“In high school, I was a
who felt
and was seen as
by other students.” Fill in your own blanks and you begin to understand your own story, even decades after graduating from high school. Already known for providing readers a new angle on a familiar subject, whether it be college sororities (Pledged) or life in your twenties (Quarterlife Crisis), Alexandra Robbins now applies that same incisive inside scoop to the lives of high-schoolers; specifically those who feel…different.
The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth presents us with what Robbins coins “quirk theory”; the idea that outsiders thrive after high school for many of the same reasons that they were misfits in high school. She follows around various high school students and shows the ways in which their “quirk” is a good thing. A very good thing.
This isn’t news to many of us who’ve long survived high school, but it’s a good reminder to all of us to discover and celebrate “quirk.” Not only that, but it offers real hope to kids who find themselves on the fringe that “it gets better” is far more than wishful thinking; it’s pretty much a guarantee.
Robbins has a gift for writing fact like fiction; she reminds us what it was like to be in high school and helps us relive all the anxiety and angst. The students and their stories are thoroughly engaging.
But their stories aren’t simply entertaining, they’re important. They are a reminder to all of us to celebrate our “quirk” and that which we see in others, as well.
