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Geeked Out #1
Geeked Out
Book 1 in a post-apocalyptic diary fiction odyssey!
Waddle Jr. High has become a dystopian outpost with divided cliques—Pepville, Jockstown, Staffland, and even Geekdom. Society may be in danger but middle school must go on. Enter geeky Tip and all his friends: easy-to-blush Owen, coding master Xennipher, and brilliant, dependable Mindy, who've all had enough of being bullied and decide to take a stand. Together, they form a secret vigilante group: the League of Average Mediocre Entities, better known as LAME. With everything that’s going on in the world, their school could use a few heroes. And what if those heroes were geeked-up superheroes? Get ready. Better yet, get LAME!
Waddle Jr. High has become a dystopian outpost with divided cliques—Pepville, Jockstown, Staffland, and even Geekdom. Society may be in danger but middle school must go on. Enter geeky Tip and all his friends: easy-to-blush Owen, coding master Xennipher, and brilliant, dependable Mindy, who've all had enough of being bullied and decide to take a stand. Together, they form a secret vigilante group: the League of Average Mediocre Entities, better known as LAME. With everything that’s going on in the world, their school could use a few heroes. And what if those heroes were geeked-up superheroes? Get ready. Better yet, get LAME!
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2018
8 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Obert Skye
47 books883 followersObert Skye read his first book at age two. He wrote his first story at age four. And he was nearly trampled by a herd of water buffalo at age six. For a short time, he lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where he spent time as a candy-taster. Several years ago, Obert Skye says, he discovered the existence of Foo. Publishing his story as a fictional series was not Obert’s first choice. Nevertheless he is content that the “history” is being told.
Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.
Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 5, 2018
Having enjoyed this author's previous books, I figured I'd give this one a shot. I was not disappointed, and I think many middle grade readers will enjoy this one's humor. It is the same sly sort of thing used in those other titles, a little bit knowing and a little bit self-deprecating. There are sly jabs at invisible principals who are never around when they're needed and comments about the focus on standardized tests. Since the story is set in some unnamed future time--it could be in two or three years the way things are going--the author is able to paint a picture of a society completely run amuck. There are food shortages and gangs of kids roam the streets in the evening, led by Marsha Ledbetter who relies of emojis to communicate and whose name has given rise to the term "Marsha Law." There's a school cryer who yells out announcements, and as always, there is conflict between the various social groups at the school. The real power at Otto Waddle Jr. High Government Outpost (WADD, for short) is Mrs. Susan who runs the office and the school with an iron fist. Society has broken down, partly over a film that disappointed its fans and polarized the community. Now the narrator, Timothy (Tip) Dover, and his three intellectual pals, Mindy, Owen, and Xen, are just trying to make it to the end of the school year. They band together in the AV Club (which means the Avoid Violence Club) to stay out of reach of the jocks and others who intend them harm. When their clever prank involving grease goes awry, the youngsters stumble upon a hidden room and are bitten by spiders whose bites have a surprising effect on them. There are all sorts of twists and turns in this book, and readers who like this sort of fare will be eager for the next book featuring these smart kids and a very strange world. While I had never envisioned dystopia in this way, the approach works and makes me wonder how far away we are from such happenings. The competitions for school supplies seem very real.
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March 4, 2019I read this with my twins. They thought it was hilarious and are looking forward to the sequel. I thought it was kind of on the silly/weird side of middle grade fiction.
May 21, 2018
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
The world is crumbling apart after bombs have nearly destroyed humanity, but that doesn't mean kids get a pass from going to school! Uh uh, not way! It's just that school isn't quite the way it used to be. Sure, there's still a hierarchy of cliques, with the jocks at the top of the heap and the geeks at the bottom, but in order for the students to get supplies they must compete in athletic games for the honor of opening the air-dropped pack of supplies.
The doors and windows to the school are all boarded up, so students must enter through a bombed-out hole in the side of the building. The school's principal is constantly in hiding and the school is run by the evil Darth Susan - the school secretary - who encourages anarchy and hopes that the students are stupid enough to NOT pass the state mandated tests (for reasons that come out much later).
But while the geeks can't compete in games of athletic prowess, they use their brains to combat the jocks and Darth Susan. But while in hiding after being chased by most of the school, the geeks find an old can of food, but when they stick their hands in to have a taste, they are covered in spiders - those spiders appear to give the four geeks super powers and they form a gang: League of Average and Mediocre Entities (or LAME).
