Summer of the Geek-Piper Banks

Summer of the Geek
Piper Banks
NAL, May 2010, $9.99
ISBN: 9780451229847

In Orange Cove, Florida having just completed her sophomore year at Notting Hill Independent School for Gifted Children, better known as Geek High, genius Miranda Bloom is learning to drive; her lacrosse-playing boyfriend lifeguard Dex McConnell is teaching her though he prays she does not kill his ancient Honda or anyone on the sidewalk. Mrs. Elise Fisher hires Miranda to spend the summer with her ten year old daughter Amelia, who prefers playing classical music over playing with friends, of which the prodigy has none; her mom hopes an older genius can mentor her younger genius.

What she thought would prove to be the greatest summer of her life turns into a disaster. Her driving skills simply stink; so much so Miranda fears this will be the first test she ever failed. Dex is concealing something that Miranda fears is that he will return his beautiful former girlfriend Wendy “Wends” Erikson. Her stepmom Peyton remains covertly hostile only caring about her fashion-model daughter Hannah while overtly fighting with her husband, Miranda’s dad. Finally, her don’t call me mom Sadie the steamy romance writer living in London wants her to join her for the summer; which means leaving Dex and Geek High behind although she is unsure whether Dex already has left her behind.

The third Geek High teen tale (see Geek High and Geek Abroad; neither read by me) is an enjoyable intelligent entry as Miranda struggles with social and family issues not easily resolved without honest communication. Young adult readers will appreciate Miranda’s success and failures as miscommunication makes matters worse for her. She wonders if living on the other side of the great pond will extract from her relationship problems or just running away from them only to confront a new set of the same troubles; wisely she knows spending Christmas with Sadie is not the same as living with mom.

Harriet Klausner