Do you like all of those cheesy high school Cinderella type movies that pop up every couple of years? Do you like comic cons and the like? Then Geekerella is for you!

I am a sucker for Cinderella retellings, especially those set in high school. That setting just makes sense you know? High school would be the worst time to have hopes and dreams and an awful family life that is holding you back. That's why I knew I'd love Geekerella before I even started it. And it ended up being super cute and adorably geeky.

Let's start with the characters:
- Elle- Our modern day Cinderella who absolutely loves this old sci-fi show called Starfield (a show her now dead father really got her into) and is super excited when it's rebooted into a new movie. She works in a food truck called The Magic Pumpkin and dreams of leaving her step-mother and step-sisters behind, all while taking her neighbor's ill treated dachshund with her.
- Darien- The new Starfield Federation Prince. His father has got him into acting and made him out to be this hunky pop star type actor, forcing Darien to hide the fact that he's been into Starfield all along and he's just as geeky as the fans.
- Elle's step-family- As tradition, the stepmother is an unfair pain, one of the sisters is a little witch (take away the w and add a b) and one of the sisters is more than what she first appears.
- Sage- The green haired artsy girl who works with Elle in The Magic Pumpkin and eventually becomes her best friend.

The characters were pretty awesome. I liked all the geeky references. I was super ticked off by Elle's stepmother and one of her stepsisters. I liked Darien's "handler" and bodyguard who were there for him more than his father/manager. I also really liked Sage and her mother.

And more into the plot. At the beginning of the novel Elle hears that the new Starfield is doing a cosplay contest at the ExcelsiCon that her father started back in the day. She wants to win more than anything because it will get her to the special admission only Cosplay Ball and a meet and greet with the new Federation Prince. But then she learns that it's Darien who will be said Prince and he's an actor that she does not approve of at all.

So begins an interesting web of issues with Darien getting griped against because his dad/manager wants him to play it cool and not show he's a fanboy. Elle's sneaking out behind her stepmother's back to work with Sage on her costume.

It was fun, it was cute, it was somewhat predictable because, duh, it's a Cinderella retelling but I loved it.

I loved this book so much! It’s definitely one of my top favorites of the year. I remember feeling like I just wanted to cry because of how much I loved it. One of the biggest reasons is the aspect of fandom. I think fandom is such an amazing entity and while it can have its cons (ie: pushing people away from it because it seems like too big of a thing to get into) it is, at its core, just a conglomeration of people who all love something passionately and with an undying, all consuming sort of blazing love. It’s special. It can bring all sorts of people together who may otherwise not have anything else in common! It’s really just such a unique thing. And let me tell you, all the fandom references just spoke to my soul! My Lord of the Rings love, my Star Wars love, my FIREFLY LOVE. (Starfield gave me major Firefly feels and I have this really deep love of Firefly so basically it ended up making me feel that much more in sync with Elle.)

All the emphasis on fandom also had a great message about how these fictional stories CAN and DO have a tremendous impact on you as a person. They can teach you about life and they can also impact how you approach life! The stories may be fantasy or sci fi and “not real” but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a very real affect on you! These stories can reach out and show you that you’re not alone or they can have a lifelong impact on you! I really liked how the story showed that.

The relationship between Elle and Damien was so You’ve Got Mail-esque and that’s really one of my favorite tropes — of two people writing to the other and not knowing the other’s identity. I think I love it because it gives so much freedom and allows so much honesty between the two people! I really enjoyed the Cinderella twists and touches that were incorporated because they were added so seamlessly that it felt so natural. I love it when a retelling is able to be done so well that it can stand as its own story without the reader expecting certain things at a certain point.

In Short…

If you love nerdy or geeky things or any sort of fandom in general, this book will seriously speak to your heart! The romance is also just so sweet and amazing, it will have you rooting for them the whole way through! A Cinderella retelling that I know I’ll be revisiting again and again, I highly recommend!

Within minutes of starting this book, I knew that I was in love with the main character. While I often admire the protagonists in the books that I read, it’s not often that I relate so whole-heartedly with one (besides the whole orphan and evil step-mother/sisters thing). Elle (first of all, favourite name!) is a total scifi nerd, she is addicted to the now cancelled TV show Starfield. She blogs about the show, she used to go to conventions for the show. She is so inspired that she wants to go to college to become a screen writer so that she can inspire others with her own shows.

This is 17 year old me EXACTLY. Just replace “Starfield” with “Stargate”. I was so passionate about Stargate and wanted nothing more than to be involved in creating a show that would inspire others like it did me. Geekerella was a nostalgic ride, reminding me of those fandom days. I’m not sure if I’ve grown out of it or there’s just nothing good on TV that I’ve fallen as in love with.

