anxiety especially (although I must point out I've no personal experience) seemed completely believable and in keeping with the descriptions I've gotten from friends. I loved that there was no magic 'quick-fix' and that she struggles to overcome her anxiety throughout the story. There's lots of on-rep, with discussions of bisexuality and anxiety, as well as tackling the subjects of cheating, body-shaming and bullying, without coming off as preachy.

It was really important for this book that the 'geek' stuff read as realistic and current. Tricky to do in a mostly online culture that's constantly shifting and full of copyrighted terms - online fans talking about ComicCon, favourite books etc can get away with much more than a publishing author. Wilde pulls it off though by making a few small changes and keeping the spirit as teen-centric as possible. Social media presence is crucial to both MC's (YouTube and Tumblr) and it reads like Wilde has spent a lot of time on both and understands the dynamics. SupaCon (a thinly veiled Comic-Con) reads as true for the conventions I've been to - insanely busy, people who are generally open and friendly, brilliant fun but not a rose-tinted utopia.

This review will go up on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on Apr 19, 2017.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/review-queens-of-geek

Oh, my heart! Queens of Geek was exactly the delightfully geeky, adorable contemporary I didn’t know I needed. The story follows three Australian best friends, Charlie, Taylor, and Jamie, who travel to the US together to fulfill their collective dream of attending SupaCon (think Comic-Con, but fictional). For such a short book, Queens of Geek managed to fill every page with fandom, romance, friendship, and self-discovery. I devoured it in one sitting.

The book is told through two POVs: Charlie and Taylor. I thought Jen Wilde pulled off the multiple perspectives really well! Charlie is a YouTube star with an impressive three million subscribers, and she’s also on the verge of being a breakout star due to her role in an Australian indie film about zombies called The Rising that’s become unexpectedly popular. I loved that, since she was invited to the Con as a guest, we got to see that side of things, since we’re so used to being on the audience’s end of things as opposed to knowing what the panelists/speakers/guests experience at events like these. Throughout the book, she’s constantly fighting off people who try to pry into her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and The Rising costar, Reese Ryan (who, by the way, is just the biggest douche). Charlie unexpectedly makes friends with one of her YouTube crushes and inspirations, Alyssa Huntington, and their relationship begins to evolve into more-than-friends. And omg, you guys, I totally shipped Charlie and Alyssa. Their flirting, their dates… it was all way too cute! Plus, it was really refreshing to see not only an f/f relationship, but an interracial f/f relationship where both women are POC (Charlie is Chinese, while Alyssa is black).

I also adored the other POV character, Taylor. While all the characters in this book are geeky, Taylor is hardcore invested in her fandoms, and I loved it. Taylor is on the autism spectrum, and she also struggles with anxiety, so SupaCon was often an overwhelming experience for her. She went through such tremendous character growth over the course of the story. I loved seeing her break out of her shell, and how unapologetically herself she became by the end. And her relationship with Jamie, again, was just too dang cute. Jamie himself, though not a POV character, is Taylor and Charlie’s other best friend, and he just seemed like such a genuinely nice guy and a great friend. I loved that all three main characters geeked out about different things: Taylor about her beloved Queen Firestone book and movie series, Charlie about YouTube celebrities, and Jamie about comics.

The backdrop of SupaCon was the perfect setting for this story. I thought Jen Wilde did an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of a fan convention, from the cosplay, to the excitement, to the crowds, to the eventual exhaustion that catches up with you after going nonstop for days without sleep (a feeling I’m all too familiar with at conventions, lol). People who attend cons are the best people, because they’re just unapologetically excited about the stuff they love and sharing in that excitement with other people who love the same stuff they do.

Basically, if you’re looking for an adorable, well-written contemporary, look no further. From shipworthy romances, to lovable characters, to the geeky setting, to the excellent #ownvoices representation, Queens of Geek has it all. I guarantee you’ll close this book with a huge smile on your face.

Have you read Queens of Geek? If so, tell me your thoughts! If not, do you plan to pick it up?

