*I was given a copy of the eARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!*

This was a very fun read. It was super sweet and cute, and tickled my nerd-girl heart.

This was a *sort of* Cinderella retelling (complete with shallow, self-absorbed step-people), only with nerds and geeks and awkwardness, and the prince is really an actor named Darien who is involved in the reboot of a cult tv show that Elle (the heroine) is a total fangirl of.

One of the things I really liked was the integration of modern technology into the story. I mean, Elle and Darien spend a lot of their "getting to know you" time over text message. It was a completely modern narrative that was very diverse and open-eyed about the reality of today's culture.

I also liked getting to see two different sides of <i>Starfield</i> fandom - one from Elle, and one from Darien. The perspective shift was interesting, and made their characters unique. Also, PSA here: please stop CRAZY Fanning! No one wants to see a Slytherin in her house robes begging some random actor to sign her chest. Have some dignity.

;)

Anyhoo, I'd recommend this one to anyone who considers then a part of ANY fandom.

If you’re looking for a cute, no-true-substance contemporary read about geeky people being oddly persecuted (despite us living in a geek-accepted day and age), then this book is the one for you. I don’t want to come off as too harsh while reviewing this book, because it had its fun moments, but it was just all around too cliché.

So the story is based off of Cinderella. Danielle is playing the leading lady. Darien Freeman, the actor playing Carmindor in Danielle’s favorite franchise, is the prince. And, of course, there are the evil stepmother and stepsister(s). Why can’t any book make a realistic, three-dimensional stepmom? Without one, Danielle’s entire storyline just felt like a pity party. Danielle also made some strange decisions that had me doubting her realistic-ness as well. (I mean, who takes a dog to a premiere?! Paris Hilton? Really?) There were other more important strange decisions, but the dog one forced me to knock the book down a half star. It was just odd….

Before I get too much into the less impressive qualities of the book, I’ll share the good stuff. Darien, while also whiny, had a very interesting storyline. I found myself enjoying his chapters much more often than Danielle’s. He was an actor on a popular movie set versus Danielle’s cliché situation. So yes, his chapters were better.

The geeky setting of the story was also very cute, but there were too many corny “We’re all in this together” moments. Conventions are not High School Musical. Oh, but the Starfield universe does sound super cool! The author should write books about those characters! (I know she wrote a new sci-fi YA book. I’ll be reading it at some point.)

All in all, maybe this book just wasn’t for me or I read it at the wrong time in my life to truly enjoy it. I was hoping for a Cinderella Fangirl, but I just got a more contemporary Cinderella a la Hillary Duff’s A Cinderella Story. If that’s your thing, check this one out. If not, just reread Fangirl.

2.5/5 stars

*Note: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Geekerella was everything I wanted and more. It was cute, funny, adorable and so amazingly nerdy. Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much and I'm really glad to have read it!

This modern day retelling of Cinderella was so relevant and relatable I just couldn't get enough of it! I loved the characters and how down to earth they seemed. The nerd in me was loving all the movie and book references, and the fact that the main character, Elle, absolutely adores a sci-fi based show makes her so amazing in my eyes. Even though this book came out last year, this brand new paperback cover is so wonderfully suited to the story. Had I seen this in a book store I would have bought it on cover alone, it is so stunning. Geekerella is a wonderful YA romance that is a fantastic and easy read, one that will leave you with a smile on your face. I really wish someone had told me to read this sooner! I don't think the book gets as much credit as it deserves.

I would highly recommend this book for YA contemporary romance lovers!

A modern day , geeky, odd ball re-telling of the classic Cinderella.
Ella's mother died when she was young and her father a few years later after remarrying a domineering woman with twin daughters the same age as Elle. Whilst the twins get every mod con and advantage going, Elle has to be the practical one keeping everything and everyone tidy and on time. The only thing that keeps her going is her love for an old Sci Fi programme she watched with her father. He was the biggest Sci Fi geek going and Ella's stepmother disliked this - tried to change him and her Sci Fi Blog page. Will Ella meet her fairy godmother?
!! I have literally just got the Magic Pumpkin Truck reference !! - Derr!! Will she meet her Prince Charming? Will she get her happy ever after?
Great, easy read .

