3.5 stars

This book was cuteness-incarnate with a slice of grit, a retake on Cinderella with a geeky fandom context worked in a way that was fun and easy to connect. I found myself sucked into this story of Elle and Darien. Darien is something of a beta-male character and I’m always here for that.

As you might imagine, Elle lives with her stepmother and step sisters, things are pretty grim and abusive at home and that made for difficult reading at certain moments. Darien is playing the lead role in a film depicting a fandom Elle has been immersed in since childhood thanks to her late dad’s love of it. 

The serendipitous connection through text between these two was a lovely, sweet slow build but the masking of their identities was bound to lead to complications. The events in the storyline were occasionally fresh outside of the fairytale but mostly predictable too, especially when it came to the meeting of these two. There were some very clever aspects like the pumpkin, the cosplaying elements were enjoyable and the side characters were superb. Sage was a highlight from a side character perspective. The character diversity was oozing from the pages in an unforced and natural way. I appreciated how this was conceptualised. .

This was enjoyable, easy YA reading with a delightful geek-fandom. I think this book would appeal to many.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

This story is just like a Disney Channel movie in book form – and I’m a sucker for Disney Channel movies. What has really made me enjoy this so much isn’t the romance itself (which I have to admit has pleasantly surprised me and I’ve enjoyed a lot) but the feeling of what it means to be a fan and what something like a TV show (or a movie, a book, whatever) can mean to someone. Because, in the end, that’s the main theme of the book. I’ve never been to a convention or written fanfic, but I perfectly know what it’s like to grow up watching a TV show with your dad and feeling like those 40 minutes of episode are the best part of your week. I know what it’s like to watch it over and over again, loving it as much as the first day and discovering something new every time. I know what it’s like to share that passion with strangers on the internet. I know what it’s like to start a friendship with someone because they’re a fan too. And I know what it’s like to show it to your friend who’s never watched it before and impatiently wait for that episode, that scene, to see their face. And it’s exactly for this that I’ve connected so well with Elle and Darien. True, the story itself is nothing special, but the characters are above everything, realistic, and anyone who’s a fan of something can relate to them. Also, both their individual and their relationship development are believable, especially today when we’re constantly talking to strangers on the internet. There’s no instalove: they start cautiously talking about their love for Starfield and, little by little, they get to know each other better and better. Another thing I’ve liked a lot is Elle and Sage’s friendship. They’re very, very different, but they complement perfectly, they understand each other and they support each other. Definitely one of the most beautiful and sincere female friendships I’ve read lately. Maybe it’s time I start to read more contemporary romances if I’m going to find stories like this one, that had me smiling from beginning to end.

“Geekerella” is about Elle the orphaned daughter of cosplay royalty.  Her parents started ExcelsiCon which is a convention designed for all fandom to come together and celebrate their nerdiness.  Now, this is a Cinderella re-telling so of course we have an evil step-mother this time it is a southern belle/wedding planner.  Our heroine’s life involves doing her step-mother and step-sisters bidding, working at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and blogging about her beloved “Starfield”.   Her life is quiet and unpleasant and Elle spends her days trying to find a way to leave her indentured servitude.  Then Elle’s blog gets a major boost when she voices her very strong feelings against the “Starfield” reboot and it’s teen heart throb Darien Freeman.  She now has an online following that she never expected and  mysterious boy she communicates with only through text message who may be her prince charming.  Can Elle escape her step-mother for one day to go to ExcelsiCon and win the big Cosplay contest’s prize and maybe claim her prince charming?

“Geekerella” was the perfect blend of fairytale and modern romance with just a dash of sci-fi nerdom.  The characters all fill their Cinderella roles perfectly.  It has just enough “Ahhhhh” moments to earn it’s place in the world of Cinderella retellings but it’s also realistic enough that you believe that this story could maybe, possibly happen.  Elle is scrappy and delightful just like a Cinderella should be and her Prince Charming is handsome and chocked full of charm just as he should be.  The relationship between the two is sweet and swoony.  The whole story comes together in a perfect moment of fandom love that will leave fangirls wanting more and makes it a must read for fans of fairytales and anime alike.

