A buttoned-up overachiever works overtime to keep her inner nerd at bay—failing spectacularly—in Nancy Werlin’s hilarious and heartfelt return to contemporary realistic fiction. Planning is Zoe Rosenthal’s superpower. She has faith in a properly organized to-do list and avoids unnecessary risks. Her mental checklist goes something like this: 1) Meet soulmate: DONE! 2) Make commitment: DONE! 3) Marriage: TO COME! (after college). She isn’t sure which college yet, but it will have a strong political science department, since her perfect boyfriend, Simon, plans to “save the country,” as his sister puts it, “and the planet and everything.” Zoe will follow along, the perfect serious, supportive girlfriend. It’s good to have her love life resolved, checked off, done. But speaking of unnecessary risks, Zoe’s on a plane to Atlanta, sneaking off to Dragon Con for the second season premiere of Bleeders . The show is subject to her boyfriend’s lofty scorn, but Zoe is nothing like these colorful hordes “wearing their inside on their outside.” Once her flirtation with fandom is over, she will get back to the important business of planning a future with Simon. The trouble is, right now, Bleeders —and her fellow “Bloodygits”—may just mean the world to her. Will a single night of nerdery be enough? Best-selling and award-winning author Nancy Werlin is best known for science fiction, fantasy, and suspense, but here she turns her pen to realistic fiction with broad appeal. Confirmed nerds will revel in a diverse cast, zany fandoms, and cosplaying crowds, but this is for any reader seeking a smart, breezy coming-of-age story about finding your friends—and your inconvenient self. Gr 7 Up-White, Jewish high school senior Zoe Rosenthal is a serious life planner in a serious relationship with serious plans to find the perfect college that she and her boyfriend, Simon, can attend together. She does not have time for nonsense. Which is why, when she becomes obsessed with the sci-fi/horror TV show Bleeders and runs off to Dragon Con to see the Season 2 premiere, she knows this is a one-off adventure that she can't tell anyone about, especially Simon. But as Zoe befriends fellow Bleeders fans Liv, Cam, Sebastian, Meldel, and Todd, she gets drawn into a plan to save the struggling show from cancellation. What started as a small lie spirals out of control as Zoe falls increasingly in love with Bleeders and the fandom world in general. This is a fast-paced character-driven story full of geekiness. Werlin highlights the need for racial and gender inclusivity in geek culture, demonstrating how fandoms can allow people to truly express themselves, though most characters' own ethnicities aren't clearly stated. Teens will also relate to Zoe's relationship and college search woes. Unfortunately, constant Bleeders details often disrupt the flow of the story. Likewise, Zoe's transition from Type A super-planner to self-absorbed drama queen is perplexing, adding to a lack of believability. VERDICT Though inconsistent, this novel may be a hit for geeky teens who want a quick, fun read. Recommended for middle school libraries.-Lara Goldstein, Forsyth County P.L., NCα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "Zoe's journey of self-discovery is a nerdy trip through pop-culture easter eggs that will have like-minded readers smiling knowingly with each allusion... A charming story of a closet nerd realizing her full potential and finding her fandom family." --Kirkus Reviews "A fast-paced character-driven story full of geekiness. Werlin highlights the need for racial and gender inclusivity in geek culture, demonstrating how fandoms can allow people to truly express themselves... Teens will also relate to Zoe's relationship and college search woes...a quick, fun read." --SLJ "I love this book like no contemporary YA has ever been loved before! It's about finding your tribe. And what it feels like when you do. And how it changes you. Nancy Werlin naturally has to invent a series for her kids to be obsessed with: virus-hunters in space (and she wrote this 2 years ago!) - a renegade ship captained by a middle-aged Black woman and an all-female crew of physicians except for one mysterious man ... and two who share one body. Just reading bits of it is thrilling! She also goes deeper into what it means for each generation of women to see themselves in roles like Uhura, Princess Leia ... and even Squirrel Girl. I'm laughing on one page, sighing in awe and wonder on the next." --Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint Nancy Werlin (she/her) is the author of ten previous books for teens, including the National Book Award Finalist The Rules of Survival, the Edgar Award winner The Killer's Cousin, and the New York Times bestseller Impossible. Nancy Werlin lives outside Boston.