Geekiness aside, Geekerella is a truly adorable modern-day retelling of Cinderella. I love how Poston wove the classic Cinderella elements into the story (like working in an orange pumpkin food truck). And the romance of the story was really well written. The narrative switches between the two main characters as they get to know each other, and even though you know that it’s going to have a Cinderella ending, you still hold out for these two characters to get together and learn the other’s true identity.

After devouring this in a day, I’m over here dying while waiting for Ashley Poston’s next book “Heart of Iron”. It’s set in space (!!!!!).

*4 stars*

A modern, nerdy tale on the classic Cinderella tale. Ella escapes from her terrible life and her wicked stepmother in the world of Starfield, kind of a cross between Star Trek and Star Wars. She meets the Prince Charming character, Darien, through a blog that she runs and they begin their romance through text messages and over the phone. As it turns out, Darien is the going to be the star on a movie remake of Starfield, and Ella HATES that they picked him to be the iconic hero, she thinks that he is all wrong for the part. Of course, she has no idea that the boy she's falling in love with is him! When they both attend a con and make plans to meet, will it all work out, or will the stars not align for these star-crossed lovers?

An adorkable retelling of the classic Cinderella. Meet Elle, having lost her father, she now spends her days at the beck and call of her evil stepmother and her twin stepsisters. Gone are the days of geeking out with her father over their love of Starfield, now she spends her days cleaning and making sure meals are ready. Everything that she had loved with her father had disappeared. When she finds out that Hollywood is rebooting her beloved tv show into a movie, she's equal parts excited and scared. But then she finds out that teen heartthrob, Darien Freeman is playing the lead character, she's downright horrified. He's going to ruin it, she's certain of it. What Elle doesn't know is just how big of a Starfield dork Darien just is.

This book was very cutesy. I loved the nerdiness about it- from the cons to the cosplays. I could totally relate to Elle on that front. I have my fandoms that I am fully immersed in and have been known to go to conventions and dress up in honor of them. This whole world is fun and exciting and I really got that feel here. The con felt alive and the cosplay was beautifully described.

Where the story kind of faltered for me was the love story. While I enjoyed it and thought the end was adorable. The whole way it started was just a little weird. And also, Elle was kind of mean. She had a very much one track mind of thinking and refused to believe that anyone could be other than what she initially thought them out to be. Darien, on the other hand, always saw the good in people and always believed people had his best interests at heart. I liked him as a character but I really wanted him to stop being his father's puppet and really break out into who he really is.

Quirky characters, fandoms, geeky love, and an adorable dog named Franco - this book was a fun escape and I recommend it to anyone who has any sort of fandom love. It did an great job of showcasing just how tight fandoms are and how they mean so much to people.

Just when you think you’ve read every possible take on Cinderella that could exist, you find another one and not just anyone one, but one that is so wonderfully adorkable that you’ll find yourself smiling as you read.

Just like Cinderella, Elle is pretty much alone in the world. Her beloved father died in a car accident and now her home is ruled by her evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters. The only thing that saves her is her love of all things Starfield that she shared with her father.

Darien, the teen heartthrob, feels like no one really knows him. He’s a geek through-and-through. When he texts a number, which turns out to be wrong, and begins exchanging texts with a girl who is as geeky as he is and who doesn’t know who he is, he finally feels like he can be himself.

This is Cinderella meets You’ve Got Mail. And it’s wonderful.

Ashley Poston writes this one with heart, which makes me suspect she knows this world well and has a sincere love for the people who populate it. I was so absorbed by the middle of Geekerella that I entered that little world that book lovers know where you almost forget you’re reading. You slowly become aware that you’ve been smiling for at least twenty minutes straight because: the feels, the charms, the love!

It IS a geeky fairytale and it combines all of the things we geeky fairytale readers expect to find.

If you love geeky ya books or you just love geeky books, and have somehow missed Geekerella, add it to your list. This one is right up there with Fangirl, one of my all-time favorite ya books.

I highly recommend!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Geekerella is adorable, heart wrenching, and fun. This modern retelling of Cinderella is charming geekiness at its finest, reminiscent of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

