What do you think?
Rate this book
Weirdos vs Quimboids
Cursed by the initials BUM, saddled with woolly liberal-minded hippies for parents and an UNDYING love for the Proper Real-Time HOT Felix Winters, BLOSSOM UXLEY-MICHAELS is a seething mass of sexual frustration and political confusion. But when she s invited to work on the school radio, Blossom s convinced her status is about to rocket from Weirdo to Winner . . .
- GenresYoung AdultHumorFiction
286 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 2, 2020
I'd read this again and again. The jokes are never lame. Hard to keep a straight face when a book's this funny. Recommended it to any one who asked me what I was Laughing and smiling about. Which means, middle school kids I looked after and a few junior high school.
April 1, 2017
I think Georgia Nicholson has met her match and her name is Blossom Uxley-Michaels!
I wanted to read Weirdos and Camel Toes from the first time I heard about it and purely because of the name. As soon as I read the press release that came with it I was sold. Quite honestly this book is absolutely hilarious and kept me happily amused giggling like a loon for an entire afternoon while I raced through it in one greedy sitting as I found myself incapable of putting it down.
Blossom is a 15 year old weirdo. She sits on the very outside of the social circle at her school alongside her two best friends Petrina and Walter. As a result she spends her teenage days not being invited to parties, lusting over the hottest boy in school from afar and putting her with her completely mad hippie parents. However this is all about to change as Blossom is determined that things will be different this year starting by working on the school radio.
For me what made this book brilliant was Blossom's outlook on life. She has that fantastic combination of being a weird and awkward teenager along with the drive to want to change and become cool. However the way she goes about trying to achieve that state of coolness is done in a hilariously funny and very uncool way. What's more is the way she is written makes her so relatable to the point where I can see shades of my teenage self in her that I want to cringe along with her while she's off on her latest madcap adventure. I absolutely adored her embarrassment scale and seeing the whole variety of things that she encounters that she finds utterly mortifying on a daily basis. What I also loved about this book was the way in which the whole cast of secondary characters was quite diverse but they weren't included as a token gimmick but just there in a very normal way as they should and would be in a normal high school. It was a really nice comment on how tolerant and accepting I believe teenagers today are on the whole and I'm so glad that this is being reflected in YA books.
A brilliant read which make you laugh like a loon and keep you completely engrossed from the first page to the last.
I wanted to read Weirdos and Camel Toes from the first time I heard about it and purely because of the name. As soon as I read the press release that came with it I was sold. Quite honestly this book is absolutely hilarious and kept me happily amused giggling like a loon for an entire afternoon while I raced through it in one greedy sitting as I found myself incapable of putting it down.
Blossom is a 15 year old weirdo. She sits on the very outside of the social circle at her school alongside her two best friends Petrina and Walter. As a result she spends her teenage days not being invited to parties, lusting over the hottest boy in school from afar and putting her with her completely mad hippie parents. However this is all about to change as Blossom is determined that things will be different this year starting by working on the school radio.
For me what made this book brilliant was Blossom's outlook on life. She has that fantastic combination of being a weird and awkward teenager along with the drive to want to change and become cool. However the way she goes about trying to achieve that state of coolness is done in a hilariously funny and very uncool way. What's more is the way she is written makes her so relatable to the point where I can see shades of my teenage self in her that I want to cringe along with her while she's off on her latest madcap adventure. I absolutely adored her embarrassment scale and seeing the whole variety of things that she encounters that she finds utterly mortifying on a daily basis. What I also loved about this book was the way in which the whole cast of secondary characters was quite diverse but they weren't included as a token gimmick but just there in a very normal way as they should and would be in a normal high school. It was a really nice comment on how tolerant and accepting I believe teenagers today are on the whole and I'm so glad that this is being reflected in YA books.
A brilliant read which make you laugh like a loon and keep you completely engrossed from the first page to the last.
September 28, 2013
Weirdos vs. Quimboids is Natasha Desborough's debut YA novel and is a perfect fit for fans of Louise Rennison and Sue Limb who, in my eyes, are the Queens of Comedy. It's laugh-out-loud funny, clever and quirkier than one of Paloma Faith's hats. I defy anyone to read this book and not laugh.
Blossom Uxley-Michaels is cursed with the initials BUM, mad hippie parents and a best friend called Petrina who actually drools when talking to her crush. It's embarrassment all round for this unlikely lot, whether it be at school during trampoline club or at home being wedged between parents and unable to escape watching programmed about sex. Talk about red-faced shame - poor Blossom has much more than her fair share!
Blossom is a hilarious heroine, reminiscent of Georgia Nicolson's early years and her quest to understand teenage types. She basically puts her foot in it on a daily basis, gets all kinds of food stuck in her braces and pandas to Petrina's lutraphobia - yep, that's the word for a genuine phobia of otters. Who ever said books don't teach you random facts?! On top of all that, Blossom and Petrina form a moderately successful rock band called Camel Toe. Make of that what you will, dear readers, but know that it provides a LOT of funny moments.
