Cover Image: Geekerella

Geekerella

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Member Reviews

Let me preface this review by saying that I have a weakness for Cinderella retellings. For some reason I have always enjoyed them and whenever I find a story retelling this fairy tale I feel the need to read it (or watch it if it’s a movie). That is also the reason why I decided to read this book in the first place, since contemporary isn’t a genre that I usually gravitate towards. But seeing as this is a Cinderella retelling I had to give it a go.

Both of the main characters, Ella and Darien, were enjoyable. I liked reading from both of their perspectives and learning more about them and their pasts was very interesting as well. With that being said I didn’t love either of them completely, they were just nice characters that I wanted to more about. Another character that I liked was Sage, Elle’s best friend who is also a lesbian. She was amazing and I loved her and Elle’s relationship. They have such a wonderful friendship.

It was a cute romantic story, but I didn’t completely love it. I just didn’t click completely with the characters and with a contemporary book I need that to enjoy it in full. Still, it was a good book and I loved how fandom was included in the story. The fandom aspect is something I love reading about as well. The ending however I didn’t like at all. It was very over the top and it felt cliche. It just felt unnecessary to end it that way and I would have rated the book 4 stars if it wasn’t for that.

Overall this book was good, with great characters and a cute story. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves contemporaries!

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My favorite fairy fairy tale as a child (and still) is Cinderella. To be able to read one with aspects of nerdiness, fandom, mistaken identity, all following the Disney movie version format was too much to resist. I look forward to more in this series.

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I picked Geekerella up with A LOT of skepticism. It’s just not something I would normally reach for. Retellings are very rarely my thing, and even if they were my thing, a Cinderella retelling certainly wouldn’t be. However, the hype surrounding this book was outstanding!! I was constantly being told to read it, (and the excitement was all totally warranted!) I heard things like “oh, you like Fangirl, you’ll totally like this!” and “it’ll hit you right in the feels.” … and those things were all true!!! I started it right after Comic Con, and the entire premise was just so perfectly relatable. This was the perfect summer contemporary that was equal parts awkward and adorable, and that any fangirl or fanboy will most surely enjoy!

*Edited to add Youtube link*

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I loved all of the geeky elements that were thrown into the mix with this Cinderella re-telling. Can I just say.....it's about time?! This is the Cinderella story that I was waiting for! I feel like this is every fan-girl's dream! I thought that this version of Cinderella was fresh and new for the geeky girl of today. I loved Elle. She just wanted to get away from it all and be accepted for who she was not unlike Darien who was a geek of his own right. I found him adorable and wanted to pinch his cheek so many times!
My only issue with the story is that I wanted the author to venture further away from the original. I feel like I've seen so many of the same elements over and over having to do with Cinderella. It gets tiresome. I did love the tweaks and changes that the author did make. The pumpkin food truck was genius! I would just say push it even further!

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I typically don't reach out for contemporary romance, but this sounded like too much fun to pass up. And it did not disappoint! It was a light-hearted and quirky story and I had a lot of fun with it. I did like Geekerella a lot, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more when I was in high school! I would definitely recommend it as an easy, fun read, especially for younger YA audiences.

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A copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm not really one for YA contemporaries, which is sort of strange, but I've been trying to read more of them lately. GEEKERELLA was a fun, light-hearted read that reimagines Cinderella in a modern world in a mostly realistic way, which lets you as the reader forget that it's a retelling (until the end). I put the book down a few times because of the stepmother, but overall enjoyed it.

As characters, Danielle and Darien were both a blast to read. I loved seeing them running through their lives and trying to connect with the other. Elle is thoughtful and resilient in a way that made my heart ache, and Darien a the dream heartthrob nerd who's a total cinnamon roll.

Although anyone who's familiar with Cinderella will be aware of this, there is some serious emotional abuse in this book from both Danielle's stepmother and her stepsister. That made me put the book down a few times—not because it's not realistic, but because it's hard to read. They are *awful*. The second stepsister has some nuance, but Chloe and Catherine are just straight-up cruel in a way that's heart-wrenching.

