A funny and quick read with great geek references and cute characters!

Rating: 4/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: yet another CINDERELLA retelling!; I loved the nerdculture/comic con references happening throughout; awesome, entertaining voice; these characters are pretty rocking; LOVELOVELOVE the play on fandom; not so sure how I feel about a few of the relationships here

Huge thanks to Ashley Poston, Quirk Books, and Netgalley for sending me a free digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.


---I slip my hands into the trunk and take hold of a dress that could have been made from a midnight sky, the fabric a rich plum, soft and silky. I lift it up, wisps of gauzy silk slipping between my fingers. In the shadows, it sparkles like a galaxy caught in the threads.---


As so often happens when I pick up a CINDERELLA retelling (or ANY retelling, honestly), I found myself swept up in the magic of the story...and yet, somehow, also questioning some of the relationships. Now, don't get me wrong--I totally understand the whole "wicked stepmother, evil step-siblings" trope. By "understand" I mean I get why it has to exist. But recently, I've begun to question the REALITY of such relationships. In this book, for instance: it's really unclear exactly why the stepmother is so determined to be so cruel to Elle. I get that the stepsister is really just "following by example" in this case, and can therefore wrap my head around her being so unnecessarily snotty. But the stepmom? While we get a bit of an explanation later on in the story, it just... it doesn't really FIT for me. It doesn't really make much sense, or explain anything. It's an excuse, in the end--not a justification or explanation. So I'm not sure how much I believed that particular relationship--it just didn't seem very realistic.

That being said, however--these characters shine! The personalities are all individualized; I absolutely adored watching Elle transform and grow from "shy girl who never says no" to "independent, strong young lady." I also adored all the mini references/nods to the original Cinderella--such as the pumpkin/chariot, which I only JUST now realized and pieced together (oops!)


---That is why this universe is impossible: because all the good things are impossible to keep. The universe always takes them away.---


The play on fandom and cons was super entertaining for this lover of all things nerdculture, and I so appreciated all the pop culture references laced throughout. It was so great to watch these characters react to and interact with others over their passion--and introduce a few specific special characters to the obsession, as well! I had a TON of fun watching the relationship between Elle and Darien evolve, as well--they're so sweetly cute and tooth-rotting!

Overall, this was an entertaining read FULL of nerdculture/pop culture references. The characters are well-written, though a few of the relationships felt a bit too contrived to fit tropes for my taste. Also...I now wish that Starfield was an actual thing, because it sounds amazeballs. I definitely recommend to my fellow retellings fanatics, lovers of modern-day fairy tales, and other pop culture nerds. Roll up your sleeves and step on the gas, penguins; it's time the masks came off.

This book was awesome! The main character Elle reminded me so much of myself, it was great to see a "fairy tale" that was about us "geeks"

The way Elle and Darien meet in the book is adorable and I loved how everything played out between them. More over I really like Darien's character and how he wasn't just some knight in shining armor who came to rescue Elle, but instead he needed a little rescuing.

The detail and description of Elle's cosplay dress really made me feel like I could picture it and now I want to go to ExcelsiCon.

A lovely fluffy book full of geekyness and pop culture that I simply adored. A must-read for everyone this summer!

I enjoyed this book. I found the story one that was easy to read and I enjoyed the 'take' on an old classic. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

Laugh out loud funny, this book is a refreshing change to the normal run of books for young girls. Geek and Cinderella rolled into one, this was such an enjoyable read. I can see a whole series of these books to entertain.

Every once in awhile I get to review a book that really gets me in my fangirl feels. If I am anything...any kind of "label" - label me a fangirl. I am a lover of books, stories, people, and characters. I fangirl over certain books, tv series (hello, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and, uh, DOCTOR WHO), and movies (can we say, High Fidelity, and mostly every Disney animated movie...HELLO BAYMAX).

What does this have to do with Geekerella, you ask?

Well, only that this book is basically a love story to anyone who has every loved a thing.

Danielle is our token Cinderella - with the whole evil step mother, and at least one evil stepsister (the other one is not so bad). Elle is a lonely, but passionate young girl (17 y/o) who lost both of her parents, and who can't seem to get along with her present family. Thankfully, she has her blog which centers around Elle's (and her father's) favorite show, Starfield. She becomes determined to join the cosplay contest with the prize being a trip to see the premiere of the newly rebooted Starfield movie starring newest heartthrob, Darien Freeman (the other POV of our story). We learn that Darien is quite the fanboy himself, but lacks the freedom of showing that to the world since his father is now his manager.