Danielle "Elle" Wittimer's world revolves around Starfield, her favorite television show of all time. She is not just a fan, she is a superfan who knows every single miniscule detail about Carmindor and his crew. Online, Elle is an opinionated blogger with a cult following. In real life, she is a nobody, and is constantly bullied by her twin stepsisters and her snobbish stepmother. Elle cannot wait for the day when she can leave her old life behind and begin anew. For now, she works in a vegan food truck, The Magic Pumpkin, and bides her time. When a film reboot of Starfield is announced, along with a cosplay contest at ExcelsiCon Elle is ecstatic. Just one problem, how is she going to convince her Starfield-hating stepmother to let her go?
Before beginning Geekerella, I knew that I wouldn't exactly be surprised by this story. The story of Cinderella has been retold so many times, it is a little difficult to be surprised. Geekerella is a charming retelling of a geeky girl whose goal isn't to find her prince charming, but to find a cosplay contest. I was a little disappointed how the "villains" (stepmother and stepdaughters) weren't exactly realistic. They were sort of clownish in their villainy. The stepmother (or stepmonster, as Elle calls her), is vain, vindictive and downright mean for no particular reason except that she dislikes Starfield with a passion. She constantly threatens Elle to force her to work at the country club where Elle is bullied by her stepsisters and their gang of followers.
The element I really enjoyed about Geekerella is the alternating perspectives between Elle and Darrien (Mr. Prince Charming - Carmindor). In many Cinderella retellings, the prince is just a rich person who judges only by appearances, and falls in love way too quickly. I really liked Darrien as a character. He is a mix between heartthrob and fanboy, a rare combination.
I would recommend Geekerella to those who enjoy Cinderella retellings, in particular, the film Ever After.

This may be my favorite Cinderella retelling so far. It's quite fun. Elle is a geek girl living with her definitely non-geek step mother and step sisters. She used to be able to nerd out with her dad over their favorite TV show -- Starfield. Her Dad even started the con ExcelsiCon.

But when Starfield is turned into a movie with the handsome but problematic Darien Freeman as the lead, Elle is anything but happy, and she takes to her blog to rant about it. Meanwhile, Darien struggles with his controlling father, and being a nerd but being forced to act like a bro to keep up his persona.

What I loved about this is that the two develop a relationship over time, and it's not a love at first sight thing. I also love the con and cosplay aspect, being a geek girl myself. I needed this book as a teenager. Sage, Elle's friend and coworker, is amazing. I wish Elle had been more active as a protagonist, but then, I recognize her anxiety.

Overall, highly recommend for geek girls, ya readers, and fairytale fans.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quirk Books for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Geekerella is a fresh and dynamic approach to the classic Cinderella tale. Set in the twenty-first century, this version incorporates the struggles of Cinderella's classic character arc - stepsisters, stepmother, loneliness, etc - and spins them with the use of modern technology and every-day life in a digital world. Danielle (Elle) is a huge fangirl for the Starfield series, a sci-fi franchise she shared a love for with her parents before their deaths. The series is set for a reboot and, much to Elle's distaste, the lead is to be played by 18-year-old soap opera heartthrob, Darien Freeman. Mistaken connections lead Elle and Darien to become friends through text, sharing their love for Starfield. Elle's ticket to freedom comes in the form of her Dad's brainchild, ExcelciCon, where Darien will be in promotion for the movie. Elle and Darien have no idea that their dreamy texting connections are closer than they know.

We all know the story of Cinderella... I would think. There have been adaptions upon adaptions for this classic story and it is a very difficult thing to stand out among the pile of neverending Ellas. I thought that Poston did an excellent job making her characters current and the story as unique as possible. The thread of Starflight was an exciting piece of the story, giving the story more depth than a simple contemporary YA.

I was surprised that I enjoyed Darien's character the most, as many of Cinderella's princes have very little story-line beyond being the love-interest. Elle seemed like a less dynamic character than Darien, and throughout the novel, I didn't get a lot of her personality of personal preferences as I would have liked. That being said, I thought that that for the amount of story - it was not a very long book - this glazing over the characterization didn't affect my reading experience (mainly because I was so engrossed by the sci-fi aspect).