This was ultimately a 3.5 star book for me for a few reasons: Although Elle's background and relationship with her father was pretty fleshed out (I wouldn't have minded some flashbacks with him, though), I felt less of that development on Darien's end. Darien's relationship with his father doesn't make a ton of sense since there isn't much of a foundation for it; I didn't even know his mom was in the picture until the end. The whole falling-out with Brian also wasn't really explained until the very end, and even that was a bit lackluster. I wanted to understand how *both* main characters came to be the people they were with the drives they had, not just one.

I also would have loved to understand why Robin chose to marry Catherine in the first place, though, especially if he was so deeply in love with Elle's mom. I mean, not saying that you can't fall in love again, but Catherine is so STARKLY different that I wanted to see the side of her that she showed Robin.

I also think there should have been a bit more in the texts between Darien and Elle—they fall for each other but haven't really talked about much? I think it would have made more sense if they both shared a little bit more with each other as time went on. Darien feels like he *knows* Elle, but other than the time that she texts him saying that everything is ruined, she doesn't particularly share a ton with him. Also, when he asked her name, why didn't she ask his?? Or maybe she did at the beginning, and I don't remember.

Also, how is it that Elle has NO friends? I missed whether she went to the same high school as the twins, which might explain it, but I'm a little surprised she doesn't have at least *some*one who also feels isolated who approaches her.

A complete aside: I had no idea what race Darien was supposed to be. I knew he was a person of color, and the original actor for his character was David Singh—who I assume is supposed to be South Asian, from the name. But I didn't know if Darien was also South Asian. That might seem like a small thing to clarify, but as a person of color, I would have appreciated it.

Oh! Something I forgot to mention. I LOVED Sage. I loved how her friendship with Elle grew, how confident she was in herself. And I also loved that she stuck around and found a great relationship of her own.

Overall, anyone who loves YA contemporary would love GEEKERELLA. It's a fun, mostly light-hearted book that will especially appeal to anyone who's ever followed a fandom and understands what that's like. (I could hardcore relate to Elle's worries about the Starfield reboot!) And those of us who, for some inexplicable reason, aren't huge YA contemp readers will still enjoy the ride.

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Super cute and fun story. Fast paced with clever language and wit! Perfect for the age range, a must read.

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This was a really enjoyable , light-hearted story of a girl finding her place in the world and the TV series which inspires her throughout.

I found the TV series storyline quite easy to relate to and actually wanted to watch it by the end! On some level, most readers will have had 'fan love' for something in their life and even if not, the family storyline allows readers to understand the character's desire to keep the show so present in her life, in terms of how she makes various decisions and we can empathise with her.

However, some may have found other TV series mentions a little too embedded in the storyline if they do not appreciate the concept of being a true fan of something as it does feature in some way in every chapter.

That would be my only fault but otherwise I loved the overall message of the book and felt the show aspect helped it along a lot. Iwould recommend to students for their summer holiday reading list as an enjoyable book with a cute romance!

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My nerd heart loved this so much!

The perfect blend of fangirl, fandoms, romance, and fame. Mixed with the classic Cinderella fairy tale, Poston created a brilliant story.

I admit that I'm typically not a big fan of the rockstar or famous actor type tropes. For some reason, they just usually seem too unrealistic. I think I struggle to believe that they're all just good dudes looking for a sweet, normal girl. (I still feel that way about this one, but the cuteness made it acceptable.)

I'm not going to lie, the beginning wasn't captivating. It took a good 15% for me to really get into it and to care. But then, I just wanted to read and read until I got to the end. And the entire time, I was dying for their true identities to be revealed. Because this also includes a kind of enemies to friends/lovers trope, and THAT, I love.

Now when they did meet (unknowing who each were), I loved it. I loved that they didn't get along. I loved that it wasn't insta-love. I love that there were more interactions between them—good and bad.

I think Sage was my favorite part of this book, though. No-holds-barred, hilarious, and best friend worthy, she made this book ten times better. Every scene with her (once her and Elle became friends) was my favorite. Especially a particularly hilarious one towards the end of the book.

Also! This book includes diversity in POC and the LGBT community. I didn't know this going in, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Poston reminded me how fun fandoms are, how fun they can be. How amazing it feels to be part of something. Part of something that others love as much as you. Something that brings you together, no matter your differences everywhere else in life. And I totally want to cosplay at a con.