What I loved about this book, besides it's utter cuteness, is that we see both sides of the coin. The reader is shown Elle, a girl who last knew freedom when her father was alive, and then Darien, a boy whose freedom has been taken away by his eagerness to be something, as well as his greedy father. Both seem to have lost some of their spark - some of that light that shines through. They hold onto it so harshly, but the people around them keep chipping away. And I think that's where the fandom comes in.

This book is a love story to the fandoms and the fangirls and fanboys that love them so. Elle and Darien are both fans of Starfield, and it is ultimately what connects them to others and to each other. Other fans become part of their support - a sense of community that is very important to these two very lonely people.

If you choose to read this book, I encourage you to read the author's acknowledgements/notes section. It will remind you of your inner fan and fandom, and the importance of keeping that love and appreciate strong. It is also important to never, and I do mean NEVER, let someone make you feel that the appreciation is wrong, silly, childish, or not worth your time.

If you like it, and it's not hurting anyone, enjoy it. Hold on to those things that make you smile, and feel, and love.

I loved this book.

Well, don't I feel foolish now! I have to admit I was completely wrong about this book - I mistakenly requested this when I was really after Queens of Geek; it's an easy mistake as they both have the word 'Geek' in the title, both about nerdy fangirls, both set at conventions... I loved Queens of Geek and didn't feel like this would live up to its rival, but now I need to declare that I did Geekerella an injustice because it was a fantastic read!

Originally, I put this down after reading a few pages because it opens with what is for me the weakest aspect of the story - the retelling of Cinderella, more specifically in relation to the Wicked Stepmother and Evil Stepsisters. Their mistreatment of Elle is so ridiculously OTT that I can't even muster any sympathy for her because I'm too busy rolling my eyes at how cartoonishly villainous her step-relatives are and how unrealistic it is for her to slave away for them without ever reporting this unbearable home situation to an authority figure.

Elle is a well-adjusted teenage girl in the modern world - it's not like she's Harry Potter, orphaned from birth and raised by relatives who reinforced how worthless he was and ingrained a lack of trust in adults in him which meant he always tried to solve problems himself. She on the other hand had a loving father for most of a happy life into her teenage years, she knows that the way she's treated is wrong (whereas Harry seemed to think of it as nothing out of the ordinary), but she doesn't ever try to seek help. I know Cinderella is famously passive in the fairytale, but this is a modernization, there needed to be some explanation for why Elle would suffer through the deprivation and daily humiliation without taking any steps to help herself.

So yes, I snorted in disbelief and moved on to another book, but eventually felt guilty about not fulfilling my obligation to review this, so came back to give it another go, thinking I would at least read a few chapters before DNF'ing...and OMG, I ended up reading the whole story in one sitting, I was hooked to the point where I had to stay up after midnight to finish it!

I still don't believe the fairytale retelling aspect was needed - that really didn't get any better as the story progressed. But there were so many other riches offered that I could overlook the clunky incorporation of the Cinderella tale. I really loved the author's take on fandom, it was a loving ode to fan culture and very true to my own experiences (as opposed to Fangirl, which never rang true to me). I engaged whole-heartedly with Elle's character with her obsessive dedication to Starfield and how she poured her heart out into her blog posts even when she had a low follower count because she loved the show so much she had to publish her thoughts.

Sure, she was pretty judgmental and narrow-minded about Darien's casting as her beloved Carmindor, and I've seen a lot of other readers complain about her snotty attitude at him taking up the role, but honestly, that's fandom for you. Exhibit A: every time the new Doctor on Doctor Who is being cast, there are basically riots in the comments section before anyone is even confirmed! Elle's petty takedown of Darien via blog posts was not a shining moment for her character, but since when do we require our protagonists to be perfection incarnate? I like that she was allowed to be flawed and that her devotion to the show revealed some unattractive aspects of her personality. That's probably not surprising speaking as someone who has written fanfic about their least favorite character dying horribly in multiple scenarios... ;)

And I ADORED the unusual way the romance developed! We got halfway through the story without the characters having met, as their interaction was solely via text messaging, and I was completely sold on the developing relationship. It's such a relief to have a break from the dreaded 'insta-luv' that's endemic to YA! Instead we have our main characters getting to know each other and bonding before anything remotely romantic happens, say what! I really enjoyed their nerdy conversations and how they come to depend on each other for emotional support, I found it so heart-warming.

Usually in YA, boy meets girl, boy and girl experience FIREWORKS as soon as they lock eyes and know they are fated to be, boy and girl irrationally value each other more than life itself after less than a day, etc. Instead, Geekerella has a wonderfully subtle and slow-burn relationship and you can see Elle and Darien gradually working their way into each other's hearts with each geeky exchange and the later exchanging of confidences as their anonymity means that they can confess things to each other that they can't to anyone else.

I don't know why so many reviewers found the texting to be superficial and not a solid basis for friendship, much less romance. In this day and age, a lot of people connect via technology, it's not unusual! I'm very defensive on this subject because as a lonely socially awkward teen loner, most of my friends were those I met online and they were every bit as 'real' to me as people I saw in everyday life. We exchanged Christmas cards, sent each other birthday presents, talked for hours late into the night - what's not real about that? Darien and Elle's friendship is just as legitimate being based off text messages as it would be if they sat next to each other at school or met at a club, even MORE so given how they trust each other enough to reveal closely guarded truths that they don't usually disclose to people.

The female friendships were also a highlight - it was great to see Elle becoming close to her co-worker Sage and thrilling in the joy of introducing a newbie to her fandom! Romantic relationships aren't the be-all-and-end-all in life, having a BFF in your corner is super important as well and I wriggled with glee to see Elle and Sage bonding over fandom and cosplay. Plus one of the evil stepsisters is also given more depth and plays a bigger role in the story than I expected, so at least not all the step-relatives were villainous caricatures. Cal has an unexpected small romantic mini-arc and I was so pleased with her character being fleshed out this way, I saw subtext and foreshadowing and I had hoped, but it was lovely to see it happen in the end, even if she wasn't at the forefront of the story. I love when a female character gets to have complex and varied relationships with other girls (especially in YA, where it's more common for them to be set up as rivals and tear each other apart), so kudos to the author for taking the time to include a variety of relationships!

This was a fun read twisting together Cinderella and geeky sci fi fandom. The lead characters of Elle and Darien were interesting and real, and although the other characters such as the evil step mother were a bit too much, it worked within the story. I even got a hint of Sweet Valley High with the twin step sisters. I would recommend this to teens of any age that enjoy a fandom or cosplay and a light read.

Elle is just your ordinary teenage fangirl... with a less than stellar home life. Thankfully, her favorite TV show, Starfield, is stellar enough to keep her sane. Based on the classic tale of Cinderella, Geekerella perfectly captures that feeling of community within a fandom. The author understands what it's like to find your tribe, be it online or at a convention. Although the book focuses on Elle's story, equal care is given to her foil, the teenage heartthrob and secret geek, Darien. Having each character share their story concurrently is a real treat, and the brisk pace and familiar fairy-tale trappings make this book a breezy read.

Geekerella was entertaining and fun with a sweet romance and surprisingly complex characters. But it was an even better retelling with a fun and unique spin on a classic fairy tale.

Thank you to the publisher for approved me to read this amazing, adorable book ever!

I love the stories so much and I'm really enjoy reading it!

I love how Elle is a blogger who blog and being fandom of things that she really love ever since she was a kid with her dad. Its very sweet of her memories in her life with her dad.

Darien and Elle - both of them make a super adorable couple! Also one of the twins is so unexpected! It feel so good when, Cal is being at Elle side! The ending is perfection! No words I could put on how amazing this book is. I enjoy it very much

I'm not sure that I ever wanted to read a young adult re-imagining of the Cinderella story centered around a geeky fangirl, her blog, and her job in a Vegan Pumpkin food truck, but I did and I loved it.

Elle (obviously) is a teen in a miserable situation. Her stepmom treats her horribly, her two step sisters are heinous, she was orphaned, and then to add insult to injury her favorite TV Show is getting ruined by a movie remake. When she writes a scathing review of the young actor (Darien Freeman) set to star in the remake of StarField she inadvertently and unknowingly ends up texting with him for weeks. All of the drama climaxes at a cosplay contest at a Con which is just too perfect and adorable for words.

Is this book written for young audiences? Yes. Is this book completely adorable? Yes.

GEEKERELLA is a unique retelling of Cinderella, with imaginative twist on the familiar elements. But it fails to deliver on the other aspect for me: underdeveloped characters and romance and too wrapped up in Starfield to feel real for me. While ending the book on a good note (I love what happened to Chloe in the end), ultimately the time I spent struggling to get into the story take away my enjoyment of the book.

This book was adorably geeky and fun. While reading it, I had complete A Cinderella Story vibes (you know you love that cheesy movie!) It was perfect YA fluff and I would have no qualms about giving it to any of the geeky girls in my life.

My favorite character BY FAR was Sage. She was so well developed and cool that I would have loved to see even more of her. I love when books have LGBT characters that they don't make a big deal about. They just let them live their life without making their sexuality the main event.

I wasn't a big fan of this cover when I first saw it, but the pics I've been seeing on Instagram of the hardcover make me want a copy for my bookshelf. It is GORGEOUS and photographs so well that I just want to buy it and take pictures. In short, if you want a light-hearted YA romantic comedy this is a solid bet.

I so LOVED this. Even though I am 49 I could totally relate to Elle, I'm still a geek after all these years. Elle is cool and quirky and totally lovable. I can't wait to get this into my library for my geeky little young adults who will absolutely love it!

I think I’m getting more and more addicted to fandom stories. They’re just so much relatable and funny and adorable and ajwoqmwfrwvkwdojef This one wasn’t different – even though it was slightly different (makes total sense, right?).

I didn’t find Ella an anxious character, for example. Unlike Taylor from Queens of Geek, that struggled with anxiety in a different way, Ella only had doubts before important moments. And that was a nice change, because not every fangirl/fanboy is the same. She was also a strong character, brave, and kind (or in her way to be).

not doing a good job? Sounds like a lot of us on a daily basis 😂

Prince Charming, oops Darien, was soooo so real. A fanboy who had to hide his geekiness! He was adorable, but most of the cheesy lines that most annoyed me came from him.

My favorite character has to be Sage, though. She’s so straightforward and never left anyone behind.

As a Cinderella retelling, you could tell almost everything that would happen. It didn’t make it any less exciting, though. You have the evil stepmother (and a reason for why the woman doesn’t like Elle, as crazy as it might be), mean stepsisters (but I really liked them as characters and I wouldn’t mind a story from Cal’s POV), the costumes, the ball …

The only things I didn’t quite enjoy were:

1) all that cheesiness – sometimes it was cute, sometimes it was annoying
2) the lack of information between the last chapter and the epilogue – I just wanted a little bit more

But one of my favorite scenes was at (almost) the end.
Overall, it was really entertaining!

Elle lives with her stepmother and twin stepsisters, who are all interested in makeup, social media, impressing others, and looking their best. Elle, on the other hand, loves the show Starfield, which her late parents had loved. In fact, her father had founded ExcelsiCon, the large convention in Atlanta. Elle and all the other fans of Starfield are upset with the movie reboot being filmed, and Darien Freeman is just as nervous. Unbeknownst to the public, he's also a fan of the original show and doesn't like the publicity stunts his manager father pushes him to do. He tried to call ExcelsiCon's staff to get out of some appearances, leading to him beginning to text Elle and discuss fannish theories.

The book is subtitled "A Fangirl Fairy Tale," and that it certainly is. There are wonderful nods to other fannish interests, and Starfield is very reminiscent of Star Trek. ExcelCon seems more like Dragon*Con, and the Cosplay Ball is a great way to tie cosplay and the Cinderella stories. Elle's fairy godmother is a fun addition because it isn't such an obvious parallel in the beginning. Elle herself is a believable and relate-able mix of defeatism and hope, just as every other geeky seventeen year old would be. There's a strength in her, even when she feels trapped by others' expectations and her lack of resources. While she still gets "rescued" by her prince in a way, Elle also has her own independent attempts to break free and still be true to herself.

This is a fun YA book that lovingly understands the teen geek and fully lives up to the "part love letter to nerd culture" description for the book.

Opening line:
"The stepmonster is at it again."

Ever After meets Cinderella meets cosplay meets fantasy con. It was a cute and fun retelling.
Elle is the stepdaughter of the stepmonster and her two twin monsters. She works in a vegan food truck which happens to be a pumpkin. (LOL)
Darien is the prince, or commander, of a new fantasy space series. He isn't happy with what he's doing and he doesn't have a happy home. He accidentally texts Elle and they become friends over the phone but they don't exchange identities.
How they meet and figure things out is hilarious and sweet.
I would recommend this book to any teen reader.

V: no
S: kissing
L: don't remember any

Thanks to netgalley for the early review.