This was a pretty cute retelling of Cinderella. I loved all the geek culture references (and totally wanna watch Starfield now) and I really liked the acknowledgement page at the end where the author talked about how great fan culture can be and how no one should be ashamed for loving something geeky or nerdy or whatever. Both Elle and Darien were pretty fun characters to follow and the dual POVs worked pretty well for me; my only quibble is I wish both of them had stood up for themselves a little more throughout the book, especially Elle. I understand that they were learning and growing and whatnot, but it started to wear on me a bit that they weren't having more little rebellions but luckily it was only a small annoyance. I like how Elle and Sage's friendship developed, and how Cal not being quite the same as her sister and mother was gradually seeded in the book (though it started to feel a bit like this was more a retelling of Ever After than anything after a bit). I definitely loved Darien calling out "The Nox King" when he was trying to fake-geek-girl Elle <spoiler>though I definitely needed a little more explanation from him about what all Darien's dad paid him to do. Was he actively paying Brian to try and break up Darien's thing with Elle on the phone? Or did Brian just kinda do that of his own volition? Was Brian trying to bait Darien at the con initially when he came up to give him back his phone or was he being genuine about wanting Darien to understand? I just needed a little more during all that to help clarify some of the backstory</spoiler>.
All in all this was a really fun Cinderella modernisation with lots of shout-outs to fandom culture and a pretty sweet, slow-burn love story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well let’s just say that I had no idea how much I would love this book and that it would land on my best-of-2017 shelf immediately. Geekerella was <b>one of my biggest surprises this year</b> - in a very, very good way. I adored the book and everything it stood for so very much, which is why I’ve got a list of all the things that hooked me in and made me relate!

<b><i>Look to the Stars. Aim. Ignite.</i></b>

• <b>The entire world of Starfield is perfectly crafted</b>. It’s a fictional TV Show but the author put a lot of work into making it feel real. I used to forget that it was not real, because the Show was so fleshed out (the characters, the relationships and expressions) and now I kind of want to such a show to exist. It’s a sci-fi show about the Federation Prince Carmindor and how he saves the galaxy. A lot of though even went into fandom - the fans call themselves Rebelgunners - and the convention for them. Starfield has been airing for a long time but now a reboot is on the way, which stars the story!

• <b>It’s a love letter to fandom</b>. I love fandom related books like Fangirl, so Geekerella immediately found its way into my heart. We follow the fans of the show and their different reaction to a reboot. It was so very relatable, how many fans were skeptical and how Elle got so angry that she wrote a blog post about it. I get that anger, it’s not pretty of course, but it comes from deep passion about something that means so much to you - something you see threatened to be destroyed. I loved Elle’s and the fans passion in general. Another hing that tugged at my heartstrings was the convention, because I have been to three so far and now how much they can mean to you. The book also tackles topics like people trying to gatekeep my differentiating between “real” and “fake” fans. Not to mention the many other fandom references that came up! [I am looking at you Destiel reference!!]

• <b>I could really, really relate to Elle</b>. She is one of the main characters and a fangirl of the TV Show Starfield, which means the world to her. Her father used to be in the fandom and even created a Con, but ever since he died her evil step family rules the house. My heart hurt for Elle every single time, because her stepmother constantly verbally abuses her and makes her do all the work in the house. Her stepsisters are not better and Elle has resigned to feeling useless, unlovable and a burden. The only thing brightening her life is her favorite show, the one thing she is very passionate about, the one thing that is always there for her when she is feeling down and alone. I could relate to that so much, because I too have got a favorite show that means the world to me and also a favorite character which lives in my heart. I was really getting emotional all the time because I could relate so well. Elle has a huge personal journey as well that we get to be a part of and I was so happy to see her find a friend and begin to realize her own self-worth.

• <b>Darien grew on me so very much</b>! Okay I really loved him and want to protect him, because he truthfully is a good guy. Not perfect, but someone who really made me want to wrap him in a blanket. He’s the new star of the Starfield show ... but not everyone is really happy to see him, which hurts Darien since ... he’s actually a real fan himself! Starfield is not just another project to him, like it is for his co-start Jessica. The show and his performance means so much to him, that he’s hurt that he has to put on a publicity stunt and pretend to be someone else. We got to see how the life of a rising star and his work is like, which rally interested me. I also felt for Darien, since he has no friends anymore (his former best friend sold him out) and is left with a father/manager who is never there for him and only dictates him what to do. In the end, he also learns to take matters into his own hand and start to be who he wants to be.

• <b>The romance was actually super adorable</b>. It starts out when the two of them accidentally end up texting each other. I loved that we got to see a relationship that started out online because of a shared passion. Yes please this is way more relatable to me than people meeting up otherwise. Their texts were so adorable, I could not even!! I did not think that the romance was rushed at all, it perfectly played out via text and of course there’s the problem that neither knows who the other is. Only later does that get resolved and without saying too much there is a happy ending of sorts that satisfied my little shipper heart!

• <b>Sage was the coolest and I loved her friendship with Elle</b>! Sage is Elle’s coworker, as both girls work in a food truck belonging to Sage’s mother. Let’s just say that I loved Sage very, very much because she is becoming a really good friend to Elle and helps her with her costume. She is an aspiring fashion designer and through the project both girls become close. Both watch Starfield together and Sage never once makes fun of it, like Elle had been afraid of. Instead Sage is always there for her and her first true friend, which stand beside her even when everything threatens to fail. Their friendship was so so pure and heartfelt!!