My overall thoughts on this novel were that it makes for a fantastic read when you might desire something a bit lighter and yet unlike the cleanse that so many contemporaries also provide, this one is spun through with an intriguing sci-fi thread. If you never get sick of the Cinderella story, then you'll absolutely love this one as well. 

ps. Ashley Poston's new sci-fi novel makes a lot more sense now. I was confused at her complete 180 in genre but am now very excited and more likely to read her new work, Heart of Iron.

An incredibly adorable fairy tale retelling. It was Cinderella, if Cinderella was attending a cosplay ball and was a giant nerd. It was the adorable contemporary romance that I had no idea I needed, and I sincerely hope that I see more from Poston in the future.

This was probably one of the few books that also portrayed fandom life in a realistic way. I found her depictions of cons and cosplay incredibly realistic. The romance had the perfect touch of angst and fluff to keep me hooked. It was absolutely perfect.

Geekerella- You Shall Go The Ball!

I’m sorry, cheesy title, but I had to go there 😉 As you probably know I have a weakness for fairy tales and, above all fairy tales, I have an unhealthy habit of reading and watching *every single* Cinderella related story I can get my hands on. It’s one of those things I can’t really explain, but I’m addicted to the tale. So when I saw this book which had not only one of my favourite stories, but also involved fangirling over a space drama, which hello is very me, I just had to have it.

One of the best things about it was the world building for the in-book show Starfield that the heroine loves. I read somewhere that the author actually wrote out a plot for all the episodes and you can totally tell. The slogans are fun and realistic, the details were out of this world, and loads of it reminded me of cult classics like Firefly (incidentally one of my favourite shows). There was a spanner in the works in how it reminded me of some other shows I’m not hugely fond of, so I have to admit there was a bit of a disconnect for me there. That said, I never felt left behind by the story and I adored the virtual trail of glass slippers that led back to the classic fairy tale. All the subtle connections between the two stories were stitched together in an exquisite gown that most certainly ignited the stars.

The fandom within the story also worked well. I appreciated how the book explored the theme of finding your place in make believe, whilst tackling the issue of gatekeepers (the “you’re not a real fan” brigade) and having to deal with very real issues at the same time. It made a lot of sense that the main character, Elle, would disconnect from reality like this and acknowledged her loneliness through this topic in a way that gave the narrative plenty of heart.

I did get very emotional reading this (yes, it made me cry 😉 ) and experienced a pretty much all the *feels*. I went from chuckling to squealing to laughing at the speed of light. In terms of plot, it did take some time to reach the midpoint unfortunately, but eventually we had lift off! There weren’t really any surprises in terms of narrative, we all know the story by now, yet ultimately it took off into the stratosphere.

I won’t say that it was the most intergalactic romance I’ve ever come across, however, I did feel a spark there. Sometimes (Cinder)Elle(a) was a bit mean to her prince, but I could live with that. Plus, the side romance of Cal and Sage was so cute!! I really liked what was done with Cal’s stepsister character and that it wasn’t all textbook fairy tales.

That said, if you’re worried the mean step-relation role won’t be filled, oh boy no fear there! I always love to loathe certain characters and the stepmother is no exception. She most definitely lived up to her reputation here- though she was much more 21st century in terms of cruelty. I did get the sense that the author was trying to bring forth more modern ideas, giving Elle a bit more autonomy outside her home life, which made a certain kind of sense- sometimes it’s hardest to confront the biggest problems.

All in all, there was lots to like about this unique Cinderella adaptation!

Rating: 4/5 bananas

This book was adorable. A lovely, nerdy twist on a classic fairytale. For any geeks out there it is a fun read for sure!

I can see why Geekerella was so beloved upon release in 2017 - it is a charming remake of the fairy tale with an appropriate modern flavor. Relatable (if not very realistic) main leads make you want to root for them through the whole book despite the frustrations and adversity they encounter. Giving the "prince' a POV helps humanize him and makes him even more interesting. The 'geek' aspect of both main characters having sci fi fandoms gives the book its true charm.

