Word Nerd

Определено не очаквах, че книжката ще ми хареса толкова много, защото самият й сюжет не е нищо особено или оригинално, но пък стилът на писане беше просто невероятен!Влюбих се в гласа на главния ни герой - Амброуз - който е толкова забавен, саркастичен, леко параноичен на моме [...]

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen is a very cute book. It is about Ambrose, a boy who's father died while working on a construction site. Ambrose has gone through a lot with bullies at public school, so decides to be home schooled. The only people who can really be considered Ambrose's friends are his mom and the landlords (barely). Then, Ambrose meets Cosmo, the landlords' son (who happens to be an ex con and a "druggie". Cosmo likes Scrabble, just like Ambrose and they become very good friends. The o [...]

This book was absolutely amazing! The main character - Ambrose - had a really interesting character, and the way the story evolved was really interesting. I really enjoyed following Cosmo's story as well, as his past experiences had played a big role on his present. I would recommend this to people who want a just-right book, but want a good book too. It really portrays the connection between two people very well and shows how two totally different people all have something in common.

Brilliant. I loved Cosmo's shady past, Ambrose's quirkiness, Irene's overprotectiveness and of course, Mrs. E's food. This book kept me glued to it and I was done in two sittings, craving more Susin Nielsen. This is definitely one of the books that I would love to read again. Not only was the plot great, the characters were so real. Truly was one of the books that I felt I had slipped into. Recommend it to everyone, it's two hours well spent.

Zo leuk! :)

I loved this book so much because of it's simplicity in terms of the way its written, but the depth that the author goes into for the characters. The aspect of Ambrose's life that I could relate to the most was the "protection" that his mom put him under. As an only child, my parents do the same and I can relate to how it felt. After a while, this protection becomes a cage and you want to escape - but your parents aren't willing to let go. I would recommend this book to anyone because I enjoyed [...]

Loved this book as something to just ease up during the holidays. All of us have lately been reading a lot of complex books and it was fun to just relax and let loose with this book. But still this book I felt was solid. Great plot line, simple characters and touching issues of independence, liberty, how protective your parents should be and other issues that almost every teenager is concerned about. If you want a simple book to relax and read, this is the book for you.

Un coup de coeur! Comment ça, je ne connaissais pas cette auteure avant la semaine dernière?? Si vous avez des jeunes entre 10 et 15 ans, garrochez-vous sur ses livres!! Je l'ai lu en français, et wow! Rachel Martinez, quel travail! La v.o. n'aurait pas été meilleure. Chapeau à la Courte Échelle d'avoir demandé et/ou accepté une traduction vraiment québécoise (wô les moteurs, jamais dans cent ans, se bourrer la face, gnochon, etc.)Un gros gros "j'ai aimé"

"This book is peanut-free" is what made me pick it up in the children's section at the library. It's about a scrabble playing misfit with a deadly peanut allergy but totally inappropriate for children because of "crass boy language." This should be in the YA section.

Great book - one of those page turners that is all heart. Couldn't agree more with Jabiz and Paula's reviews.

2,5/3 sterrenZoals de 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. 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. Hetgeen wat ik storend vond in dit boek was de seksuele ontwikkeling van Ambrose, naar mij [...]

I found this author late. I had seen this book in the library for years but I never picked it up. A few colleagues had read the book and raved about it but I was resistant. This also held true for her latest book, The Journal of Henry K. Larsen where I just did not like the cover. However, with that book, I picked it up because everyone was raving. I could not put it down and the same goes with this book.What this books is about:Ambroise is a 12 year old with many issues - fatherless, severe pea [...]

Review originally posted on bbliophile 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. Word Nerd is about a 12 year old boy named Ambrose, whose dad died before he was even born, and he never really fits in. After an incident at school with his bullies, his overprotective mom decides to home-school him. The only people Ambrose has any contact with are his mom and his landlords, the middle-aged Greek [...]

Amazing book, ending was great and it made me happy. I liked this book because of the character that slowly unfolds throughout the book. Many ups and downs throughout the book. I got to see how Ambrose survived with being bullied and overly protected. Nothing would stop this boy from doing what he loves most which is hanging out with Cosmo. This book isn't too long and recommend this book to people that need a break from a long book. There is one mystery that Ambrose wants to find out and that i [...]

While reading this book, I recalled some of my childhood memory in Cambodia(well except I never did stand up for myself but well the "Three Stooges" wasn't that aggressive either:-/ ). It explained a lot about a child with overprotective mother(I have a lot of experience with that) which have its pros and cons. Ambrose is a really interesting character, from school to relationship, from lying to be cool to lying to solve a problem, if you've ever got the chance, analyze him critically. It's ligh [...]

