The Wrong Kind of Weird

Written by James Ramos

Cameron Carson has a secret. A secret with the power to break apart his friend group.

Cameron Carson, member of the Geeks and Nerds United (GANU) club, has been secretly hooking up with student council president, cheerleader, theater enthusiast, and all-around queen bee Karla Ortega since the summer. The one problem — what was meant to be a summer fling between coffee shop coworkers has now evolved into a clandestine senior-year entanglement, where Karla isn’t intending on blending their friend groups anytime soon, or at all.

Enter Mackenzie Briggs, who isn’t afraid to be herself or wear her heart on her sleeve. When Cameron finds himself unexpectedly bonding with Mackenzie and repeatedly snubbed in public by Karla, he starts to wonder who he can truly consider a friend and who might have the potential to become more…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781867288855

James Ramos

James Ramos (they/he) is a nonbinary, unapologetically dorky Minnesota native who now calls Arizona home. Weaned on a steady diet of sci-fi, comic books, and classic literature, James wrote his first story at eight years old and hasn't stopped writing since. James is passionate about stories that give voice to marginalized people, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community and people of color. When they aren't writing, they can be found cosplaying or surrounded by their amazing family of cats.

Reviews for The Wrong Kind of Weird

[simmmba · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The Wrong Kind of Weird" by James Ramos rings true in a way few book about high-school aged characters are able to accomplish. The author has successfully combined his own relative youth with the writing style of a seasoned veteran in the literary field to yield an incredibly well-written and realistic story.The four main characters are high school students, and they act, speak, and dress like actual teenagers. The situations they find themselves in are typical of real high schools and high school social events. I found the whole dynamic refreshing.Cam is the main character and heart of the story. The reader will follow along as he navigates his friend group and a romantic relationship, as well as his interactions with a (former?) bully and the "popular kids". I can't say this enough....these characters seem very REAL. Some conversations remind me of ones I've overheard (or even participated in) with actual kids this age.The story itself was interesting, and I kept reading to find out what Cam would do next to try to get his personal life straightened out. The book kept my attention throughout, and I look forward to whatever Mr. Ramos decides to write next!

[alliepascal-876024 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"The Wrong Kind of Weird" is about Cameron, who's a nerdy guy, Karla, who's the most popular girl in school, and Mackenzie, who doesn't quite fit in with anyone. Cameron and Karla are in a secret relationship. Cameron and Mackenzie have a hate-at-first sight relationship, despite having similar interests. It's a love triangle.The story opens with a character saying, "It's a simple, undeniable truth... if you watch dubbed anime instead of subbed anime, you are garbage." So. I pretty much knew what I was getting into here on that front. There was a lot of cringe, but it was a good kind of cringe? Like I was that cringe teenager once. I only wish there was less referencing media for the sake of referencing. Anime, mostly, but the author doesn't spare popular films and books. I feel like I would've been more interested if they mentioned a single title I hadn't already watched/read/heard of. Also not sure why we needed an entire paragraph dedicated to describing the plot of Dragon Ball.Aside from that, I was hoping the story would be more about deconstructing the idea of a school hierarchy, and I thought it would be a lot more queer than it was. As is, it's a story about a guy deciding between two girls--the popular one who's in a different world than him, and the one he starts to get along with because they love the same things. It just didn't progress in a very interesting way, and I felt like Cameron and Mackenzie's bond was kind of shallow.I'm sure the target audience will have a different perspective on this one.

[m.belljackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Wrong Kind of Weird is a wild and funny introduction for many readers to the YA World of Anime, Cosplay, and Manga! Fans will enjoy the updates.Cameron Carson introduces G.A.N.O. and his two best friends while working as a barista at the totally cool named Pair O'Moose Coffee Shop. He there "hooks up" (not the standard interpretation) with popular fellow senior, Karla, and embarks on ayear of deceit and lies to everyone.His never-ending obsession with Karla slows the plot to boring.The story picks up again with his surprise trip to see Mackenzie's artwork.The inevitable build-up to his discovery and downfall felt contrived and his redemption from choosing more lies in his life does not have a clear path. While he wastes his time with"I'm Sorries" to his friends, would-have-been Girlfriend, MacKenzie, and Family, his friends are moving ahead in many promising directions.A "...train wreck of a conversation..." is a wonderfully memorable line!