Story: Elle's father was a sci fi nut - his favorite show being Starfield. He started a con to celebrate it in previous years and even met his wife, Elle's mother, through cosplaying the characters. But after losing his wife, remarriage, and then eventual sudden death, that life was lost to Elle. Her stepmother always resented Starfield and how it took her husband away from her. And Elle has had to give up those warm memories of her parents in order to concetrate on helping her stepmother and two stepsisters climb the social ladder. Darien, meanwhile, has worked his way up through the showbiz ladder thanks to the efforts of his ambitious father. He's been betrayed by those he thought friends and spends his life on the road. All Darien wants to do is go to Starfield cons and relax. But then he gets the chance of a lifetime - to play the lead in the Starfield reboot. This new series will change both Elle's and Darien's life as both find opportunities to change the situations in which they've found themselves.

Author Poston makes some smart choices in re-imagining the fairy tale: from ensuring that the step-relatives aren't one-dimensional to also giving 'prince' Darien a whole backstory. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of a fairy tale like Cinderella is that we never got to know much about the prince and he remained an overidealized hero we could mold anyone into at whim. But by far for me, the best choice Poston made was to not make Darien caucasian (nor have the main character of Starfield be Caucasian and instead to have Indian heritage). These modernization touches help round out the story a bit more and give it more depth.

Some fairytales are used more as inspiration than source; in this case, it is very much a retelling rather than loosely taking aspects of the story. From the lost slipper, pumpkin coach (food truck), prince (the lead of Starfield is a prince), to a fairy godmother who ends up being a very unique best friend driving the pumpkin truck. It's all there and all very clever. Even the two dresses (one that the character originally finds and is destroyed to one that is newly created) are there. I had to appreciate the amount of thought that went into recreating the Cinderella story.

Both characters of Darien and Elle are surprisingly likable. Sure, they are in no way realistic; especially Darien is so perfect that I didn't want him described as so physically handsome. Rather, I wish he had played a part other than a "Baywatch" type soap opera role that required "abs that are insured." The part about being a geek is that what defines you isn't how you look so much as what you love. That was missing here when you create a main character that handsome.

I had a few nitpicks but in all, this was a charming story and a very enjoyable read. It's also a cut above many YA romances in that it is clear a lot of inventiveness and love went into it creation. Yes, our main character is a Mary Sue - but such a fun one that you quickly forget that potential detraction and just enjoy the story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite."

Geekerella is a 100% fandom-approved novel. Rarely have I seen fandom culture depicted so authentically.

This retelling of Cinderella follows Elle, including a wicked stepmom and two evil (well, one evil and one passive) stepsisters, the most hilarious twist on a Pumpkin ride and helpful fairy godmother and a Prince Charming that'll make your heart beat faster.
Elle's a huge fan of the fictional TV show Starfield - like her late father, she eats, sleeps, breathes that fandom. She even writes a blog about it. So when the news break that none other than shallow, but very gorgeous actor Darien Freeman is taking over the role of Carmindor in the reboot, Elle is outraged. Pretty boy Darien, playing her favorite character? No way. Raging on her blog about the wrong casting, her post suddenly goes viral - and puts Rebelgunner (her alias) on Darien's map. Darien, who isn't a bad boy, or a brainless actor. Darien, who actually really loves Starfield and has dreamed of this role for ages. Who's scared he won't live up to the expectations of thousands of people. Darien, who is torn between what his father wants for him and how he sees himself. Darien, who I a little bit fell in love with during this book. Just a smidge.
Mixed with a bit of You've Got Mail, this retelling brings together two people from very different backgrounds and shows that true love prevails, no matter how much outside forces may try to stop it.

The romance is great, don't get me wrong. But this novel isn't just a Cinderella retelling. It's a love letter to nerds. To fan culture. To those people that stay up most of the night to type that fic about two characters that just deserved better. Who put their time and energy into amazing costumes and cosplay them at fan conventions. In a way, this story feels like a thank you to those fans that can't just watch an episode of a tv show or read a book and then - be done with it?! No, this is a book for those people that stay up thinking about how the future might be brighter for their favorite fictional characters, how stories can be improved, how they can be part of your identity. And that's what makes this book truly shine. The love of and for fandoms.