Without giving away too much of the story, I will say that I do like the through-the-airwaves trope in YA fiction when its done well, and in my opinion, Geekarella was done very well. Elle, at times, did grind my nerves just a little bit. She was so insecure and stubborn that it was just too much. And then she would say "My father raised me to be brave" and bla bla bla....well, you have been failing at that, my friend. Darien, I thought was actually a great character. I thought he was a great representation of a teenage guy and he was fun to read. The secondary characters were great as well, especially Sage. And I just loved picturing the Magic Pumpkin. How creative is that idea? Hats off, Ashley Poston!!

This book is a wonderful retelling of Cinderella set against the nerdvana that is fan conventions. Elle has lost everything that she ever cared about, and is just going through life without existing while her stepmother and stepsisters make her miserable. When a wrong number turns into a friend she realizes it’s time to want something for herself. Geekerella is a charming story in the vein of books by Danica Stone.

I adored this book! I really enjoyed the relationship between Elle and Darien. I recommended this books to all my reader friends. I plan to read the author's new book. Thanks to Quirk Books for the ARC of this title via NetGalley.

I loved this book SO much!! I wanted to read this based on a bunch of booktubers recommendations. It's got a lot of elements from Cinderella. The Magic pumpkin might be one of my favorite things! Haha. Okay, not really but it comes close. 

I loved the characters so much, besides most of the adults. Oh, how the my heart just hurt for Elle. She's trying so hard to live this life that she's not welcome in. Her stepmother and step sisters are awful to her. She's basically like a modern-day Cinderella. Her escape is the fandom of Starfield and her blog. It's something that she had in common with her mother and father. One day, she gets a call from an unknown number and things start to get interesting for Elle.  

I have to say that my absolute favorite character in this book is Sage. She was so much fun with her don't care attitude. She does so much for Elle and it made me so happy! It literally brings a smile to my face. I think that her snarky attitude really does help Elle come out of her shell a bit. I devoured this book. It was just so tense at times and I just had to know what would happen. If you know the story of Cinderella, you know what's coming. It had me so nervous because I knew what to expect. This book is really predictable but that's because I know the story so well. It didn't really take too much away from me though. 

I really liked the whole Elle and Darien relationship, besides the fact, it turns to love rather quickly. I'm not surprised though, it is YA. I loved getting the two POV's between Elle and Darien. We get to see how he's struggling between what people want him to be and who he wants to be. How people judge him based on his actor persona and no one really knows him. You shouldn't judge someone by their cover. This is something that Elle really learns and I hope the people who read this book do too. 

I loved all the "geeky-ness" to this book. It just made it so fun and adorable! I wish so many more people would see how fun it is to be a geek! Who cares if you stand out? Who cares what other people thing, if you are having fun! There is nothing wrong with being a geek, nerd, weird, different or whatever. 

This is just a really cute romance and I enjoyed this book immensely!! It's sweet and adorable :)

e-ARC provided by Quirk Books/Random House via Netgalley for an honest review.

Geekerella is so cute! I laughed out loud many times. The story is great from the beginning to the end. I loved the Cindarella references and how the two main characters get to know each other. Books like this one are like a breath of fresh air, something that is somehow new, different, and refreshing.

Modern day retellings are usually a bust, but Geekerella does not miss a beat. It's a fun and easy to read story.
Elle is a girl who has lost her parents and is forced to live with her stepmother and her two stepsisters. Her father was a big fan of the Starfield series, thanks to which he also met her mother, and he created the Starfield Comicon.
Elle grew up watching replicas of the show with him and dreaming of that beautiful world among the stars.
Now the show she loves is getting remade into a movie and the male protagonist is being played by Darien Freeman, an actor of a series similar to The OC, able only to show off his abs on television. Elle is not happy with this choice and starts to complain on her Starfield blog.
Nobody knows, however, that Darien is a huge fan of the series and is both excited and scared to play the leading role.
Something very strange happens and our two protagonists end up texting each other. This is how the story actually starts.

I turned the pages anxiously looking for all the messages between the two of them. They were my favourite parts because they were sweet, fun, light-hearted and deep at the same time. Through their text messages I was able to learn more about them and having both their POVs allowed me to discover the story in an unexpected way.