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precious adorable wonderful adorable cute OTP fandom awesomeness yes pls more books like this excited for the sequel

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WITH a name like Cinders you can hardly expect us to pass up a book like Geekerella can you? Geekerella is a modern Cinderella story, except this particular Cinder's prince is of the sci-fl variety - can you say meant to be? Geekerella follows a dual narrative, between Elle, our Cinderella fangirl and Darien, our secret sci-fl prince.
Elle is a nerdgirl who is obsessed with erstwhile TV show Starfield (think the original Star Trek/The Next Generation). Her connection with the show is one of her few pleasures, given her mentally abusive stepmother and bullying/apathetic stepsisters. However despite Starfield being the one glimmer of light left in Elle's life, she wakes up one morning to find it threatened by the casting of teen heart­throb and famous soap opera actor, Darien Freeman as lead Prince Carmindor.
Through a series of plot twists and mis­adventures, the pair of them end up meeting - not at the ball - at the Starfield Convention cosplay contest! The rest, as they say is geek-infused history.
Geekerella is just so much fun. It takes a light, relatable look at romance and at fandom, where evil stepsisters are more interested in maintaining their vlog than their hair.
The whole story is a wonderful snapshot in time: Elle works at a vegan food truck, aptly named The Magic Pumpkin (no points for guessing where her fairy godmother resides!); Darien is a secret fanboy with airbrushed abs and an overbearing father.
Both characters just draw your interest and firmly keep it there throughout the novel. Elle is written as an empowered young woman in a crappy life situation and her experience of using fandom as an escape is one that will ring true for thousands of other young women. The division of the book also gives us some much needed perspective into Darien's mindset and makes him a much more sympathetic character. Fandom is a refuge for both of them, Elle because of the connection with her parents, especially her father and Darien as the one place that can be himself.
The book - which was released by Quirk Books last year is just out in paperback, right on time to take with you on your summer holiday excursion! For fans of fairytales, nerd culture and fandom Geekerella is a bright ray of sunshine, I wasn't able to put it down!

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*Disclaimer: I received this for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't been reading much recently, getting into new routines and settling in to our new house, so I thought I'd pick up something light and fun.

This wasn't just an adorable romance plot-wise. This whole book is a love letter to fandoms. It highlights the alienation that avid fans can feel in 'normal' society, it touches on the fears that fans have when it comes to adaptations of their favourite shows, it looks at cosplay and convention culture, and alongside that it is a retelling of Cinderella.

The fact that it is a retelling does make the plot somewhat predictable. The stepmother was horrible, as were the stepsisters for the most part, but I did enjoy the side characters that Ashley Poston created. There is a lesbian romance subplot with two of the side characters but I wouldn't say that the book focuses on that at all so don't go into this thinking it has strong LGBT elements. I did like that that relationship happened very organically and there were no shock moments when it came to characters revealing their sexuality which is a testament to how it was handled by the author.

'Starfield', the fictional fandom explored in this book, is something that I would love to see on screen. It sounded like all of the best parts of Star Trek and Firefly, and if Ashley Poston ever decided to do a Carry On (by Rainbow Rowell) style spin-off, I would definitely read it!

Overall this was a sweet and fun book that I'm happy to have read. I picked it up at the perfect time and I think it would make a great holiday pick. The female protagonist wasn't always saved by the male love interest which was refreshing and I would highly recommend this book.

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Growing up I loved the “Cinderella Story” and “Another Cinderella Story” movies. No finding something like this but in book form and nerd edition is like a dream come true. Something I never knew I needed but am so happy to have found it.
This story has everything to make my Fangirl heart beating plus amazing characters, funny, sad and infuriating moments.
Needless to say I love this book with all of my heart. “Look at the Stars. Aim. Ignite”

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Loved loved loved it!!!! I absolutely loved this book! Im a huge fantasy lover so i was surprised at how much i loved this commentary one. im kicking myself for not picking this up sooner. this is the ultimate fangirl book! the character are very easy to relate to. I just love the relationship between them. If your any type of fangirl and like retelling you will love this book!!! as a " geek" myself i do wish elle was more confidence in herself. theres nothing wrong with being different and into geeky things. We're all geeks here! I absolutely loved the ending of the ball so much!