I definitely enjoyed the new twist on a classic fairytale like Cinderella. I love the fact that it tells the tale from both prospectives makes it more engaging for readers. I would recommend this for seniors in high school, college students, geeks, nerds and cosplayers all over the world.

I just realized that Geekerella is going to be part of a series! This was an amazing Cinderella retelling with a clear ending, so I'm excited to see where the story will go from here.

First of all, the cover for this book is gorgeous! I feel like it encompasses all the best parts of the story. Secondly, I loved the main characters. Elle, Darien and Sage were incredible and I would love to be their friend! Thirdly, the author has created a world within a world. Starfield has a fandom just like Star Wars and Star Trek, and I wish it was something that existed in our reality and not just a fictional one. Ashley Poston really delivers a story you can believe in. Also, she references Firefly! I flarking love that show and was royally pissed when it was cancelled. #bringbackfirefly

I was pretty mad at Elle a few times. She would frequently view situations as hopeless or acted like her dreams weren't worth fighting for. Sage, Darien, Cal--everyone else was quick to come to her defense, but she took the abuse because she felt like she deserved it. I would cringe whenever her stepmother or Chloe would verbally attack her, but she was their punching bag and allowed herself to be pummeled. I really wanted Elle to fight back.

When Chloe lies at the end, why doesn't anyone call her out on it?? It would have been so easy to check! Argh. (This isn't spoilery because Chloe lies a lot and is just a horrible person in general, but you'll know exactly what I mean when you get there...)

Despite Elle's inability to defend herself and what she believes in, I found this book to be incredibly enjoyable. I loved learning about Starfield while also watching Elle and Darien dance around each other for weeks. It was fun to know who they were to each other before they did, and I liked watching everything fall into place.

I feel like I should say more about this book, but I don't want to give too much away, so if you enjoy retellings, Cinderella, fanfiction, science fiction, cosplay, conventions, or just a fun story--this is definitely for you!

WARNING! If you listen to the audiobook, the narrators read with a southern drawl. This has resulted in my Texas twang making an unwanted appearance in casual conversation. I'll say something and it just slips out! Now I have to retrain my brain. 😱😭

CUTE, CUTE AND MORE CUTE.

This was a completely and utterly adorable read! I don't mind reading contemporary YA fiction normally, but as was the case with this story I love them if they have nerdy characters, so this read was perfect for me! I think it also helps that I'm a fan of retellings and, as the title suggests, this is like a modern retelling of Cinderella with a geeky background.

We have Danielle (Elle) who is our Geekerella. As with the original her mother had passed away, with her father going on to remarry and sadly passing away. This leaves Elle living with her stepmother and stepsisters - Chloe (who is plain evil) and Calliope (we get glimpses that she isn't at all as evil as her mother and sister). Elle has a major love for a cult sci-fi TV show known as Starfield, which stems from her parents loving the series and her father loved it so much he started a popular convention for it (which ends with a cosplay masquerade ball...). The show is in the middle of being made into a film, with our other POV aside from Elle's being Darien, who is an actor cast to play Prince Carmindor in the reshoot.

Elle wants to escape and when she finds out her father's convention will have a cosplay competition that year she desperately wants to win so she can get enough money to leave her home. She's been bullied by her stepfamily to such a point though that she feels completely isolated and, at the beginning, she struggles to let anyone in at all.

But then there's her coworker from the Magic Pumpkin food truck - Sage - who is basically her fairy godmother and becomes her closest friend. She sees that Elle is trying desperately to alter a costume for the convention and she also sees that she has no idea what she's doing... So Sage makes it clear she wants to help Elle, she invites her round and even insists that Elle introduces her to Starfield as she hasn't seen it before. Personally, that was enough to choke me up but alongside this Darien has started anonymously texting Elle and they start to fall for each other.

To make matters even more interesting, Elle runs an anonymous Starfield blog where she essentially gains internet popularity by writing about how upset she is with Darien's casting. He's been told by his manager and father to act like he doesn't know that much about Starfield so she assumes him to be just involved for a pay check, whereas we learn it's actually his fame hungry dad who wants him to do it for the money. Darien knows pretty much as much about Starfield, if not more, as Elle and this is the side of him she sees whilst they're anonymously texting.