I actually really enjoyed this, which belies the three-star rating. The rating is because I have a teensy quibble with how one of the character arcs played out; I thought Taylor's journey (and I don't want to say too much) was just...not believable. SHE was totally believable as a character (and I could relate to her in a lot of ways, actually), and the romance that involved her was adorable and pretty much believable, but the arc of the character besides the romance just did. not. work. for. me.

However, due to all the other stories going on in this book, you can probably get past it and enjoy the book. For real though, it is a double romance, so you gotta like that mush. (It was good mush!)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This was such a sweet and heartwarming read. I feel that at times the writing was a little too simplistic, but the plotting and heart of the story swept me away too much to care.

Normally I'm not a fan of two or more different character POVs, but it worked well for me here and it means the reader gets to enjoy two absolutely adorable romances for the price of one. It also means the author can more realistically delve into different issues that many people suffer without it seeming overly melodramatic the way it would be if they were to saddle a sole main character with a whole ton of baggage.

I know I've said this many times, but I'll repeat - I LOVE books that deal with mental illness and LGBT+ relationships, and this one featured both! One of the protagonists, Taylor, is a recently diagnosed 'Aspie girl' and struggling with anxiety issues and intermittent panic attacks; the other protagonist, Charlie, is a bisexual WOC!

I've read another book recently with a protagonist suffering from an anxiety disorder, '10 Things I Can See From Here', and Taylor is not quite as neurotic as Maeve (I say that with affection), so for readers who were put off by her personal tics, it's not quite as all-pervasive here. Tay's challenges are more related to the social environment, and boy, do I feel her on that! I recognize a lot of myself in her - I also flew overseas to the US with a couple friends and the part where she's having a meltdown because the sounds, the people, the stress of this new environment all becomes too much for her is way too familiar.

“Everything feels like I'm on a stage, spotlight on me, all eyes on me, watching, judging. Like I'm one second away from total disaster. It's invisible, it's irrational, it's never-ending. I could be standing there, smiling and chatting like everything is totally fine, while secretly wanting to scream and cry and run away."

Omg, YES, this entirely. It’s so validating when an author can express how you feel and there’s that feeling of camaraderie when you relate whole-heartedly to a character and don’t feel so alone! ‘Social hangover’ is a term I hadn’t come across before, but totally will be adding to my vocabulary from now on.

Taylor and Jamie were just too gosh-darned cute throughout the book. I usually find friends-to-lovers arcs really boring, but the author won me over with these adorkable kids! They were so caring and considerate of each other, and I wanted to smush their heads together and be like ‘NOW KISS’ because the dancing around one another got so frustrating sometimes, but I did understand their reluctance to endanger their friendship if the other person didn’t feel the same way. And this is again where the dual protagonist/alternating POV helped, because I’d normally find it tedious how long-drawn-out these storylines can be, but Taylor only narrating half the book meant that their will-they-won’t-they dance didn’t overstay its welcome. There was sufficient build-up and then payoff!

It helped that I really bought their friendship. Sometimes characters are so obviously pining for each other that it’s annoying, especially if they get jealous at the object of their affection daring to date someone else. (yo, if you don’t make a move, you have no call to sulk about it) But Taylor and Jamie had a great rapport and we see them enjoying spending time with each other, just chatting about their interests or supporting one another in things important to them, and you could see why they would slowly fall in love.

Moving on to Charlie, I’m in love with how she was portrayed – zero angst about being bisexual, she was already comfortable with this part of her identity and didn’t have to come to terms with a sudden realization that she was attracted to girls. There are so many books with gritty ‘coming out’ arcs, so I like that this one was so matter-of-fact and hilariously down-to-earth about it; Charlie realized she was bisexual after reading a tumblr article about ‘You Won’t Believe These Actresses Are Bisexual’ and googling the term! In this day and age, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people recognize their orientation by coming across articles and discussions or a community online who identify the same way; that’s how I realized I’m asexual.

It’s also great that her arc wasn’t bogged down with descriptions of rampant toxic biphobia, because a lot of times it’s so exaggerated and OTT that it takes me out of the story or seems contrived so that the author can make a preachy moral point. Instead there were smaller instances of seemingly harmless remarks that people make which often get overlooked or discounted as unimportant (for eg. ‘not believing in bisexuals’, wtf), but the characters reinforce that it’s just as prejudiced and hurtful.

