Geek: Fantasy Novel

Ralph Stevens is a not-very-clever geek with a big imagination and a life goal of being a video game designer. His super boring parents, Mary and Steve, have only one rule for him: “Ralph must never, ever, make a wish. Not under any circumstances whatsoever.” Ralph doesn’t even get to wish on his own birthday candles. All Ralph is allowed to know about why his parents feel so strongly against wishes is that his family’s history is, well, a bit strange.

When Ralph is invited to spend the summer in England by his mother’s sister, Gert, who invites him over to set up a WiFi network in the family’s new fortress-like castle, he jumps at the chance to be rid of his parents for a few months. Ralph becomes friends with his cousins, sullen Beatrice, social activist Cecil, and tiara-and-tutu wearing Daphne, and it's a good thing, too. He and his cousins soon discover the reasoning behind the no-wishes rule on a series of hilariously unreliably narrated adventures when they find themselves flung into absolute fairy-tale mayhem after their mysterious aunt Duchess Chessie of Cheshire makes a visit. Not only do the four have to fight evil Chessie over and over, they also have to deal with a complaining narrator who puts in ridiculous twists and turns willy-nilly, seemingly with no regard for his characters’ well-being. Fairies, exploding bunnies, poisoned scones, a meteor made out of a seven-year-old girl, and a brief trip to the underworld will keep geek and non-geek readers guessing and laughing right through to the ultimate plot twist.