I'm happily putting Blossom Uxley-Michaels in the same boat as Georgia Nicolson and Jess Jordan, now my three favourite funny fictional females. I'm hoping there'll be a sequel at some point, as I obviously need to know more about what happens to Camel Toe and their quest for world musical domination. So, just to reiterate: this book is VERY FUNNY and COMPLETELY MAD. Read at your own risk - there's a 95% chance you'll end up snorting a drink through your nose when you see the word penazzle. You have been warned.
4.5/5
Blossom Uxley-Michaels is cursed with the initials BUM, mad hippie parents and a best friend called Petrina who actually drools when talking to her crush. It's embarrassment all round for this unlikely lot, whether it be at school during trampoline club or at home being wedged between parents and unable to escape watching programmed about sex. Talk about red-faced shame - poor Blossom has much more than her fair share!
Blossom is a hilarious heroine, reminiscent of Georgia Nicolson's early years and her quest to understand teenage types. She basically puts her foot in it on a daily basis, gets all kinds of food stuck in her braces and pandas to Petrina's lutraphobia - yep, that's the word for a genuine phobia of otters. Who ever said books don't teach you random facts?! On top of all that, Blossom and Petrina form a moderately successful rock band called Camel Toe. Make of that what you will, dear readers, but know that it provides a LOT of funny moments.
I'm happily putting Blossom Uxley-Michaels in the same boat as Georgia Nicolson and Jess Jordan, now my three favourite funny fictional females. I'm hoping there'll be a sequel at some point, as I obviously need to know more about what happens to Camel Toe and their quest for world musical domination. So, just to reiterate: this book is VERY FUNNY and COMPLETELY MAD. Read at your own risk - there's a 95% chance you'll end up snorting a drink through your nose when you see the word penazzle. You have been warned.
4.5/5
July 15, 2014
Review:
Ok, from what I have read regarding this book, most have been extremely fond of it and full of appreciation and praise, however, although I did warm to it, it took me quite a while to get there and my final thoughts are stuck in the middle. I am still not completely sure on how i feel about it. I am definitely stuck. Many said it was funny and that they laughed at virtually every page, but i have to be honest and say that i actually didn't find it as funny as I was expecting it to be. Something I did appreciate though was the way the two main characters were portrayed and brought to life as 'weirdos', I found myself loving them because I have grown up with the label of a 'weirdo' myself, so I could empathise with them very well.
Blossom's life is written out a bit like a diary and we get to experience what has happened week by week, with a round up in which we see the shame level for the week, hours for guitar practice, time done for school work, any party invitations received and kisses they might have had. Most of the time party invites and kisses are a usual 0, but will things change?
I think it is safe to say that If being classed as weird isn't enough, having liberal minded parents is sure to help you with your social status, right? Wrong! Something that does help is the rise of their new band, Camel Toe, and working alongside the schools hottest boys and the two main characters crushes, Toby and Felix. I must admit they do sound rather attractive and I was enjoying some of the descriptions of them because I could really imagine them. Lovely thoughts! Unfortunately, they are both in relationships with the archetypal popular girls you see in books, who have the perfect hair, best looks but the worst personalities.
Long story short, this book is just one of those things where you either love it or hate it, but I don't know why I am left in the middle, probably due to my constant weirdness, but hey I would rather be weird then boring. I actually won both books and I am hoping, Weirdos Vs. Bumskulls doesn't leave me feeling, well, lost for words and thought.
Ok, from what I have read regarding this book, most have been extremely fond of it and full of appreciation and praise, however, although I did warm to it, it took me quite a while to get there and my final thoughts are stuck in the middle. I am still not completely sure on how i feel about it. I am definitely stuck. Many said it was funny and that they laughed at virtually every page, but i have to be honest and say that i actually didn't find it as funny as I was expecting it to be. Something I did appreciate though was the way the two main characters were portrayed and brought to life as 'weirdos', I found myself loving them because I have grown up with the label of a 'weirdo' myself, so I could empathise with them very well.
Blossom's life is written out a bit like a diary and we get to experience what has happened week by week, with a round up in which we see the shame level for the week, hours for guitar practice, time done for school work, any party invitations received and kisses they might have had. Most of the time party invites and kisses are a usual 0, but will things change?
I think it is safe to say that If being classed as weird isn't enough, having liberal minded parents is sure to help you with your social status, right? Wrong! Something that does help is the rise of their new band, Camel Toe, and working alongside the schools hottest boys and the two main characters crushes, Toby and Felix. I must admit they do sound rather attractive and I was enjoying some of the descriptions of them because I could really imagine them. Lovely thoughts! Unfortunately, they are both in relationships with the archetypal popular girls you see in books, who have the perfect hair, best looks but the worst personalities.
Long story short, this book is just one of those things where you either love it or hate it, but I don't know why I am left in the middle, probably due to my constant weirdness, but hey I would rather be weird then boring. I actually won both books and I am hoping, Weirdos Vs. Bumskulls doesn't leave me feeling, well, lost for words and thought.
