Page Princess: EXTRA-CREDIT EPIDEMIC by Nina Post

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

EXTRA-CREDIT EPIDEMIC by Nina Post

Title: EXTRA-CREDIT EPIDEMIC

Author: Nina Post

Publish Date: 07.01.2013

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Category: Teens & YA

Recommended for: 14+

Editing / Grammar: B – a few small errors

Received from: Curiosity Quills Press via netgalley.com

Goodreads: Extra-Credit Epidemic

Date completed: 08.28.13

Description from the publisher:

Taffy Snackerge is a high school senior who likes doing things her way. Gifted in science, she'd rather analyze infectious diseases and pick up a girl for the occasional fling, than deal with her boring schoolwork or the high school social scene. When she notices a surprising number of cases of food poisoning in the area, she's eager to dig in and find the cause.

To help with the investigation, Taffy approaches the only teacher she's ever liked and respected, Van Brenner. As a former state epidemiologist, Van is uniquely qualified to help Taffy get the data and insights that she needs. However, Van has one condition: Taffy needs to work with two other students on the case, and she doesn't get to pick them.

As the cases start to multiply and the underfunded state health department continues to drag their feet, Taffy knows that it's up to her to find out what's making so many people sick. But can she learn to work with her two teammates — including a beautiful, hyper-organized girl who's president of the Young Attachés Club and an emotional overeater who can't go out in public without his lucha libre mask — while still retaining her autonomy? Can the team fend off a snooping assistant principal and step up when the adults let them down? And can they locate the source of the outbreak before it reaches epidemic proportions?

I loved this YA story. Taffy makes no excuses for being smart, for being gay, or for being a loner. Why should she? They are who she is. What I loved is that she accepts who she is, but she also accepts who her friends are for who and what they are. She doesn’t pressure any of them to become anything different. Not ready to come out of the closet? No problem. Not comfortable talking in groups? She employs a luca-libre mask with you. Her only feelings of derision are aimed at those who do less than their best. All if this is wrapped in an enjoyable story of intrigue.

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