Weirdos Welcome
A sports star and a blue-haired girl connect through activism in the engaging novel Weirdos Welcome.
In Cynthia Baseman’s sensitive novel Weirdos Welcome, two troubled teenagers fall in love and oppose the establishment of an oil rig near their school.
In diverse Pacific Crest, California, Braden, who covers sports for the student paper, deals with anxiety caused in part by the death of his best friend, Hojun, a few years before. Then, when he quits the basketball team and volunteers to help out in Life Skills class, he meets Rae. She is a blue-haired, high-functioning “autie” whose father is in denial about her autism and whose mother, a progressive city councilwoman, thinks that she might be better off in a specialized school. Rae has difficulty reading social cues, is misunderstood as rude, and struggles with impulse control.
Braden and Rae’s relationship progresses through texts and outings. They support and admire each other’s accomplishments and respect each other’s physical boundaries. And when Braden writes an article about the potential health hazards of a recommissioned oil rig next to the school, he attracts the ire of a popular classmate. Braden and Rae decide to work together, using their individual skills to speak out.
The story unspools in cinematic scenes filled with snappy banter, balanced between action and interiority. The chapters alternate between Braden’s and Rae’s distinctive voices. Braden and his buddies use coined slang—including his cousin dubbing him an “awfulist” due to his constant worrying—and occasional swear words, and their interactions are filled with humor.
Though Braden and Rae are multifaceted, Braden is idealized at times. He recounts overheard crude locker-room banter but stands up against it. Meanwhile, Rae’s chapters show her foibles more: They include her thoughts about her obsessions, awkwardness, and instances of feeling overwhelmed, as well as text messages with her gay best friend and Braden. Some sections are written as blog posts in which Rae attempts to explain her autism to others.
While the plot is busy, its various threads come together well, and the story moves at a brisk and involving pace. Not every storyline is tied up in a tidy fashion, but each ending at least hints at a strategy for coping and resolution. As the teenagers’ personal dramas unfold against the larger issues surrounding the oil rig, the overall story builds to a satisfying climax at the town meeting.
In the hopeful novel Weirdos Welcome, a young couple struggle with their personal and interpersonal issues, striving to enact social justice.
Reviewed by
Suzanne Kamata
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