October 10, 2013
Originally posted on www.serendipityreviews.co.uk
What a fabulously entertaining, laugh out loud, snigger behind your fingers book! Right from the first page, I found myself chortling away and ignoring the strange looks from my family. The comparisons to Georgia Nicholson, are completely accurate. I’d love to see Blossom and Georgia fight it out in a boxing ring.
Unfortunately for Blossom, she is classed as being a bit weird by the other more popular kids in school. Deep down, as many teenagers are, Blossom wants to be one of the popular kids – unlike others,she is convinced she has a sure fire route to success and brushes away any bitchiness like bits of unwanted fluff. Through her new position on the school radio station and her very own pop group, Camel Toe, she is determined to finally become popular.
Blossom is such a strong and well written character, she could almost be real. She ignites the book with her views on life, her quirky and unconventional family and her need to meet Josh Raven, a previous student at her school, who is now one of the hottest properties in the music world. She demonstrates in technicoloured detail, that no teenager is weird, they just have different views, opinions and dress sense from others which makes them unique and original – not weird.
I loved the extra snippets of information that were provided through the story. The Scale of Shame could be printed and posted to each and every teenager, as I could see them all nodding their heads and relating to every single point. I thought the End of Week Table of Achievement were a brilliant addition, not to mention the desperate letters to Josh’s management team in an attempt to get him to perform at the school dance.
I want to see more of Blossom in the future – I really hope she isn’t going to be a one hit wonder and explodes back on the scene in future escapades.
What a fabulously entertaining, laugh out loud, snigger behind your fingers book! Right from the first page, I found myself chortling away and ignoring the strange looks from my family. The comparisons to Georgia Nicholson, are completely accurate. I’d love to see Blossom and Georgia fight it out in a boxing ring.
Unfortunately for Blossom, she is classed as being a bit weird by the other more popular kids in school. Deep down, as many teenagers are, Blossom wants to be one of the popular kids – unlike others,she is convinced she has a sure fire route to success and brushes away any bitchiness like bits of unwanted fluff. Through her new position on the school radio station and her very own pop group, Camel Toe, she is determined to finally become popular.
Blossom is such a strong and well written character, she could almost be real. She ignites the book with her views on life, her quirky and unconventional family and her need to meet Josh Raven, a previous student at her school, who is now one of the hottest properties in the music world. She demonstrates in technicoloured detail, that no teenager is weird, they just have different views, opinions and dress sense from others which makes them unique and original – not weird.
I loved the extra snippets of information that were provided through the story. The Scale of Shame could be printed and posted to each and every teenager, as I could see them all nodding their heads and relating to every single point. I thought the End of Week Table of Achievement were a brilliant addition, not to mention the desperate letters to Josh’s management team in an attempt to get him to perform at the school dance.
I want to see more of Blossom in the future – I really hope she isn’t going to be a one hit wonder and explodes back on the scene in future escapades.
November 1, 2013
Blossom and her best friend Petrina are cursed with rather unfortunate initials, (Blossom = B.U.M & Petrina – P.O.O) which as per school policy have to be sewn into their PE kits.
As if spending your schooldays as ‘Bumface’ wasn’t bad enough Blossom is also blessed with some very liberal parents. I definitely never would have wanted to see my parents naked dancing or know so much about their sex life as poor Blossom does with hers.
Natasha Desborough’s debut is full of laughs; at times I was nearly hysterical. Blossom and Petrina deciding on their band name Camel Toe for one and so many other instances I won’t mention – can’t rob you of the joy of reading this gem for yourself.
The pacing is excellent, I never got bored and loathed having to put the book down. Blossom’s narration is so engaging and I loved her scorecards & emails. Despite this being a “funny” book there are some really lovely moments and you can clearly see character development.
Weirdos vs. Quimboids is one of those impulse buys I always hope for but rarely get. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes reading.
As if spending your schooldays as ‘Bumface’ wasn’t bad enough Blossom is also blessed with some very liberal parents. I definitely never would have wanted to see my parents naked dancing or know so much about their sex life as poor Blossom does with hers.
Natasha Desborough’s debut is full of laughs; at times I was nearly hysterical. Blossom and Petrina deciding on their band name Camel Toe for one and so many other instances I won’t mention – can’t rob you of the joy of reading this gem for yourself.
The pacing is excellent, I never got bored and loathed having to put the book down. Blossom’s narration is so engaging and I loved her scorecards & emails. Despite this being a “funny” book there are some really lovely moments and you can clearly see character development.
Weirdos vs. Quimboids is one of those impulse buys I always hope for but rarely get. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes reading.
November 18, 2014
Hilarious and original. I think Natasha Desborough has packed every cringey teenaged situation into this novel (although I await being corrected when the sequel comes out...) Loved the quirky narrative style, using lists and other texts as well as a lively narrative voice. Also loved the cleverly timeless invented slang and bands etc. Definitely recommended to fans of funny YA contemporaries.
September 29, 2013
Hilarious! So good :) Review to come!
June 9, 2013
The funniest book I've read in ages and a really fresh new voice in teen books.
November 8, 2013
Oh my god. I loved it. So hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews