These intertwining narratives ‘beautifully demonstrate . that this folks who are excluded and bullied for his or her offbeat passions and refusal to conform are often the ones who are embraced and lauded for those very characteristics in university and beyond’ (The New York Moments).

In a good, engaging, reassuring book that reads like fiction, Alexandra Robbins manages to mix Gossip Girl with Freaks and Geeks and explain the exciting psychology and science behind popularity and outcasthood. She about The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Recognition, Quirk Theory, and just why Outsiders Thrive After SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL reveals that the things that set students apart in senior high school are the stuff that help them stand out later in existence.

Robbins follows seven true people grappling using the uncertainties of senior high school sociable life, including:The Loner, who has withdrawn from classmates since they persuaded her to unwittingly sign up for her own hate clubThe Popular Bitch, a cheerleading captain both seduced by and trapped within her clique’s perceived prestigeThe Nerd, whose differences cause students to laugh in him and his mom to needle him for not getting ‘normal’The New Female, determined to remain positive as classmates harass her for her mannerisms and focus on her because of her raceThe Gamer, an underachiever at risk of not graduating, in spite of his intellect and his yearning for connecting with other studentsThe Weird Girl, who battles discrimination and gossipy politics in school but leads a joyous existence beyond itThe Band Geek, who’s alternately branded too serious and too emo, yet annually runs for class presidentIn the center of the year, Robbins surprises her topics with a key challenge — tests that pressure them to improve how classmates see them.

Robbins intertwines these narratives — often triumphant, occasionally heartbreaking, and always captivating — with essays exploring subjects like the secrets of reputation, being excluded doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, as to why outsiders succeed, how colleges make the sociable scene even worse — and how exactly to fix it.

The Geeks Shall Inherit the planet earth is not just essential reading for students, teachers, parents, and anyone who handles teenagers, but for most of us, because at some point inside our lives we’ve all been externally searching in.