Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland

Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Hello and welcome to another book review. This time I will be reviewing a graphic novel which is unusual for me since I usually don’t read them. So please welcome… The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland and illustrated by Sarah Mai! This is a really entertaining book with, in my opinion, captivating graphics! It is about a new kid at school, Zoey, trying to fit in so she codes an app to help her. The book is funny and has STEM topics.

Goodreads Summary

In this funny and heartfelt slice-of-life graphic novel for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Kayla Miller, when coding whiz Zoey goes from homeschooled to new school, she develops an app to help her make friends. Will the Cool Code help Zoey fit in? Or will it completely crash her social life? In an attempt to fit in, Zoey develops an app called the Cool Code with a cute llama avatar that will tell her everything from what to say to what to wear based on pop culture algorithms she’s uploaded. But when the app gives her ridiculous advice, awkwardness and hilarity ensues. With a few upgrades and a bit of debugging from the coding club, the app actually works-Zoey gets really popular… and gets her pulled in all kinds of directions, including away from her real friends. Life’s most complicated choices… is there a code for that?

My Thoughts

I loved the plot and thought that the coding app was really cool. I also loved the way it ended. The ending felt perfect. Additionally, I love that it is about a previously homeschooled girl who, with the help of her self coded app, tries to fit into 8th grade. It highlights how hard it is to fit into a new school, especially if you’ve never been to one before. It was a surprise to see what kids go through when they move somewhere new. Overall I think it was a really nice book that had a cool lesson, while including STEM topics and being funny. Right after I read this, I read the sequel, The Cool Code 2.0 : The Switch Glitch and it was also very fun! If you enjoyed the first book, then you should check out the second. Happy reading!

On Amazon, The Cool Code is recommended for kids aged 8-12. I mostly agree with this rating though I think it could also be interesting for teenagers up to fifteen. Especially those that are drawn to graphic novels. Some of the topics mentioned are coding, AI, making friends, and whether it is even important to be cool.

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**