Word Nerd

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I loved We Are All Made of Molecules, it's a really special little book with a huge heart and one of the most enjoyable YA books I've read in some time' Melissa Cox, Waterstones

This book made me feel so so happy. It's a very character-driven story, and the author really get's into each and every character, which makes you fall in love with every single one of them. I loved Ambrose's quirks, the way Cosmo treated him and the way the adults were portrayed. The story was told in a very wonderful way, and I loved to see the character- and relationship-development. There is also quite a lot of talk about food in this book, which was wonderful and made me very hungry. His struggles at school and the bullying he endured were heartbreaking. Though I understood his mother’s choices, I did find her to be a bit over-the-top overprotective. As the story played out, I do think I understood her actions came from a place of fear, pain, and love, and were also a result of some of her own unresolved personal issues. Auch "Peanuts..." beginnt in einem Schul-Setting, das jedoch abrupt endet als Ambrosius - der unter einer starken Erdnussallergie leidet - eben genau so eine in sein Pausenbrot geschmuggelt bekommt von seinen blöden Mitschülern, die ihn für ein leichtes Mobbingopfer halten. Leider ist Ambrosius wirklich stark allergisch, überlebt den Vorfall aber und wird nun nur noch zu Hause unterrichtet. Heutzutage, nach Corona, für uns alle gar nicht mehr so ungewöhnlich. Das Buch ist allerdings schon von 2008, aber auch da war es in Nordamerika durchaus üblich. Ambrosius findet die soziale Abschottung aber gar nicht gut. Und findet sich schon bald heimlich neue Freunde. Meet Ambrose – a twelve-year-old with a talent for mismatching his clothes, for saying the wrong thing at the worst possible time, and for words. In short, he’s a self-described nerd. Making friends is especially hard because he and his overprotective mother, Irene, have had to move so often. When bullies at his latest school almost kill him by deliberately slipping a peanut into his sandwich, Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not, and decides that Ambrose will take correspondence classes from home.This book is pretty good. It is a cute story of an ex con and a twelve (and 3/4) year old becoming friends through Scrabble. Their friendships have some ups and downs, but in the end, it turns put okay. Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled. Word Nerd is possibly the most heart-warming story I've read this year, and made me remember why I loved middle-grade books in the first place.

Het boek leest als een trein, het verhaal is origineel en leuk uitgewerkt. Een boek met het onderwerp scrabble op de voorgrond ben ik nog nooit tegengekomen en ook de hoofdstuktitels zijn erg passend. There are many great voices in YA fiction, but Susin Nielsen manages to give us TWO in the same book. I defy you not to fall in love with this book.' Phil EarleThis is a tender, often funny story with some really interesting characters. It will appeal to word nerds, but even more to anyone who has ever longed for acceptance or had to fight unreasonable parental restrictions.” School Library Journal, Starred Review Hetgeen wat ik storend vond in dit boek was de seksuele ontwikkeling van Ambrose, naar mijn idee hoefde dit niet eens in het boek verwerkt te worden.

Overall: Another charming and heartwarming book from Nielsen. I adored the characters, their dynamic, and all the Scrabble. This story was about the importance of standing up for yourself, being a better person, finding your “people”, and allowing for second chances. It was wonderfully told and warmed my heart. Irresistible characters, this is set to become one of the most popular books of the year’ Lovereading Daarnaast was de moeder van Ambrose ontzettend beschermend naar hem toe en dat hoorde wel bij het boek, maar op een gegeven moment begon ik mij daar alleen maar meer aan te storen. Aan de andere kant is zij dus wel goed uitgewerkt ;) One of the best YA books I’ve read. It pulled me from the depths of a month-long reading slump... It made me excited to read again’ Wondrous Reads

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In this brilliantly observed novel, author Susin Nielsen transports the reader to the world of competitive Scrabble as seen from the honest yet funny viewpoint of a boy who’s searching for acceptance and for a place to call home. Zoals de goodreads rating aangeeft bij 2 sterren: it was ok. Twee sterren wil in dit geval niet zeggen dat ik het slecht vond, het boek was oké, maar eerlijk gezegd had ik er toch iets meer van verwacht. This is a tender, often funny story with some really interesting characters. It will appeal to word nerds, but even more to anyone who has ever longed for acceptance or had to fight unreasonable parental restrictions' School Library Journal, starred review