Extra Credit Epidemic

What's Interesting: Food poisoning! Working with team mates! Epidemic!

 I loved this YA story.  Taffy makes no excuses for being smart, for being gay, or for being a loner.  Why should she?  They are who she is.  What I loved is that she accepts who she is, but she also accepts who her friends are for who and what they are.  She doesn’t pressure any of them to become anything different.  No ready to come out of the closet?  No problem.  Not comfortable talking in groups?  She employs a luca-libre mask with you.  Her only feelings of derision are aimed at those who do less than their best.  All if this is wrapped in an enjoyable story of intrigue.

Recommended for:  14+

Editing / Grammar: B – a few small errors

Taffy Snackerge cares about nothing more than being a scientist. She is pretty much a social reject, perfectly content to lock herself away in a lab and do her own thing. When she notices an increasing number of salmonella outbreaks in the area, she starts digging for data and investigating the origin. She heads straight to her mentor and favorite teacher, Van Brenner. He was an epidemiologist for the state, Taffy’s dream job, and agrees to help her with the investigation, but only if she meets one condition — she must work with two other students. He insists upon it only because she’s a loner and he doesn’t want her to go to college with zero social skills. After careful consideration, she hesitantly agrees to his condition. As with any good book, there are those that want to hinder her progress, mainly the assistant principal, or deputy principal as he likes to be addressed, Phil Overboard. He can’t wait to put Taffy in her place for thinking she’s far superior to everyone else. His shenanigans are downright scandalous, and could ruin everything for Taffy, including her future at Penn State.

You know how when you read a synopsis a picture begins to form in your mind about how you think the book will be? Yeah, I thought I had this book all figured out after reading the blurb. WRONG! It’s nothing like you think it will be, it’s actually FAR BETTER! After the first chapter I thought, “What kind of lunacy is this?” I’m pretty sure a few things went over my head at first, but before long I was fluent in Nina Post. Taffy Snackerge is a brilliant, quirky, snarky, Science nerd — minus the nerd, really, who likes to quote The Dead Milkmen and also shares an appreciation for one of my favorite movies, The Big Lebowski. She reminds me of Ellen Page in Juno, but maybe with a supplement of crack. I’m kidding, of course, but she’s absolutely crazy and I’m totally smitten. Taffy speaks to everyone as if they have limited intelligence, but she does it with such flare, you just can’t stop yourself from loving her character.

Extra Credit Epidemic made me chuckle, then giggle, and after a while I was full out belly laughing. I don’t recall ever being so amused by a book. I read some parts more than once, not because I was distracted, but so I could keep the snickering momentum going. I thoroughly enjoyed the character arcs. All three students in their group — Taffy, Gabe, and even Taylor — though hers was more subtle, make some remarkable changes. The friendship bonds created are extremely touching, and I found myself wishing I didn’t have to say goodbye. This awesome story is one that everyone can enjoy, and is one that I will add to my re-read list (and you all know I don’t usually read a book more than once). This book deserves a double rating of ten stars, in my opinion. I recently learned that Taffy Snackerge is in another of Nina’s books, though not a main character. Squee.. more Taffy!!