Perspectives wise, seeing both Elle and Dariens' points of view was perfect. It really helped to develop the two main characters as well as both introducing and developing secondary characters. This story also has LGBTQ+ representation in, which is done very well. I don't want to give away who it centres around as it's quite late in the story but I do love how Ashley has written it!

So yeah, I adored this book. But I do want to warn people... make sure you have tissues nearby, you're about 80% likely to cry because at times this is heart wrenching to read but mostly you'll be smiling with happy tears falling down your face. It's definitely something I'd happily read again also!

*eARC provided by Quirk Books through NetGalley - this in no way affects my review which is unbiased.

OH gosh, this is the Cinderella tale of my heart. A true geek fairy tale. I really enjoyed this modern day retelling of the Cinderella story. From the moment I read about the food truck called the magic pumpkin I fell in love with this little story. Main character Elle is a true fan, the ultimate fan. Taught to love Starfield by her beloved father, its all she has left of him after his death, and her only escape from her cloying evil stepmother and stepsisters (a true stepford family). A blogger who knows every detail from every episode by heart, Elle discovers Darien Freeman - soap opera star Darien - has been cast as her hero in the remake of Starfield. What a disaster.

The idea of making the "prince" an actor is a fun twist. Sage, Elle's work colleague, is a fabulous magical character that I'd love to see more of. This retelling really dives into the world of fandom and cosplay, and shows how important fandom can play to a true fan's heart. It also shows how deeply that loss can hurt when a show is no more. The fandom in this story is a family that comes to Elle's aid when she needs it the most. Fans understand each other in a way that "non-fans" can never understand.

I read it so quickly and loved every minute of it. Any Cinderella fan will enjoy this retelling.

And I love all of the geek-in-jokes, so many references! A true geek's book. I definitely recommend it for a book that you can escape into for a time.

Once I stopped crying I thought I should probably write a review for this book. If the nerd bones run through your body, if you have a calling that is fantasy not reality, if you feel like you belong somewhere else, this book is for you. I knew this would be a fun read, but I didn’t expect it to be as hard hitting and emotional as it was, it really tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel a lot.

Elle is the Cinderella of this tale, trapped in a life she does not want with an arse of a stepfamily. I found myself yelling at this book for her to stand up to her cow of a stepmother, but this never really seemed to happen (my only flaw). I just wanted a better life for Elle, she was without her parents and she had no body at the start of this book, she deserved so much more. This certainly made me feel like I missed my dad, I don't get to see him very often, the feeling Elle missing her dad and the time they spent together boding made me feel a twinge of sadness. Elle forms new relationships in this book though to give her some hope, a friend and a love interest, as per the usual Cinderella story.

There is a huge message of accepting yourself for who you are in this book, there’s a huge speech in the middle about how we all stand together and are part of one big unit with our different fandoms. It reminded me of Dumbledore’s speech in the Goblet of Fire, about how we all speak in different tongues, but our heart's still beat as one, the idea of unity despite our differences. This is the part that made me feel the most emotional, the fact that the fandoms we are part of, really do serve as a family. We always have somewhere to turn to in this day and age of technology, we are only a phone’s click away from Twitter or anywhere we can talk to our friends online who share our interests. We don’t need to be alone and neither did Elle, that was what this book was telling her.

I also want to comment on this cover of this book, the characters are kind of faceless, which I think allows the reader to put themselves into the characters. It was an incredibly easy story to fall into because of the narrative and the short chapters and insights into various character's lives. You felt like you were one of these characters, you felt their pain and you saw both sides of this romance between Elle and her mystery man.

Guys I just felt so much. I wanted so much for these characters, they evolved so much throughout this story and I am so proud of them, but man I cried. I set myself up for this one though, this is a Cinderella-esk story, so of course it was going to be difficult and familiar, but torture because of the feeeeels!

Love, love, love, this book. Geekerella is definitely a shoutout to all fangirls and fanboys in the world. I found myself smiling and laughing at every Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, Doctor Who, etc reference. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been apart of a fandom and who is a sucker for a Cinderella retelling (Poston does a great job with this to where it's not just another fairytale retelling).