The characters are then different from the usual stereotypes. We don't have a perfect blonde Cinderella, but a teenager with red hair, glasses and an obsession for a tv series. She is a blogger and for her the imaginary world is more real than the one she lives in, she feels at home when she watches Staefield.
I felt a deep connection with Elle. I am a blogger, a fangirl and I live in a world of books and series, so it was really nice being able to relate to a character like her.
Darien, on the other side, is not the ordinary prince charming. He is a handsome black young guy that only wants to be himself. We have never seen such a deep description for a character like his in the original fairy tale or its retellings. 
The other characters are so well done that will make you feel every kind of emotion, from anger to happiness. 
Elle represents every fangirl and fanboy out there, she show us that we are not crazy to love something so deeply.

This is a funny and emotional story that I highly recommend. Every fangirl will find herself in Elle's words and feelings, so it's quite impossible not to create a connection with the story and fell in love with it.

I received this book as an EARC from net galley for an honest review. I LOVED this book. When I went into it I didn't know what to think, I never liked Cinderella growing up but the older I got the more I started to love the concept of it. This book is so good the story line and characters are perfect. I loved the take on cinderella as a Fangirl. I felt as though I had an understanding of who she was and what she loved. The romance wasn't too much Disney cliché love like the originally i felt as though it could possibly happen. This book was my favorite take of Cinderella by far. If Ashley wrote a retelling for every princess I would read and love them all. I can't wait to read more from her. The writing style was fantastic and I loved everything about this book. I gave it 5/5 stars and highly recommend to everyone!

I ADORED this!
I found myself crying, laughing, swooning (just a little) and eagerly tapping my kindle screen again and again. I loved the homage to geek culture that this book has, as a geek myself it was both a trip down memory lane and a love letter to the people I love to spend time with. To all my fellow geeks, who have felt unwanted in the past, I urge you to read this book. And to everyone else, it's worth your time too, if not for the relatable factor, but for the beautiful story, which is such an original retelling of an old classic, that it almost feels like a completely new story in its own right.

*my views are my own*
Geekerella is an incredible debut novel.  
The book resonates with many fangirls and it is easy to identify yourself with Elle and care for her. Her passion for an old science fiction series and her immediate rejection of a remake of this series are feelings every fan knows, and her journey into the book is awesome. 
Darien is an interesting character, which shows the other side of the stardom, the unglamorous side that people hardly imagine.
Geekerella has a fantastic development, and because it was written inside this universe of fandons, I was always thinking "I know how you feel, I've lived it, it could be me (if you took away all the misfortunes of your domestic life, Of course, Cincerella is always Cinderella, right?) ".
Elle is the most striking character to me, with her geeky and nerdy way, written in such a humane way with her fears and insecurities, and with mark that the loss of her father left in her life. She's real.
I also clap my hands for Poston for making the stepmother's abuse something so subtle, but so clear. A lot of people believe that abuse is just physical aggression or extreme cruelty, and the truth is that a lot of abuse is practiced minimally, several times a day, until it is so intrinsic to your daily life that you don't even notice being abused.
On the other hand we have Darien, who we hoped to have a life so different from Elle's, but all that changes is the background. Both are very similar and live very similar situations. Although different realities - with Darien's fame and everything else - their personalities combine in a wonderful way and the two are great together.
Geekerella makes us laugh and cry just as easily, and the way the author balanced the emotions within the story is wonderful. Highly recommended!

This book is so cute! It's full of fandom, cosplay, and it's a fairy tale retelling of Cinderella. I thought it was well-written and executed well. With that being said if you don't like sci-fi or cons or cosplay you may not enjoy this. This is geek culture written in a way I've never personally seen. It encompasses what it's like to be part of an elite community and that feeing of camaraderie. How everyone else who is "normal" may not love what you do but there is a place you can go where the abnormal is normal. 

Elle is the classic Cinderella living with her nasty step mother and two twin nasty step sisters. She works out of a food truck and finds out about a cosplay contest with a prize so amazing her head might explode. Tickets to a Con Ball and a nest & greet with an actor from one of her favorite sci-fi fandoms. All she has is her dad's old costume but it's worth a try. 

