Thursday, December 28, 2017

Don’t Cosplay with My Heart by Cecil Castelucci - ADVISABLE

Castellucci, Cecil. Don’t Cosplay with My Heart, 273 pgs. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc.), 2017. Language – PG (5 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – PG13; Violence – PG;

Nerds come from all fandoms and passions imaginable, and Edan is a Team Tomorrow nerd—mostly focusing on the antihero Gargantua. Edan draws strength from Gargantua’s character and from the similar situations they face when Edan’s life starts falling apart and she struggles to find the will to keep moving forward. While Gargantua and cosplaying cannot undo the mistakes Edan’s father has made or the mistakes that Edan herself makes, the idea of being able to be powerful and confident like Gargantua gives Edan hope.

Edan’s voice comes across very clearly and relatably throughout the book, and I especially love that she, as the narrator, continually makes references to Team Tomorrow for the reader alone to hear. My nerdy sister makes similar asides all the time, and this real element of Edan helps readers come to understand Edan’s obsession with Team Tomorrow and the relevance of Gargantua in her life. Castellucci also does a great job highlighting the reason we become passionate about books, movies, shows, comics, and anything else: we find parallels of ourselves and make connections with characters (and other fans) that help life make sense. Warning: nerdy jargon is used frequently; googling the references is a fun addition to the story but not necessary.

HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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