The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading

Reader reviewed by Megan

Reader reviewed by Hillary

When Bethany self-proclaimed geek girl makes the varsity
cheerleading squad, she realizes that there's one thing worse than
blending in with the lockers: getting noticed. She always felt
comfortable as part of the nerd herd, but being a member of the most
scrutinized group in her school is weighing her down like a ton of
textbooks. Even her Varsity Cheerleading Guide can't answer the really
tough questions, like: How do you maintain some semblance of dignity
while wearing an insanely short skirt? What do you do when the head
cheerleader spills her beer on you at your first in-crowd party? And
how do you know if your crush likes you for your mind...or your
pom-poms?

One thing's for sure: It's going to take more than brains for this girl genius to cheer her way to the top of the pyramid.

My
favorite thing about this book is that, while it seemed predictable and
done, it was completely new, unexpected, and easy to relate to. Charity
Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance created an amazing story. And as soon as I
started I was hooked.

The characters were all distinct and
different. I felt as if they were all real people that I go to school
with. Their personalities seemed very real. I'm not really a fan of
cheerleading...or basketball, but I was really into hearing about the
games and the cheering as Bethany described it. To have that sort of
inside view on the sports (and I use that term very loosely in this
situation) was very different and interesting.

The story was
very interesting. Overall, it mostly just focused on Bethany's life
throughout the basketball (and wrestling) season. I don't think there
was enough geek to the book to satisfy me. Bethany and her friends
didn't seem geeky enough. The jocks were definitely jocks, the
cheerleaders were cheerleaders, and the geeks were normal people. But
maybe I'm so geeky that normal and geek blend together. Or maybe it's
my messed up school where band people are popular and no one cares
about basketball or my beloved soccer.

The Geek Girls Guide to
Cheerleading was a great story. It really hooked me and I could hardly
stop until I finished. Not only that, but it also survived a major rain
storm during Relay for Life, while only protected by my
not-really-but-kinda waterproof soccer bag. When my friend Emily saw
it, she bought it immediately on her Kindle before even hearing what it
was about. The authors did an amazing job and I'm excited to see what
else they might write, whether it be another collaboration or not.

Reader reviewed by Julie H

At Prarie Stone High School, Bethany and her friend Moni usually navigate the halls and gauntlet of popular kids and cheerleaders holding their breath. When Moni's "geek" friend Brian makes is so apparent that anything in a cheerleading uniform is worth watching, Moni "encourages" Bethany to try out for the winter varsity squad. Bethany never dreams they will actually make it, but of course, they do. From Coach Shelia's surprise help, to learning how the other half lives, this story deftly shows both sides of the high school battle lines. Moni's difficulty with her parents divorce cause her to look blindly at wrestling superstart Rick, while we wonder if the handsome, star basketball player Jack will really fall for Bethany? The girls learn that cheering takes a lot of hard work, along with keeping up with all their honors classes. I both cheered and was saddened with various decisions the characters made, and really enjoyed what I think is a super novel. As with many teen novels these days, there's a touch of Pride and Prejudice in the mix, plus some Minnesotan common sense (and a tuna noodle hotdish).