I love how confident and extroverted Charlie is as well – a large majority of YA female protagonists are overly insecure and dependent on the male love interest to validate them, but Charlie wonderfully models a different kind of lead.

“A selection of avatars appear, and I’m thrilled to see I’m one of them. Me. The geek girl from the suburbs of Melbourne. The youngest daughter of Chinese immigrants. The only open bi kid at school. The drama freak who makes vlogs in her bedroom.

I’m the hero.

Finally, I feel like the rest of the world is starting to see me the way I’ve always seen myself.”

How brilliant is that?! She has a healthy sense of self-esteem, and is pleased that the wider community finally seems to accept her as good enough instead of an outsider who needs to assimilate. It also highlights the importance of diversity and representation in the media, which is something I can’t emphasize enough. (HOLLYWOOD, THE DEFAULT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHITE, OKAY)

Charlie and Alyssa’s burgeoning relationship was so freaking beautiful, I loved how they both crushed on each other and slowly fumbled their way to declaring a mutual interest, and the dates they went on were so creative and entertaining! I held my breath hoping and praying that it would all work out and douchey ex-boyfriends or the media wouldn’t interfere and tear them apart. These girls showed a lot of maturity and I thought it was brilliant how they talked out their issues, instead of replaying that tired and done-to-death trope of the Grand Misunderstanding causing them to break up and angst separately before coming back together.

Aside from Alyssa, I also liked Charlie’s interactions with Taylor and Jamie – it’s great to see a book where girls are supportive of each other, and a boy and a girl can be good friends! This basically never happens, so I’m pretty psyched about how it played out here. It would’ve been easy to isolate Charlie in her romantic plot-line and sub-plot with Reese, but we get moments of her with her best friends and the lovely dynamic between the trio.

Basically, I 110% recommend this book – it was such an enjoyable fluffy read that made me wriggle with glee and bask in contentment with each chapter. I was sad to have it end, but really happy to have read it!

This was a fun and entertaining YA novel about Taylor, Charlie, and Jamie--three unique and quirky Austrailan high school students attending their first SupaCon convention in San Diego, For Tayor, a self-proclaimed "Aspie girl," her goal is to meet her heroine even though she suffers frequent panic attacks and does not do well in crowds. BFF Jamie has always been an anchor for her and now she realizes her feelings for him may be changing. And then there is Charlie, famous YouTuber and teen movie star who is attracted to both boys and girls. This is an awesome and lovable threesome as we witness them navigate the conference and deal with their changing often-awkward feelings. Lots of geekiness nerd love here! A must-read for anyone who has ever felt different or like an outsider!

After handfuls of fails and one success, I’ve been trying to convince myself to write off Swoon Reads. Admittedly, it hasn’t gone well. Every single book basically sounds like a great concept for shippy awesomeness, so, despite consistent disappointments, I keep accidentally requesting them. By accident. You know, accidentally on purpose. Because I have no willpower. The good news is that Swoon Reads accidentally published another good book (the other is These Vicious Masks) in Queens of Geek, which is every bit the expression of nerdy delight you hope it will be.

Queens of Geek immediately proved to have stronger voice and banter than most of the other Swoon Reads offerings. Banter, though not generally considered much of a skill by the literary community, really does take talent; when banter is attempted and not achieved, it’s clunky and eye-roll inducing. Wilde’s whole book bursts with humor and charm that actually hits the mark. Wilde’s dual first person POVs (Taylor and Charlie) both have strong voices, which are generally easy to distinguish.

Though I haven’t read/tried to read quite all of Swoon Reads books, I can still say with confidence that this is the most diverse offering to come out of this Macmillan imprint; most of them have been whiter than Wonderbread. Taylor’s white, Charlie’s Asian, Jamie’s Hispanic, and Alyssa’s black. Both ships are interracial, and one of them is f/f. It’s a smorgasbord of adorable, diverse nerdy ships.

