The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You

March 7, 2016
There’s a lot to enjoy in debut novelist Anderson’s geek-positive update of Much Ado About Nothing, including intense comic book fandom, a cheating scandal, student council drama, themed dances, and two central characters engaged in an epic love-hate relationship. Anderson sets 17-year-old narrator Trixie Watson among a group of smart and quirky friends at the Messina School for the Gifted, a “school for geniuses” affectionately called the Mess. For years, Trixie has raged against Ben West, the boy she considers her arch-nemesis—he’s nearly her equal in class rank, has the same IQ, and even loves the same comics, SF films, and more. Trixie’s face-offs with Ben showcase Anderson’s humor and geek culture bona fides (“This was the Doctor versus the Daleks. This was Ripley versus the Xenomorphs. This was a real, true, full-scale war”), and as the two shift from sparring to feeling sparks, Trixie’s shield of sarcasm gives way to heartfelt interest and affection. Readers familiar with the Shakespeare will enjoy Anderson’s riffs on the original’s plot points as Trixie and Ben get their nerdily-ever-after ending. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Zats, Red Sofa Literary.

April 1, 2016
Teens Beatrice and Benedict find surprise love in this Much Ado About Nothing retelling. Trixie Watson and Ben West have been feuding for 10 years--ever since Ben pushed Trixie off the monkey bars. Though the pair seems content to hate each other for life, their friends don't want to spend senior year enduring their verbal sparring. They set the pair up to believe each has been in love with the other for years, a la Shakespeare's original. While all of the main characters (save one) are adorably geeky (as well as mostly white), though she's generally likable, protagonist Trixie can be downright cruel, a characteristic that may make her hard for some readers to connect to. The characters attend a "school for geniuses," which makes the fact that the trash talk Trixie and Ben throw at each other is so impressively academic and geeky believable--not to mention immensely satisfying for those who get the references. When Trixie's best friend, Harper, is accused of masterminding their school's technology-based hacks (a great update to the Shakespearean plot), Trixie is determined to prove her innocence, but it's Trixie's and Ben's adorably sweet evolving feelings for each other that's the core of this story. Though it doesn't do anything new, it does what it does well, with the nerdy and geeky references adding originality: good fun. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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April 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Trixie Watson and Ben West have been rivals since first grade, and it is in her senior year that Trixie is resolved to get a higher class ranking than her adversary. However, as time goes by, Trixie and Ben realize that they may have more in common than they thought. They are interested in the same geeky characters, TV shows, and movies, and their best friends are dating each other. But when Trixie's best friend is accused of cheating, Trixie will have to decide whose side she's really on. Anderson's debut and Much Ado About Nothing update is full of modern-day fandoms, such as Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, and Marvel comics. Readers interested in these topics might enjoy this novel, but the story line is drawn out, with a long overdue conclusion. However, the narrative makes up for its slow pace with its lovable, relatable, and realistic characters. VERDICT A convoluted work full of contemporary fandoms that fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park or Fangirl will enjoy.-Caitlin Wilson, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 As her senior year at Messina Academy for the Gifted begins, Trixie is fixated on graduating third in her class, above the ever-annoying Ben West. The two have been at war for years, exchanging witty insults that only genius nerds could appreciate. As Trixie's best friends note, Trixie and Ben have a lot in common. With a bit of manipulation, they could even become friends . . . or more. After all, romance is in the air: Harper (ranked number two) and fellow student Cornell (number one) have fallen in love. All seems sunny except for the inexplicable spike in seniors caught cheating, and it's only a matter of time before the troubling accusations affect Trixie's friends. Debut author Anderson updates Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing with impressive nerdisms and stinging wordplay. When they aren't prepping for intense classes, the students engage in heated debates over comics and Doctor Who. Those cultural touchstones, as well as the anxiety of keeping up in a highly competitive academic setting, will resonate with plenty of readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)