This book was nasty and greasy! - DylanThis book was so much about pity, the main character was bullied and had no personality, all he liked to do was play scrabble.

Dat was weer een typisch Susin Nielsen boek. Erg leuk en grappig, maar niet bijzonder of vernieuwend. Zeker leuk om te lezen, maar dit zijn van die boeken waarbij ik volgende maand niet meer weet hoe de hoofdpersoon heette. Maar ach, blijven fijne boeken, haha

Cute, a little darker than her later books.

This was such a great YA book & I loved pretty much all of the characters. it had similarities to About a Boy (well the main character reminded me of the main character form that book) but that does not detract from how sweet it was. 3.5 stars.

So charming! Ambrose, a 12-year-old living with his single mom, has his hands full with his peanut allergy (the cover says "this book is peanut-free"), his mom's overprotectiveness, and the school bullies. But when his mom starts working nights and enrolls him in online school, he's got some unsupervised timetime enough to meet the upstairs neighbors' son Cosmo, who has just gotten out of jail. Of course, Ambrose's mom forbids him to spend time with Cosmo, but Ambrose is pining for a father figu [...]

Loved this a lot. Affectionate portrayals of all characters, detailed and flawed, making it authentic and emotional satisfying.

The cover:I love the "peanut-free" marking at the top-right corner, especially since it's so relevant. The colours complement each other well, but I wish the background wasn't completely black. A little setting would've been nice.The book:The humour in the first-person voice is apparent from the first exchange shown between Ambrose and a group of bullies. His frank, often unintentionally funny style of talking gains him enemies just as easily as friends, while the reader is endeared to him by hi [...]

I don't usually enjoy realistic YA, but I found this utterly charming. It was the voice, frankly. I know this kid. I've BEEN this kid. Socially awkward, lying to spare mom's feelings, thinking my too-small purple pants are awesome. Funny, and occasionally lightly mortifying.In addition, the book is set in my neighbourhood, which was hilariously fun. Like seeing someone you know in a movie, and you can't stop giggling.Fair warning for the squeamish: some bad language and discussion of bodily func [...]

[Read for Puget Sound Council Review]Ambrose, the main character in Word Nerd is somewhat reminiscent of the main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. They posses a similar social awkwardness and the author of each book does an excellent job of showing the reader the mechanics of each child’s brain. Susin Nielsen occasionally falters in her depiction of Ambrose’s young mind, giving his voice an inappropriate adult sound; he is smart and has an incredibly extensive v [...]

Meh. Based on the title alone, I should have loved this book. But I couldn't get past my profound dislike for Ambrose's mother and the vague but persistent sense that the author just couldn't pull off her attempts at creating an authentic voice for her adolescent boy character. For the most part, he was sweet and eccentric. But then she'd try to insert some pubescent male lewdness, and it just didn't work. I get that she was aiming for a realistic narrative, and since she was writing from the pe [...]

Excellent! Set in Canada. Ambrose is a nerd whose newest way of coping with a new school and with his social difficulties is through a series of lies and by attending a Scrabble Club with the ex-con son of his landlord. In some ways, the book reminded me of Waiting for Normal in that there are clearly some deep, serious issues at work and Ambrose's mom clearly has some coping issues of her own, but they don't necessarily weigh down your spirits as you read Ambrose's story. The story is balanced [...]

This book reminded me in some ways of "About a Boy". Ambrose is a socially awkward boy who dresses weird and often gets beat up. Irene is a depressed single mother. And, Cosmo is a "father-figure" with suspect motives. Instead of music, however, the characters in this book share a love of words, Scrabble in particular. Some of the language and themes are a little "adult" so I think it is a more appropriate novel for a middle-school aged child despite the fact that I found the book in the young r [...]

So at one point, I am on the airplane tears in my eyes (tears of joy) and laughing out loud. This book is beautiful and simple and perfect for every middle school student. Ambrose is a quirky, funny, and relateable 12 year old that I could not help but fall in love with. A simple yet moving plot, characters you will love and hate-- this book needs to be read. If you liked Wonder and Diary of a Part Time Indian than get your hands on this book. I already miss Ambrose and Cosmo.

Bullied by boys at school, lonely, and overprotected by his widowed mother, 12-year-old Ambrose finds solace and acceptance in the Scrabble Club in this coming-of-age story. Hilarious and heartwarming, but this book probably should have been shelved with the Young Adult materials, although more mature children would probably love it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever felt socially awkward.

Friends are usually made through common interests, but that is not always true. Friends are the people who stick by your side through your problems. Friends are the people who create memories that you can keep to share with your loved ones. Friends can be created through many different ways, not only common interests. In the book "Word Nerd" written by Susin Nielsen, she shows us how character meet with one and other.