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I'm a sucker for a fairy tale retelling, even though I feel like more often than not they are let down. Lucky for me, Geekerella was a surprise win! An adorable romance with little call outs to Cinderella all sandwich in a love letter to fandoms and cons. I love how Ashley Poston brought the story of Cinderella into a more modern setting and it made me all nostalgic for my years cosplaying and attending cons. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple POV stories but this one definitely worked for me. This is a book I can see myself rereading in the future and will be recommending all over the place!

My rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars. This review is based off an arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest reviews.

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This is such a beautiful love letter to fandom! I was expecting your average, run of the mill YA rom-com, but this was so much more! Ashley Poston's passion for fandom bubbles up from every word, and that leads to a heartwarming love story, between a girl and a boy, and between the characters' relationship to fandom. The story was predictable, since it's a Cinderella retelling, but there were enough differences that I enjoyed myself. The characters are all distinct and believable, and the settings of the Magic Pumpkin and the convention were memorable. I loved this story and all that is represents.

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What's not to love when you have a fairy tale re-imagining! It's everything you could want, and more. I was drawn in from the very first page and I didn't want it to end.

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This. Was. So. Damn. CUTE. I mean, REALLY.

As far as Cinderella re-tellings go, I found this to parallel the Hilary Duff film "A Cinderella Story" more than anything else, Disney or otherwise. A short list, if you will, comparing Sam and Elle.

- Job: working at a diner vs working at a food truck
- First Met Prince Charming - email vs text messages
- Connection They Bond Over - University choice vs Starfield
- Friend - Kid everyone else thinks is weird
- Fairy Godmother - Person they work with

I could go on, but you get the idea. Very, very easy to swap this for that. And that said, I didn't hate it at all.

It was well put together as whole. The writing may not have been the best out there, but the characters were fun. Darien's point of view were particularly interesting in regards to the movie filming and the celebrity high life. Elle's on the other hand was really quite heart jerking. You expect the stepmother and sisters to be awful, but Poston really took it to another level. A few times I had to slam my mouth shut and be thankful I was reading in the lunchroom alone so no one heard whatever sound just came out. Like, who does shit like that to their stepkid and gets away with it? And in the same vein of stepsisters, Poston thread a little twist in there that I actually really appreciated.

I thought at first that the overly fangirl stuff was silly. But then as I read further, I realized I was being silly for thinking that. I may not be to the level where I go to conventions and cosplay, but I know how I am with things like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. Excited at every little drop of news that comes your way, devouring every tidbit you find, and re-reading and re-watching every chance you get. AKA fangirling. Geekerella went from silly to highly relatable very quickly. This book centres on Starfield, a sci-fi show that Elle grew up watching re-runs with her dad. Think Star Trek and Star Wars. Personally, I couldn't get excited about this fictional show, just because I'm not a fan of the aforementioned real shows (I realize I said I love Doctor Who, but that is so damn different and you know it!) However, Elle's love for it was contagious, as was Darien's. I might not be an expert on it, but I appreciate what it represents for them. There were a few references I didn't get or were overused, but it wasn't annoying.

This book came out a year ago, and I was surprised when it suddenly popped up on Netgalley, but boy was I happy to have gotten the chance to read it. I'd definitely read anything else Poston throws out.

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I enjoyed this modern twist of a Cinderella tale. Dad dies and evil stepmother and stepsisters make Elle’s life hard. Instead of a Ball, there’s a ComicCon Dance to attend. A shoe gets left behind and there’s a princess to find.
I just reviewed Geekerella by Ashley Poston. #Geekerella #NetGalley

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I LOVED Geekerella. It's such a fun and playful story, even with the awful people who try to make everyone else miserable. No joke, though, I read this before, a couple of months ago. The bonus content made my day, however. Reading the script of the final episode of the show that was the centre of it all, beauty.

Highly recommended to any con geeks, we're all in the geekdom together that way <3

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