Hi, welcome to my new once-in-a-blue-moon feature, Three on a Theme, wherein I'll highlight three books that have something in common and that I can wholeheartedly recommend. Today's post is about one of my favorite things: NERD BOYS.
YA doesn't have enough adorably nerdy boys, i you ask me. Sure, i love bad boys, and flirts, and warrior princes just as much as the next YA reader, but deep down, I think my soul mate is a nerd boy. And here are three of my faves.
Max from The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
MAX. BE STILL MY HEART. Quiz bowling, Firefly-watching, glasses-wearing trivia king Max is the most precious little nerd boy ever. I said in my review that this book is like a love letter to geekdom, and that's perfectly evident in Max, who's totally an atypical love interest but totally made my heart so melty.
Max Watson had a few secrets of his own. Most of them were silly, admitted through laughter: he cried more than once reading The Hunger Games, he dressed up as Harry Potter for every single elementary school Halloween, and even the smallest amount of coconut would make him break out in hives.
Max Watson, precious cinnamon, absolutely too pure and good for this world.
Mycroft from Every Breath by Ellie Marney
I'm sort of incapable of talking or thinking or functioning normally when the subject of Mycroft comes up, so bear with me here. Sherlock-y, eccentric, mad genius, coroner's assistant, stuffed full of factoids, actually goes about solving murders with nothing but his oversize brain and his forensic know-how, often forgets to do things like feed himself because he's so lost in his own thinkery. Adorably endearing frustrating brilliant socially idiotic absolutely charming MYCROFT, NERD BOY LOVE OF MY LIFE. He runs on very high genius brain-fueled energy, and sometimes he crashes and burns
Cricket Bell from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
I'd be remiss if I crafted a YA nerd boy list and didn't include my darling Cricket, who is possibly my favorite of Stephanie Perkins' boys. Precious inventor Cricket with his easy blushes and awkward gangly limbs and cool vintage clothing style and the rubber BANDS and and and Criiiiicketttttttttt. To quote my own long-ago review:
Cricket. My god, I could write a full fifteen pages on the glories of Cricket Bell. Or possibly a sonnet or twelve. Maybe a few really crummy-but-heartfelt songs (Never had one lesson!). But back to the most important part: Cricket...Yes, I know that Cricket is a weird name, but Cricket Graham Bell is also a weird guy. And he's all the more lovable for it. He's awkward, earnest, shy, sweet, brilliant, and I am completely, one hundred percent in love with him.
Cricket <3333 *heart eyes emoji* *piglet squeal*
Posts
LOOOOOOVE! Max is my latest and greatest book boyfriend and I adore him so much. Precious cinnamon is right. Mycroft is so perfectly Mycrofty that that's all you can say. You described him perfectly. And I would pay someone lots of money to write me fanfic where he and Gansey meet and nerd out together. Oh my god. I need to reread Lola, I remember Cricket being cute but I don't appreciate him the way you do, clearly ;) Nerd boys are the best, give me witty banter and inside jokes any day.
ReplyDeleteYES. NERDY BOYS ARE MY FAVORITE AND MY SOULMATES AND MAX WATSON AND CRICKET BELL ARE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST. FLAWLESS POST IS FLAWLESS.
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh! nerd boys ftw!!
ReplyDeleteI've had The Start of Me and You (does that title ever make you want to burst out singing High School Musical? bc yeah same) on my TBR for a couple months now. I had NO IDEA that Max Watson was a nerd boy and oh man I need to read that book like, now. Or, very soon. Max needs to be added to my lil crew of book boyfriends ASAP
ReplyDeleteNERDY BOYS LOVE. Sure I love my bad boys and those snarky guys with the crooked grins. But oh my gosh, deep down, I love the geeks. Especially Cricket Bell. He's my soulmate. Unfortunately, I haven't met the other two yet but I want to (and will be meeting Max soonish. :D).
ReplyDeleteI adore Max! He's definitely one of my favorite nerdy boys ever, ever, ever, and I could totally see myself ending up with someone like him in real life. (Oh wait, I totally did.) But seriously, I love him so! And I harbor much love for Cricket as well. Haven't met Mycroft yet, but he sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteYESSSSSSSSSSS!!! NERDY BOYS FOR THE WIN!! Mycroft has to be my ever favourite nerdy boy of all nerdy boys!! But Cricket was also adorable and now that you've said Firefly, I really NEED to meet Max!!
ReplyDeleteYes! I love nerd boys too! How can you not?! They make me smile every time! Have you read Life in Outer Space? That's a YA rom-com FROM the nerd boy's perspective. It's wonderful. :D
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE! I loooooove nerdy boys, and I always wish I found them more often in books. "Max Watson, precious cinnamon, absolutely too pure and good for this world." --> This made me laugh, but also TRUTH. And *heart eyes emoji* is exactly how I'd describe my reaction every time I think about Cricket Bell. He's my favorite Perkins creation! Such a great summary of the darling Mycroft, too. Adore that fella!
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