<b>IN CONCLUSION</b>: <i>Geekerella</i> is a wonderful <b>love letter to fandom</b> and what impact a TV Show it can have on it’s fans. I related to it in every single way, which is why the book meant so much to me. It has got great characters and will hook you in if you want to or not!

Geekerella was so much fun! This was a great re-telling of a classic fairy tale and I loved the addition of fan and geek culture!

I read this book with my 10 year old daughter. She looked forward to each day when we would sit together and see what Elle was in for next.

Set to the same tale of Cinderella, with the geekiest sci-fi twists, a fun and engaging read.

This book made my geek heart happy. If at least part of it takes place at a convention, I'm sold. Even better, when the show is made up but sounds like something I'd DEFINITELY be into (think Star Wars/Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica vein), and the fandom sounds like the fandoms I'm in? Done and done!

One of my favorite parts of this book was that even though it's clearly a retelling when you stop to think about it, the story was so engaging and really delved so deep into the lore and obsessions of the Starfield fandom that I often found myself forgetting that it was also Cinderella.

Don't get me wrong--if retellings are your thing, this doesn't disappoint. Downtrodden but still hopeful main character, dreamy prince, a few different characters that could be considered "fairy godmothers", and an evil, awful stepmother who, to be honest, rivals the OG stepmother, Lady Tremaine.

Throw in a few mysterious text conversations, some of the prince's POV, and a cosplay ball to end all cosplay balls, this book was an imaginative and unique retelling that is sure to grab readers of retellings, convention-goers, and good old fashioned fairy tale lovers.

I was so super excited to read this book, but as soon as I did.....

I was a bit let down. Maybe it's me, I'm not really for the same type of retelling even though this book does have a slight twist to the retelling of Cinderella. It was not enough to woo me to fall in love, just a kind of like with the story and characters.

Toward the end of the book was the best because of the convention feel to it, which I loved. Actually all of the geeky-ness was my favorite in this book. I loved it more then the actual characters, which is a little sad.

Although I was really close to giving this book a five star review the end was the complete tie breaker for me-the two main characters didn't even know if they were together or not and a whole bunch of other stuff. Mostly this just irritated me because I like a complete ending or at least satisfying one that I can live with.

But overall I did really like the writing style from this author and enjoyed the geeky-ness in a young adult novel because -hey we need it more these days.

Get ready for your hearts to burst with joy — Geekerella is the perfect read if you are part of a fandom and know what it feels like to love something so much.

Geekerella is a modern retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale told from two points of view: Danielle "Elle" Wittimer, passionate fan of Starfield (a classic sci-fi/Star Trek-esque series); and Darien Freeman, the actor chosen to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the upcoming Starfield reboot. No one believes Darien is good enough to play this iconic role, including Elle. Things get interesting when they "cross paths," and the story plays out from there.

You know what's going to happen if you've seen or heard the story of Cinderella, but I don't think this makes it any less enjoyable. There were so many fun twists, like who the fairy godmother is, and the pumpkin being a food truck! Reading Geekerella reminded me so much of A Cinderella Story, which made me love it even more.

Having two different points of view gave this book a little something extra — I think that's what makes this retelling stand out. Aside from our Cinderella storyline, we get to follow Prince Charming too. The more we learn about why he chooses to do the things he does and what's going on in his head, the more I grew to love him.

Knowing that Darien and Elle have misconceptions of each other in real life made me want to root for them even more. I couldn't stop turning the pages because I wanted to see how they would end up meeting each other!

One of my favorite things about Geekerella was the friendship formed between Elle and Sage, her co-worker. I don't want to say too much about their scenes, but there is one that really captures what it feels like to introduce someone to something you really love. There's excitement, because you're hoping they will love it as much as you do; and then there's some fear, because what if they don't?

I think I enjoyed Geekerella so much because I GET IT. I love things with a passion. The main synopsis says this book is a "love letter to nerd culture," which I couldn't have said better. I am wishing so hard for Starfield to be a real life thing!

So sad, but this book was such a miss for me. :( Thank you to the Publisher for the review copy though.

3.5 stars (I still don't know why Goodreads doesn't have this option when so many people mention their desire for it!)

I liked the premise of the book - a Cinderella-ComicCon mashup of sorts - and it did live up to that. It was a cute, happy book. I felt the character of Elle was a bit more fleshed out than that of Darien, but I did enjoy both characters and reading the story from their alternating perspectives. The pumpkin food truck was a nice touch.

If you are looking for a light, quick read that will likely put a smile on your face by the end, you will enjoy this book.

I think a lot of people will relate to the fandom aspect of this book, and that's really what kept me reading. The romance was a bit too sickly sweet for my tastes, but the rest of the novel I really enjoyed.

I liked how the story of Cinderella was reimagined, I loved the element of fandom, the characters are super likeable & I really enjoyed watching their journeys. Ella is relatable in so many ways