Review: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

Hey all, Dani here.

I have needed to review this book for something like six months now, so I feel bad that it took this long to finally write it up. But I’m trying to work on catching up on old reviews while also posting some more current reviews as well. So hopefully you’ll be seeing more reviews from me from now on. I mean, I’ve read over 130 books already in 2018, so I know I haven’t reviewed all of them.

Summary

Cameron’s cosplay–dressing like a fictional character–is finally starting to earn her attention–attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron’s family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town–her main destination for character reference–is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop. 

At her twin brother’s suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she’s shocked at how easily she’s accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure. 

But as her “secret identity” gets more and more entrenched, Cameron’s portfolio falls by the wayside–and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

My Thoughts

Rating: 4.5 stars

So this was an interesting book for me. I dabble in cosplay, but not nearly to the extent that Cameron does. And I very obviously am a fan of D&D. It has become such a big part of my life, and it is how I met my fiance. I also have a local nerd shop, where my fiance and I both run D&D campaigns.

But what I have not really had to deal with are the dudebros who insist on questioning a woman to see if she is a fake geek girl. Thankfully. Honestly, I realize that I have been immensely lucky as a lady nerd. I have only had a couple gaming tables where I’m the only female. I have never felt out of place, and I have always felt like a valued member of the team.

What I can say though, is that I know this sort of thing does happen, which means I also feel the need to say to all you awesome nerdy ladies out there…you are not alone, you are a geek/nerd, and don’t let anyone make you feel as if you don’t belong.

The sessions in this book were handled well, and I especially enjoyed the little comic strips throughout to showcase what happened in game. I feel like the character growth through the book was really good. Cameron’s cosplay creation process was an interesting one, and I feel like Cameron and Cooper’s sibling relationship was an interesting one to follow.

There is probably a lot more I could say about this book, but if I wanted to go any further in depth I would need to re-read the whole story. It is a cute and geeky read, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Where to Buy

You can find this novel at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.