There certainly will be an audience for this sort of book. Those same students who loved Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimp or any of those middle school books in which the underdog (the geeks) gets to win will likely enjoy this. But this world is a very dark, ominous world no matter how light author Obert Skye tries to make it with the requisite humor. After all, we have a principal who isn't just a coward ... he's scared (for his life, presumably). We have nightly curfew where it isn't safe to be outside after hours. A world where food is hard to come by and schools treat supplies as trophy commodities in order to pit students against one another.
The humor (such as the acronym LAME) is quite forced and very few things are delightfully funny.
I like a lot of dystopian fiction but there's something just a little too dark underneath this goofy story which would keep me from recommending it. If a youngster were to pull it off a shelf and read it, great. For those who like it? Great. It's just not something that will appeal to the average reader.
Looking for a good book? Geeked Out by Obert Skye is a middle school humor book with a very dark undertone that will prevent it from having mass appeal.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The world is crumbling apart after bombs have nearly destroyed humanity, but that doesn't mean kids get a pass from going to school! Uh uh, not way! It's just that school isn't quite the way it used to be. Sure, there's still a hierarchy of cliques, with the jocks at the top of the heap and the geeks at the bottom, but in order for the students to get supplies they must compete in athletic games for the honor of opening the air-dropped pack of supplies.
The doors and windows to the school are all boarded up, so students must enter through a bombed-out hole in the side of the building. The school's principal is constantly in hiding and the school is run by the evil Darth Susan - the school secretary - who encourages anarchy and hopes that the students are stupid enough to NOT pass the state mandated tests (for reasons that come out much later).
But while the geeks can't compete in games of athletic prowess, they use their brains to combat the jocks and Darth Susan. But while in hiding after being chased by most of the school, the geeks find an old can of food, but when they stick their hands in to have a taste, they are covered in spiders - those spiders appear to give the four geeks super powers and they form a gang: League of Average and Mediocre Entities (or LAME).
There certainly will be an audience for this sort of book. Those same students who loved Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimp or any of those middle school books in which the underdog (the geeks) gets to win will likely enjoy this. But this world is a very dark, ominous world no matter how light author Obert Skye tries to make it with the requisite humor. After all, we have a principal who isn't just a coward ... he's scared (for his life, presumably). We have nightly curfew where it isn't safe to be outside after hours. A world where food is hard to come by and schools treat supplies as trophy commodities in order to pit students against one another.
The humor (such as the acronym LAME) is quite forced and very few things are delightfully funny.
I like a lot of dystopian fiction but there's something just a little too dark underneath this goofy story which would keep me from recommending it. If a youngster were to pull it off a shelf and read it, great. For those who like it? Great. It's just not something that will appeal to the average reader.
Looking for a good book? Geeked Out by Obert Skye is a middle school humor book with a very dark undertone that will prevent it from having mass appeal.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2018
The most important thing to say about this book is that it’s the most over-the-top sarcastic book I have ever read. For some reason this appeals to my sarcasticless personality and I actually liked it.
The extreme ridiculousness starts immediately. Tip explains that society is in ruin after a book became a movie, became an obsession, became a bad third sequel, became Fanatics freaking out on social media and taking to the streets, became satellites malfunctioning, became a breakdown in all communication, became a society in ruin. Cue that kind of absurd talk for 212 pages and you have Geeked Out.
And school goes on despite the apocalypse, engaged in its own little war. You have all the different groups trying to survive. The Staffers, the Jocks, the Goths, the Sox (a group of students who no longer wear shoes), the Losers, the Freaks, the Pens (a group of wannabe writers), and of course, the Geeks. They have exactly 4 members. Tip, Mindy, Owen and Zen.
During the Supply War, the Geek Squad tries to play a prank, but it backfires. Long story short, they end up getting bit by spiders and acquiring superpowers in the mayhem. Except Xen, which he mentions repeatedly.
I’m convinced this book came into being after a round of Rory’s Story Cubes. That’s the game where you roll a bunch of dice with random pictures and then you make up a story using all the pictures. Seriously, this book is weird as heck, but it proves that Story Cubes works. Here’s what I think were on the dice. Drone, Darth Vader, zombie, piñata, spider, truck, lizard. Use those words to tell a story and you’ll have something like Geeked Out.
PS. You have to have a sense of humor or it won’t work.