Speaking of representation, Taylor struggles with anxiety. She’s been prepping herself mentally for months to attend SupaCon, because crowds and social interaction cause her to panic. I love seeing how hard it is for Taylor, but also how much better she learns to cope while she’s there. (Girl, you did so good because I went to DragonCon for one day and I ended up weeping, leaving early, and not doing shit with my pass so.) What helps her most is finding that community of people who really understand, meeting other people with anxiety who one hundred percent understand what she’s dealing with. I was totally cheering for Taylor as she navigated a bunch of super scary shit and put herself out there.

In case that wasn’t enough rep for you, Taylor’s also fat. There’s this amazing moment where she rants on tumblr after some random person fatshames her, and it’s brilliant. (Actually, I was surprised how much I enjoyed Taylor’s tumblr posts throughout.) Taylor’s confident about who her body, and I love that her appearance isn’t an issue ever in her romance. Jamie thinks she’s hot af and has been into her for ages. Friends to lovers is hit or miss for me, but these two were a hit. Usually I hate when both people have had a crush on each other for ages with neither realizing it because teenagers are not subtle, especially teenage boys, but I totally found it believable and convincing here. Also, the library scene. And the elevator scene. And the amount I relate to how Taylor overthinks everything. Taylor’s also autistic, and there’s a brilliant scene where she bonds with another autistic girl, and she gets a new view on herself, and it’s so beautiful.

Charlie could not be more different from bestie Taylor. Taylor tumbls, and Charlie has a super popular vlog and has just broken into acting with an Australian indie that’s been a surprise smash hit. Charlie has panels and events to do at the Con, and she’s so excited to establish her name on her own right and to escape Chase, aka her irl ship with former costar Reese, who cheated on her. Of course, fucking Reese shows up at SupaCon to try to overshadow her. For Charlie, Queens of Geek is about finding her way back to the self-confidence she’s always had which took a hit when the first person she ever loved hurt her so publicly.

Oh right, more rep. Charlie is bi, even if Reese doesn’t believe bisexuality exists. Raise your hand if you’re surprised this guy’s a piece of shit. Oh look. No hands. Anyway, Charlie meets one of her favorite vloggers, Alyssa Huntington, and they hit it off right away. This ship is also fabulous, and I love love love that the f/f ship has sex and the m/f ship doesn’t. This might be a first in YA fiction? Their first date is so cute, though it’s a shame they have to move so fast but I guess that’s a downside of fame. I do like how chill and mature they are about the unavoidable drama.

Queens of Geek is everything that All the Feels failed to be. It’s a geeky celebration jam-packed with excellent representation and humor.

BFFs Charlie, Taylor and Jamie are psyched to be attending SupaCon. Charlie's role in a zombie romance has guaranteed she is going from vlogger to superstar, but the thought of running into her co-star and ex has her feeling weird. Taylor suffers from anxiety due to her being on the spectrum, and she will have to find a way to deal with her feelings for BFF Jamie, as well as wishing she can meet her hero Queen Firestone.

Cute fun read that ticks a lot of boxes, romance, LGBTQ, Autism, etc. etc.

As someone that found a lot of comfort and some friends through anime, manga, and video games beginning in high school, I will almost always give any book regarding conventions and fans because they remind me of some of the best times of my life. For a period of about nine years I even attended a local anime convention until it moved locations, though I never had the opportunity to attend the San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), which I'm confident the con in Queens of Geek is based upon.

Starting with the first steps of Charlie, Taylor, and Jamie into the hallowed halls of the con to beat all cons, SupaCon, I felt immediately welcomed home. There were references to all kinds of different books, movies, and games, most of which I understood. There were people whose names were dropped as being admired by one character or another (Felicia Day, for example, is mentioned more than once!). I hope and really think that all of these will make the work even more appealing to fellow fans because they will see their favorite series possible mentioned or even talked about in-depth.

Along with the wild enjoyment of con activities, Jen Wilde tackles multiple important subjects with relation to mental illness, sexual identity, etc. and of the examples, I liked the one where Taylor and Charlie confront Charlie's (at the time) boyfriend Reese about his "belief" that bisexual people don't exist. He claims to be for gay rights and marriage, but states that he doesn't believe in bisexuality. Taylor, usually the quieter of the two friends, sees how much this bothers Charlie, a bisexual woman. Reese asks Charlie how she could know she was bisexual if she'd never been with a girl and Taylor stands up for her by asking Reese how he could know he was straight before he was with a girl. This highlights an excellent point: just because you haven't had a sexual encounter doesn't mean you can't know your sexuality. Just because you're with a man or woman at the time doesn't negate your bisexuality if that is who you are. This lead to a vital quote from Charlie:

"You can't pick and choose whose equality you support. That's not equality."
I loved meeting Josie, a fellow Firestone book/movie lover that introduces Taylor to her comic books featuring as autistic superhero. It's through their interactions that we learn that Taylor is on the autistic spectrum and what, with the interactions she's had thus far that we've seen, this means for her in social situations and in her life in general. I was not aware when I started this book that one of the viewpoints was from an autistic character and I thought that this was interesting because recently I've been reading awkward, horrible representation of such characters. I didn't find this here and actually found myself learning more about autism through Taylor's experience.

Alyssa was another important character. A vlogger and actress like Charlie, it's mentioned several times that she speaks a lot about topics such as diversity, intersectionality, and so on. As Charlie's love interest, I'm glad that she had substance and wasn't just the love interest. She might have more of a following on YouTube and more Hollywood star power, but she's not a throwaway, she's someone who spoke about important issues before becoming well known and continues to use her exposure to talk about them rather than, say, sacrifice them for what a studio might want her to do.

This book was a fun, fast, exciting read from Jen Wilde that makes me wonder what she will show us next. There was lightness in moments, but also strength in the characters and in the experiences they were going through: first love, societal pressure, heartbreak, personal expectations, and more.

I'll be keeping an eye on Wilde's future works, hoping for another excellent read.

Completely geektastic! I loved the setting and the characters. I loved the development and the romances (yes plural)! I only wished for more! I want more of these characters!

Give me all the nerdy books please!!!! The thrill of a convention is up there on my list of life experiences that totally need to happen but for now I live vicariously through the page. Best friends Charlie, Taylor, and Jaime get that opportunity of a lifetime, to attend SupaCon, and the adventure is a non-stop ride. Thankfully Jen Wilde nails fandom, fun, and emotional ups and downs at a con in Queens of Geek.

Let's start with the heart and soul of this story...three amazing best friends! Charlie is a Chinese-Australian Youtuber turned actor who is making her debut at SupaCon. Luckily her friends, Taylor, an anxiety filled cosplay queen and book lover, and Jaime, the Latino sweet geek of my dreams, are there to experience it all with her. I loved all of them so much! Their camaraderie in all things, leaning on each other in both the ups and downs of life. They were all so endearing.

Honestly I'm so impressed with the rep in this book. From talk about bisexuality, bi-erasure, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorder to multiple POC characters, Wilde really hits the mark. It's all earnest and open, giving voices to so many. Plus I'm so happy to see a F/F relationship. There never seems to be enough of them. It's the positivity in all this that brings me the greatest joy though.

Also my nerd heart is bursting! I'm a sucker for books like this and Wilde sold me from the start with every single geeky reference. You name a TV show, movie, or actor and it was probably mentioned at one point or another. Plus con events were super authentic, from signing lines to zombie runs. Also can Queen Firestone be a real thing? The book lover in me wants it. I also really liked the Youtuber aspects which are now a huge part of fandom. Suffice it to say, sign me up for SupaCon!

Overall I absolutely adored Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde with its fast-paced nerdy fun and extremely real characters. The convention jumped from the page giving me a sense of longing to be there in real life, and Charlie, Taylor, and Jamie had my heart from the very beginning. I highly recommend this one for all, especially those immersed in nerd culture and passionate about fandom.

I enjoyed this book alot. I am a Geek lol and this was so cute. I was laughing and crying and yelling at the book!

