Geek High

Banks, Piper. Geek High. New York: NAL Jam, 2007.

Miranda's life has been controlled by her intellect. She can do complicated math in her head. Her (unwanted) nickname is the human calculator. Miranda has plans to change that this school year. Her plans are more than a bit upset when her mother moves to London and leaves Miranda with her dad, stepmother, and stepsister. Through no fault of her own, she becomes responsible for revamping her school's Snowflake Gala. The principal also blackmails her into rejoining the math club. Miranda wanted to join Ampersand, the school's literary magazine. Miranda is intent on finding her passion, but everyone seems to thwart her efforts.

What I thought: I've noticed a trend in chick lit--a focus on the geeks as opposed to the popular people. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for this trend. I find it interesting that publishers have somehow realized that their teen readers may relate more to the geeks than the popular kids. That being said, this was an enjoyable read. I liked that Miranda refused to let her ability to solve equations in her head define her as a person. Her search for a passion is to be commended. Don't we all want to find or passion? I liked that Miranda aspired to be a writer. I would have liked a bit more description about her writing, but I can't have it.