The extreme ridiculousness starts immediately. Tip explains that society is in ruin after a book became a movie, became an obsession, became a bad third sequel, became Fanatics freaking out on social media and taking to the streets, became satellites malfunctioning, became a breakdown in all communication, became a society in ruin. Cue that kind of absurd talk for 212 pages and you have Geeked Out.
And school goes on despite the apocalypse, engaged in its own little war. You have all the different groups trying to survive. The Staffers, the Jocks, the Goths, the Sox (a group of students who no longer wear shoes), the Losers, the Freaks, the Pens (a group of wannabe writers), and of course, the Geeks. They have exactly 4 members. Tip, Mindy, Owen and Zen.
During the Supply War, the Geek Squad tries to play a prank, but it backfires. Long story short, they end up getting bit by spiders and acquiring superpowers in the mayhem. Except Xen, which he mentions repeatedly.
I’m convinced this book came into being after a round of Rory’s Story Cubes. That’s the game where you roll a bunch of dice with random pictures and then you make up a story using all the pictures. Seriously, this book is weird as heck, but it proves that Story Cubes works. Here’s what I think were on the dice. Drone, Darth Vader, zombie, piñata, spider, truck, lizard. Use those words to tell a story and you’ll have something like Geeked Out.
PS. You have to have a sense of humor or it won’t work.
April 17, 2018
Skye, Obert Geeked Out, 212 pages. Henry Holt and Company, 2018. $14. Language: G (no swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
As Tip Dover (as in tipped over) explains it, middle school is hard enough without the breakdown of society or the potential end of the world. Tip and his three friends, Mindy, Owen, and Xen, are the only members of the AV Club at Otto Waddle Jr. High Government Outpost, called WADD for short, where the principal hides from the students, the school is run by a tyrannical secretary named Darth Susan, and students take classes like Identifying Edible Weeds. The AV Club used to stand for Audio Visual, but with the dystopian chaos, it now stands for the Avoid Violence club because Tip and crew are geeks who tend to get picked on. The action picks up when they are hiding from the jocks and certain destruction, and find a can of green expired goo in the cafeteria. Then the four friends turn into the League of Average and Mediocre Entities, or LAME.
This book is quirky and funny and the frequent line drawings really add to the storyline. Tip and his friends are delightful characters and their middle school experience should delight anyone who has ever survived public education or currently surviving it. Readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books should like this transition to a meatier book.
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Michelle in the Middle
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
As Tip Dover (as in tipped over) explains it, middle school is hard enough without the breakdown of society or the potential end of the world. Tip and his three friends, Mindy, Owen, and Xen, are the only members of the AV Club at Otto Waddle Jr. High Government Outpost, called WADD for short, where the principal hides from the students, the school is run by a tyrannical secretary named Darth Susan, and students take classes like Identifying Edible Weeds. The AV Club used to stand for Audio Visual, but with the dystopian chaos, it now stands for the Avoid Violence club because Tip and crew are geeks who tend to get picked on. The action picks up when they are hiding from the jocks and certain destruction, and find a can of green expired goo in the cafeteria. Then the four friends turn into the League of Average and Mediocre Entities, or LAME.
This book is quirky and funny and the frequent line drawings really add to the storyline. Tip and his friends are delightful characters and their middle school experience should delight anyone who has ever survived public education or currently surviving it. Readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books should like this transition to a meatier book.
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Michelle in the Middle
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
May 17, 2019
This book takes a humorous spin on the dystopian novel. The world hasn't fallen apart because of aliens or some natural disaster, instead its downfall came from fan-girls. Let's face it, with how prevalent social media is today and how crazy people are about there favorite ships and fantasy worlds, this type of scenario seems more realistic than most of the others. Still out there enough that you don't feel threatened by the possibility, but close enough that you can understand the issues the heroes face.
L.A.M.E. is what happens when a group of kids in the new version of the A.V. club have an interaction with some goop and spiders giving them super powers that are not so super. I have to admit, even though their powers are not the greatest things ever, I still wouldn't mind having some of them.
This book is a fun look into what happens when a bunch of geeks suddenly have the chance to make an impact in the world they live in. What's the best way to go about living their normal lives and their secret lives when fan-girls with phones ready are everywhere?