Full review with links and gifs posted at The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange, at www.anneliselestrange.wordpress.com =)

*~.My Review.~*
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader =)

This book was magical for me. All the fangirling, the friendship, the intensity, the characters… OMG, THIS BOOK. I really loved it and I love how open it is about so many touchy subjects, like mental health, sexual discovery and prejudice. I gave it five full stars, but I’ll be honest: I expected to connect with the characters on a deeper level. I felt like the characters allowed their sexuality or their mental health state brand them all the time and I don’t really like it. I’m a fat kid. I’m a geek. I love books. I suffer with anxiety. I battle depression. I like boys. But, before all this brands apply, I’m Annelise. Being Annelise is so much more important to me than being fat, geek, bookworm, anxious, depressed or even heterosexual. I think I missed this side of characters in the end and not even strong and confident Charlie showed me this. Oh, well. Still a great book =)

The narrative is first person with alternating points of view between Taylor and Charlie. I loved both characters and we could see in whose head we were even without Wild telling us so! Even not being my favorite style, it works brilliantly for Queens of Geek, as it gets easier to understand all the struggles that both Charlie and Taylor go through. Wilde’s writing style is exactly what you’d read on a blog or social media, but without overdoing it on the acronyms, which I loved. It was the perfect mix between ‘right now’ speech and proper grammar, if that makes sense? Hahaha

The plot was simple, with no big mysteries or problems to be solved, but that doesn’t mean they are easy either. I do think the hardest problems to solve are always those that involve other people around you, as the human being tends to be quite volatile. Messing up with human interactions can be ten times more scarier than the zombie apocalypse, if you ask me.

I already rambled a bit about characters, sooo I’m just going to say that I LOVED Alyssa, Charlie’s love interest, and that I admire her to the core. I’d date this girl too without a second thought, she was that awesome ❤ I also highly identified with her in many levels, never mind she was a side character, haha! Jamie was also the sweetest dork in the world and Tay doesn’t even know how lucky she is for having him around, accepting her just the way she is ❤

Point is: characters are very well built, intense, alive. Read this book.

Also, in a rare moment of Bethyness (the act of thinking like my bff Beth, from Betwixt the Pages), I found a song that applies perfectly to this book. Kids from 2004 may remember this pearl which I sing at the top of my longs since before understanding a word of English: I Am, by Hilary Duff. You can laugh at me all you want, THIS SONG IS QUEENS OF GEEK ALL OVER.

*~.Cover Analysis.~*

Pink hair. Must I say more? Yes? Oh, okay. I LOVE PINK HAIR! It was one of the reasons why I was so insanely excited to read this book. One of my dreams is to have candy color hair someday, rainbow style, but due health problems, I can’t do it. I can only dye it in colors that don’t require me to take off the natural pigment and it sucks. So, this cover is my dream, complete with a master design that entwines the pink hair with the words and chose a simple and strong type font for all the wordings. The yellow was also a killer choice, in contrast with the pink. WELL DONE, PEOPLE!

*~.Quoting time.~*

Nothing better to sell you the book than the book itself! I present you some of the gems inside Queens of Geek!

Let’s be real; I don’t feel safe in the real world. It’s big and scary and confuses the shit out of me sometimes. – Taylor’s Tumblr posts

~*~

“I have never seen you [Taylor] so pissed before. And yet in all your rage, you still managed to slip in a movie reference. You’re good.” – Jamie

~*~

“Love is intense. You break down all your walls to let someone in. But if they’re not good for you, they can tear you up from the inside. And you think what you have together is love, so you let them.” – Alyssa

~*~

“We’re all messy. What kind of friends would we be if we demanded you only show us your prettiness? This isn’t Instagram, it’s real life. And real life is messy.” – Charlie

And this killer dialogue:

Taylor: Thanks. No one’s ever risked getting beat up just to get me tomato sauce before. I thought he was going to pound you into the ground like in those old Looney Tunes cartoons.

Jamie: Well, you know, sometimes a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do to ensure a lady has all her condiments.

Taylor: The lady is grateful.

~*~

Overall, if you like YA, fangirling, intense characters, vloggers and youtubers, and all about the media culture of the second half of the 21st century, READ. THIS. BOOK.

Queens of Geek is a NA contemporary set up along pretty basic plotlines: A trio of friends find love amidst all kinds of nerdery over a Con. It's a simple enough story, and a short one at that with just 288 pages, and yet it manages to be diverse, inclusive, and intersectional -- not to mention shippy as hell. In the two main romances that form the bulk of her book, Jen Wilde features: a character on the autism-spectrum, a bisexual female character of Asian descent, a woman of color, and a boy of Hispanic or Latin descent (it's not made expressly clear which). It's so refreshingly nonhetero and non-mayonnaise. This is by far the best title that Swoon Reads has to offer to date; a fun, entertaining, but also heartfelt contemporary novel.

Nerdy to the core, Queens of Geek is an easy rec to make for readers who enjoy books with pop culture influences (both real and imagined) and fan-involved themes like the ones found in Geekerella, Gena/Finn, or Fangirl. The honest depiction of the inclusiveness of fandom -- of finding your people -- is one of the parts I loved most about Queens of Geek. Taylor's devotion to her Queen Firestone books and movies is pivotal in improving her life and in understanding who she is; fandom enriches her story and that's believable. Anyone who finds a niche interest shared among a group knows how that resonance feels and Wilde shows it in developing Taylor's storyline. Firestone gave a lot to Taylor and its impact on her life is important (not only because it led to her finally finding common ground with her autism spectrum diagnosis!) and recognizable.

The entire cast of characters in this contemporary really shine and come to life; I (kinda obviously) connected most to Taylor and her storyline but her best friends of Charlie and Jamie are each well-rounded and defined in their own rights. The bond between the trio is strong and I loved seeing Charlie support Taylor and vice versa, no matter what circumstances. Even tropes that usually disrupt my enjoyment of a relationship work under Wilde's pen due to the strength of her characterization. The romance between Charlie and Alyssa feels accelerated - especially contrasted with the fact that Jamie and Taylor caught feelings years ago and never acted on them, the adorable awkward dorks - but it's also realistic and their chemistry is undeniable.

Queens of Geek is so much adorable geeky, inclusive entertainment. It's pure fun to read, though it definitely packs an emotional punch or two. I loved that it took pains to be intersectional (though the explanation of the term itself felt stiff, I did not care because I just loved that it was there in the first place) and that the diversity itself was a nonissue. I loved both the years-gestating romance and the instalove that sprang up beside it. Sweet and empowering, Queens of Geek left me eagerly awaiting whatever Jen Wilde writes next.

Queens of Geek was a good YA contemporary. It was a bit basic when it came to the plot development but it had a great setting and likable characters as well as an interesting coming-of-age story that I think a lot of people will enjoy and relate to.

There is so much I love about this book, but I’m afraid my fangirling will give too much away. I hate spoilers, so I am going to try to make this review as spoiler-free as I can.

I think one of the best things about life is fandoms and then finding friends that will geek out over the same fandoms with you. Queens of Geek is a story about friendships and the love for fandoms. In a nutshell, it is a story about three friends, who are about to head off to college, so for a friendship vacation they attend a convention very similar to San Diego Comic Con. Their adventure is a page-turner that you will not want to put down. Fangirling ensues. Friendships strengthen. And swooning is guaranteed.

Queens of Geek focuses on two main points-of-view. First there is Charlie, a well-known vlogger/indie actress, who has her own group of fans. I liked Charlie, because she is a girl that knows what she wants in life. She has a plan and a daring attitude. She is the girl that a lot of us inspire to be. And then there is Taylor, who I mainly related to. Taylor has a heart of gold, and often deals with severe anxiety.

In Queens of Geek, I love that opposites attract, but it is the similarities between these two characters that bring Charlie and Taylor closer together. Both of the characters are honest, trusting, and so damn likable. Along for the ride, Jamie, Taylor’s best guy friend, geeks out with them at the convention. But in this story, the convention is more than fangirling or freaking out over you favorite vloggers, super heroes, sci-fi characters, or fantasy authors–instead it’s about growing up, stepping out of your comfort zone, and understanding who you are.

Although Queens of Geek takes place in the span of a few days, a lot occurs. Panic attacks happen, ex-boyfriends get stupidly drunk, and crushes start developing into actual relationships. I really enjoyed that this fast-paced book touches base on issues that a lot of teenagers deal with in their everyday lives. And without giving too much away, I loved the healthy and realistic approach that the author, Jen Wilde, takes in regards to highlighting topics like anxiety, body issues, and bisexuality. If you are in the mood for a book that realistically portrays the love for fandoms, along with real-life issues, definitely give Queens of Geek a read.

OMG OMG OMG!!! THIS BOOK!!! THIS BOOK!!!

This is definitly my favorite contemporary YA book IN A LONG TIME. I was expecting to like it, of course, because that blurb is awesome, but I couldn’t quite imagine how IN LOVE I would be with this book. It’s serious. This book? AWESOME!

This is my first book by Jen Wilde and I loved loved loved the writing. The book is told through Tayor and Charlie’s POVs, two of the 3 friends going to SupaCon, and, just like these two characters, their voices are super different. I never had to go back to the beginning of a chapter to know who was talking.

But the most amazing thing about this book? The characters!!! I love these characters, but mostly Taylor. I love her. I see myself in her on some issues, and I see my friends in her a little bit as well. I think she’s one of those characters who everyone will see themselves in a bit, you know? Like Cath from Fangirl? I loved how brave she was, even when she was scared out of her wits, and how good she was. Have I mentioned how much I loved her? Also, she has severe social anxiety, she’s heavier, and she’s on the Autism spectrum. I LOVED TAYLOR!!!!

Then there’s Charlie, and while it took me a little bit more time to warm up to her, I did, because she’s brilliant! Another amazing point of diversity here too 😀 , because Charlie is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, and she’s openly bisexual 😀 . And she has pink hair!!! Sorry, I had to mention that because it IS the cover of this book after all, and it’s giving me some pretty weird ideas of wanting to dye my hair pink?! Crazy, right? Either way, I loved Charlie too, because she has some pretty great development throughout the book, realizing whose opinions really matter to her.

The trio is complete with Jamie. Not gonna lie, when I read the blurb I thought that Jamie would be a girl, which is stupid, because the blurb actually says he’s a GUY! Oh well. JAMIE IS AWESOME!!!!! I shipped him with Taylor so so much! And it was always so clear how much he liked her. And he was just such a great and understanding person, he gave her the time and space to figure herself out, always being there for her anyway. AMAZING!

There are several other smaller characters that are equally amazing and inspiring. I was reading this book and laughing and crying and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Queens of Geeks talks geeky, nerdy and fandom. It talks about the importance of accepting yourself as you are, because you’ll find people just like you in the process. You’re not alone. This book made me feel like I belong, and it wasn’t even about the fandoms or the fandom life itself… The level of acceptance and friendship that this book has? It’s amazing. Made me fall in love with it.

I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, EXCEPT THAT YOU NEED TO READ IT ASAP! I KIND OF JUST WANT TO PICK IT UP AGAIN…

Queen of Geek was exactly what I've been wanting and needing. It was a diverse, YA contemporary that was a light, quick read while also not glossing over serious topics. The novel is told from two POVs: Taylor is on the autism spectrum and struggles with severe anxiety, while Charlie is a Chinese American, bisexual Youtuber. We follow Charlie, Taylor, and their other best friend Jamie through a weekend at SupaCon, a fictional Comic Con. Charlie is there to promote her new movie (co-starring her douche canoe ex-boyfriend, yikes!), while Taylor and Jamie spend most of the weekend in a quest to meet Taylor's favorite actress and idol. There were so many important things addressed well: bi-erasure, body shaming, ableism, anxiety, consent, panic attacks, women supporting women, and sexism. I wish more YA books covered these topics because they're so important for teens to read about. Oh and did I mention the book is #ownvoices?? Jen Wilde is autistic and bisexual.

I loved Charlie and Taylor's friendship. It reminds me so much of the relationship I have with my friends. The only reason I knocked my rating down half a star is because I wish we'd gotten to know more of the backstory behind the characters. The entire novel takes place during their weekend at SupaCon, and I'd have loved to read more about their lives back in Australia and how they all became friends.

Highly highly recommend this one if you love fandom talk, Supernatural references, female friendships, realistic diverse characters, YouTubers, and geeky romances.