I have now read this book twice and it just keeps getting better and better!

This book... I LOVE it. Elle, Darien, Sage...they were perfectly written, relatable, suitably nerdy and feisty (Sage, gosh, she is just the best character and totally deserves her own book...just saying...). The fandom? Spot on. The re-imagining? Perfect. All the magic and romance of the original, but brought into the modern world with realistic characters and scenarios. Cinderella is one of my favourite fairy tales, and this felt seamless, familiar, and yet also original and fresh.

I would highly HIGHLY recommend this book, I enjoyed it so much I yet again want to read it...again.

First of all, I'm a Cinderella-story fanatic. Second of all, I love retellings. So putting them together is BIG for me. Ironically, Geekerella didn't click well with me, so my feeling is pretty much so-so. I've never felt so confused in my life. Everyone (and by this, I mean my bookish friends in and outside social media) is in love with this book. I'm feeling like a villain right now. Anyway, here's my unpopular opinion.



Before I start reviewing, let me share with you some Cinderella teen movies that you shouldn't miss out on, if you're a Cinderella-story fanatic like I am. So there's A Cinderella Story, starring Hilary Duff; Another Cinderella Story starring Selena Gomez; Once Upon A Song,  starring Lucy Hale; and A Cinderella Story: If The Shoe Fits starring Sofia Carson. ( I haven't watched the last one yet.) And also, let's not forget the Cinderella movie, starring Lily James! This one is not a retelling but I just want to mention it in case anyone wants to go binge-watching Cinderella movies.

With that said, let's start reviewing. My first thought of reading the first few chapters of Geekerella reminded me of the movie Startruck starring Sterling Knight and Danielle Campbell. It had a similar vibe because of the superstar thing. You should also watch it.

Danielle "Elle" Wittimer has known everything that needs to be known in the classic sci-fi movie series, Starfield. Almost all of her life, she binge-watch it with her dad, until he got caught in an unfortunate accident, leaving Elle with her stepmother, Catherine and stepsisters, Chloe and Calliope. Now, tired of being pushed around in her house, she decides to join a cosplay contest in ExcelsiCon, aiming to win a ticket to L.A. and leave Charleston for good.

Meet Darien Freeman, a once ordinary guy who takes pleasure in spending his time attending cons and fanboying over Starfield --well, until he became famous in a movie series, Seaside Cove and fans flock him when spotted. Now, he got casted as Carmindor, the leading character of his favourite series. But fans of the sci-fi movie does not appreciate this and sees him only as a guy trying to look cute for the camera and is ignorant of the movie itself. His reputation in the Starfield community dwindles even more when a certain blogger predicted how pathetic he will be as Carmindor. Huh.

I can't say I love the book, but I did like it and enjoyed my time reading it. The thing that appealed to me was that this book is not only a love letter to geeks, but also, this book is blogger-friendly. I really appreciated that.

I also love the title. It sounds so perfect that it makes one grab the book (like I did). In short, it's very attention-grabbing. Also, the book cover is a cute! It's one of the books that you would want to be in your shelf where it rightfully belongs, together with your other beautifully covered books.

I find the story was part cliche, part unique. Cliche because somewhere out there, I've heard this story before. It felt like a potpourri of the Cinderella movies I mentioned above. Also, I'm feeling a bit of a Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell vibe as well. Unique because there's the nerdy factor that I find adorable: the comic con, the fangirling, and especially the blogging. I mean come on, Surely I'm not the only one enjoying being a nerd/geek. For me, it was a moderately fun read. I repeat, FOR ME.

Although not a huge fan of the sci-fi genre, I'm torn between liking and disliking the Starfield movie's story. IF I were to watch the movie, I know for sure it's going to be heart-wrenching. However, through Elle's and/or Darien's narration, it was difficult to feel something for this movie.

FUN FACT: I've been reading Darien's name as "Dar-yen" the whole time when it's supposed to be "deyr-yen".

ANOTHER FAN FACT: I'm not a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek *disappears in thin air*

If you're looking for a summer read, then Geekerella is the book for you! Plus points if your fave retelling is Cinderella and geek-related conversations, including Star Wars, Star Trek and other intergalactic movies. *wink-wink*