Author: Obert Skye
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: February 6th 2018
L.A.M.E. is what happens when a group of kids in the new version of the A.V. club have an interaction with some goop and spiders giving them super powers that are not so super. I have to admit, even though their powers are not the greatest things ever, I still wouldn't mind having some of them.
This book is a fun look into what happens when a bunch of geeks suddenly have the chance to make an impact in the world they live in. What's the best way to go about living their normal lives and their secret lives when fan-girls with phones ready are everywhere?
Author: Obert Skye
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: February 6th 2018
May 3, 2019
The story: Tip and his three nerdy sidekicks are bitten by long-dormant, ooze-eating spiders and end up with the super powers necessary to triumph over their many foes: the Sox and the Jox, but mainly Darth Susan, principal’s secretary and secret power behind the throne. Upon realizing they now have supersonic hearing (Owen), the ability to shatter glass (Mindy), the power to start and stop machines at will (Tip) and, most powerful of all, the ability to shake the earth via sonic-level belching (Xen), the four geeks band together to form LAME—the League of Average and Mediocre Entities. Like this one? Keep an eye out for book 2: "Bigger, Badder, Nerdier".
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G. Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating: G.
Liz's comments: Hand this to any kid who can't get enough of skimpy text liberally sprinkled with stick illustrations. (Greg Heffley fans, we're looking at you!)
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G. Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating: G.
Liz's comments: Hand this to any kid who can't get enough of skimpy text liberally sprinkled with stick illustrations. (Greg Heffley fans, we're looking at you!)
January 24, 2021
Ok. I admit it. I am a grandma who enjoys reading lots of different genres. This middle school tale takes place in a dystopian world where society is in chaos, especially at WADD (an acronym for the school). The intrepid heroes of the story are members of the AV Club (Avoid Violence) who are determined to stand up to the school bullies with hilarious results. There are even some weird superpowers thrown in for more excitement. The cartoonish illustrations add to the story, similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Obert Skye is an author who knows how to write for this age group.
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October 17, 2017I decided to stop reading this after a boy opens up a can of green goo, starts eating it, and halfway through spiders begin to emerge from the goo. Yeah, no, not okay in my book.
If there is a kid in your life who really likes the How to Train Your Dragon books or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, they might like this, but overall, I do not think I will be recommending this one.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
If there is a kid in your life who really likes the How to Train Your Dragon books or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, they might like this, but overall, I do not think I will be recommending this one.
I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
June 7, 2018
This has a few witty/funny bits, but overall it was weird and just not my style. Teens have gone nuts after a book they loved was adapted into a bad movie. They roam the streets attacking people and the world has turned post-apocalyptic. Kids still have school though and the AV nerds at WADD are doing their best to survive. When a prank goes awry at Nerds end up bitten by toxic spiders and form a super hero group called LAME.
Good for ages 10 and up. Maybe for reluctant readers?
Good for ages 10 and up. Maybe for reluctant readers?
March 31, 2018
Set in post-apocalyptic time - movie goers and social media users rose in rebellion due to a lame movie based on the third book in a time-traveling fantasy series. Chaos reigns and these four middle schoolers are trying to survive.
Told in diary format from one character's POV.
Middle graders who liked Creatures from My Closet or Wimpy Kid will enjoy this series.
Told in diary format from one character's POV.
Middle graders who liked Creatures from My Closet or Wimpy Kid will enjoy this series.
July 5, 2018
Reading this for my elementary library and found the sarcastic tone and bullies winning in the end, just too much for my K-5 readers. I think upper middle school or early high schoolers will enjoy more of the wit and irony.
August 5, 2018
7/27/2018~~ I wanted to like it; I'd love more read-alike series for Wimpy Kid. Too much description of the world, not enough characterization. The characters were cardboard cutouts and I couldn't develop compassion for them.
July 9, 2019
I can see a reluctant upper el/middle grades student enjoying this, but for me this was hard to keep reading at times. There is too much exposition (half the book!) and I don’t really know anything about the characters after finishing. Everything seemed very surface level to me.
February 22, 2018
I won this book on Goodreads and gave it to my 12 year old grandson to read. He said he really liked it. ( that means it was good!)
April 27, 2018
Weird, but funny.
January 28, 2020
I'm afraid the humor just wasn't funny to me.
April 15, 2023
I think it is cool to see what middle school could be like if we were in an Apocalypse but this was a bit confusing.
Want to read
September 5, 2018I received a copy of this book from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews