I reviewed the book in this blog post: https://busybeereads.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/fun-sized-thoughts-all-the-bright-places-geekerella/

Here is what I said about Geekerella:

Every now and then, a truly special book comes along… If by special, you mean mind-numbingly awful. After hearing several people mention them recently, I thought it might be fun to finally read a fairytale retelling. I chose Geekerella, a retelling of Cinderella, in which a socially awkward teenage fangirl falls in love with a famous actor. I liked the idea of this book, and thought it might be a fun, light read. I wasn’t expecting something well-written, or particularly original, but I was expecting to be entertained. Alas, I was bored, by both the predictable plot and the bland, stereotyped characters. The best thing really was the cool cover, which is the reason I requested it on NetGalley…

Then there was the writing… Let’s just say it read like bad, extremely stilted fan fiction and leave it at that.



So, with that in mind, Geekerella has officially become the Worst Read Read of 2018 (so far…)….


Rating: 🌟 (1 / 5 )

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting my request to review this book. It did not affect my honest opinion. 

This book is very relatable. The plot is interesting, a modernized and nerdy version of the famous Cinderella story. I was hooked up from the first chapter, and I couldn't stop until then! 
The writing is also clear and gives the sequence of events a smooth, unrushed flow. I hardly confuse the events. 
The characters are also excellent, each with their own profiles. Geeky Danielle, the main character, is very well-described in this book, portraying nicely as the role of an orphaned geek nearly friendless. 
There were some flaws, though, that affected my rating. First of all, I find the text messages that the characters exchange very puzzling. I keep wondering who sent which. Perhaps it is just because of the ebook format, but it would be nice to have it fixed. 
Second, regarding the texts as well, the format makes it hard to for me to decipher which is part of the text message, and which part is actually just the person's thoughts. Third, I still wonder how they (the characters) are comfortable with texting a total stranger. Normally one would be more cautious, despite the need to socialize. 
Overall, I love this book so far, truly unique and brilliant. A well-written modern Cinderella story.

I loved this one--fun little story that was a light read for the weekend.  The story was a neat one, and I would definitely read more by this author.

Are you a fangirl or fanboy? If so, what's your fandom?
I'm a total Buffy fangirl! SMJ is my idol. In hs, I dressed like her. I dyed my hair blonde like her. She was my first motivation to be strong yet feminine. I definitely have more Buffy merch than any other kind. I own all seven seasons on dvd and can quote every episode word-for-word with my eyes closed. I watched all the seasons of Angel just to see the in-between Buffy episodes. (And we STILL don't know what happened when they met up after Buffy came back to life! Joss Whedon, you are cruel.) I read the comic books. Slayer is my most anticipated read of 2019. I even wrote a Buffy blog, complete with fan fiction stories, back in hs and college.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston definitely appealed to my fangirl side! It was quirky and fun, with an mc I could totally relate to and a live story so nerdy and cute it made me melt. My fave line from the book was when Elle described how Starfield made her feel: "I know it's all fake. But those characters...they were my friends when everyone in the real world passed around rumors behind my back, called me weird, shoved me into lockers, and baited me into thinking I was beautiful only to push me away just before we kissed. They never abandoned me. They were loyal, honorable, caring, and smart." It's exactly how I feel about Buffy, and I think it's so cool that another author gets that! Plus, this book is a contemporary Cinderella retelling, which made it even more awesome! 5 stars!

I loved Geekerella, its sweet, its pleasant, and pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin. A modern day fairy tale, it takes everything you know and love about Cinderella, and repackages it into the world of nerd. This book will appeal to everyone who follows a fandom, those who consider themselves a geek, or pretty much everyone who loves a contemporary YA romance. 

The book switches perspective between the two protagonists, our very own Cinder, otherwise known as Elle, and Prince Charming, or Darien. Both were pleasant characters, who were easy to relate too, and you instantly find yourself cheering for them both to fix all of their problems. The antagonists are suitably wicked, with a special mention to the Wicked Stepmother. You cant help but hate her, which is exactly what you want from a Cinderella retake. 

The setting was great fun, from a giant drive-able pumpkin, to a massive ball at a comic convention, the clever retakes on the olde tale were fantastic. I found the writing style very simple and easy to follow, which is exactly what you want in a contemporary, and the switch between perspectives also added a nice dimension to the story. 

All in all this was a great read, perhaps there was just one last little flourish of extra fairy godmother sparkle that was missing, that would have allowed it to become a 5 star read. But to be fair, when you are taking a story that everyone knows, its a uphill struggle to find that unique wow factor. Geekerella was fun and a lovely little journey into the fictional world of Starfield, I would definitely recommend this one as a wonderful, summery read.

A fun, modern twist on an old fairy tale.  Great characters, fun plot and setting details.  I enjoyed it so much, I bought it for my friend's birthday present.

This is a contemporary young adult book that is a retelling of Cinderella. 

We follow Elle as she struggles in her everyday life. Since her father's death, she feels alone. She is trying to please her step-mother and her step-sisters without ever actually being able to do that. She is also a fan of Starfield, a sci-fi series she grew up watching with her father, and she desperately wants to go to a convention her father helped establish so she could participate in the cosplay. 
The other character we follow is Darien, a young soap star that was cast for the role of Carmindor, the main character in the Starfield movie adaptation. He is going through his own struggles, from dealing with his father/manager to people not taking him seriously as an actor. He is also faced with enraged fans who believe he is not the right fit to fill the role of Carmindor. 
The two story lines come together in a cute, but rather average YA read. 
What I liked most about this book is the portrayal of fandom. I thought that was really well done. We have seen many times in real life how fans react to casting news when it comes to their favorite characters, but this gave us the opportunity to see how an actor might feel when faced with all the heat. 
The other thing that I liked was how the author managed to capture the feeling of being trapped in a situation. Both of the main protagonists are dealing with this and I think that is something everyone can relate to no matter our age.
So all in all this is an enjoyable read and I think that teenagers, who are the target audience, will relate to it very well.

*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!

I’m sorry but I just found this book really bad. I might start by admitting that my patience for this genre decreasing even more recently. 

but there’s just no way to deny how unimaginative and cliche this book is. it’s even cringy at times, with all its common places. I was annoyed by the characters, the plot and something so similar to star trek and star wars that I just couldn’t believe could have so much space in a world like ours. 

pretty unrealistic contemporary ya but ok *shrug*

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.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a heartfelt, funny and lovely book. I love fairytales and it was a really good Cinderella retelling. I laughed out loud and swooned a lot. For a YA book it was very enjoyable. The dual POV also made this story so, so good.

If you want a quick read with nerdy characters and a modern fairytale, you have to pick this one. I recommend it to every teenage girl, and for everyone who loves young romance. :D

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.