Thank you to Quirk Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Elle  is the ultimate fan of all things sci fi, and Starfield, the classic sci fi series, is her absolute favorite. She knows all the lines and all the trivia. Starfield is part of her life. Which is good, because living with her sour stepmother and her twin spoiled daughters is an everyday trial to her sanity. Her only consolation in life is Starfield, which she used to watch with her dad when he was alive.That is, until she receives a message from an unknown person, who seems smart, funny, and, above all else, a true fan of Starfield.

Darien never expected to become a star. Becoming a teen actor was strange enough, but after his last series he managed to get the lead role in the Starfield movie remake. Things don't seem all that rosy, however, as Starfield's hardcore fans seem to hate him being casted as Prince Carmindor. Darien feel alone and a fraud. The only thing that makes him smile, is those text messages he exchanges every day with that unknown girl.

Geekerella is the most modern and real version of Cinderella you could find nowadays. Simple, true, and incredibly witty, the heroine is a completely relatable and lovable character. Ashley Poston has retained some basic features of the fairytale, and has used them as pillars for her version of the story. The result is more than satisfactory, as it is obvious that the original version blends very well with this one. 

Both main characters have a well described background, thus making it easier for the reader to understand the reasons behind every feeling and reaction - in fact, Darien is a lot more relatable than the original fairytale's prince. Surrounded by their friends and foes, both Elle and Darien are active heroes who fight against fate for what they want, which makes them all the more likable. 

There was also a very intelligent alternate concept to what makes you a Prince or a Princess. In both their occasions, the "title" they come to wear has nothing to do with their birth or pedigree and everything to do with how they feel inside and how much they have struggled, and this I applaud wholeheartedly.

Geekerella is an ode to your inner (and why not? outer, too) geek. Here's to people we consider underdogs, here's to lonely people, to all of us out there who struggle. Geekerella is here to remind us, in its own sweet way, that dreams come true - not with the help of a fairy godmother, but with will, work, and our loved ones. 

The book is strongly recommended for YA fans, and I also believe it is a very good book suggestion for teen readers.

OMGoodness!!! How come more people don't talk about this book?!? I need candles, and bookmarks and Fandom things for it! This book... Guys, this book made my little nerdy 💕 heart sing and explode with nerdy fandom love.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston, is a wonderful, geeky Cinderella retelling for the modern geeky age. It is super cute! It had me laughing, crying, giggling and poking my boyfriend to share nerd popculture and Fandom references with him. (It even had a Gilmore Girls reference!) I flew through this book like I haven't done in awhile. If you are a nerd or a geek and love fandoms like Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, or a lover of cons (comic anime, Sci-fi, etc) as I am, I highly recommend this book! Hands down 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 stars!

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.” 

Every so often we stumble across a book that resonates with us, that reminds us of who we are and where we come from. For me, Geekerella was like coming home. 

For the longest time, connecting with fantasy was easier than connecting with people. When I discovered fandom, it was like I finally discovered the secrets of the universe [42]. All of a sudden I had this epic Bifröst to social interactions that involved worlds I loved. I was in geek-heaven, okay? 

Ashley Poston wrote a book that encapsulated what it's like to be part of this awesome community, tackled on a modern Cinderella retelling, and fraking nail it! This novel covered what it's like to be a well-rounded geek, to probably get a little too invested in tv shows and movie adaptation castings, to modify your persona based on favorite characters, and most of all - what it's like to be surrounded by people who don't quite get it.

I'm going to stop gushing about this book and just recommend that you read it, especially all you fantastic fandom lovers out there. I guarantee you'll find something in this novel to connect to.

Geekerella is a quick, fun read. It's a modern-day Cinderella story set in the world of fandom. Prince Charming and Cinderella, aka Darien and Elle, narrate the story in alternating sections. They're both a little passive about taking control of their individual destinies - especially Darien, who is legally an adult at 18 but lets his father run roughshod over his acting career. It's a minor quibble, though. I'll recommend Geekerella to fans of retold fairytales and anyone involved in geek culture. It pairs nicely with Cecil Castellucci's Don't Cosplay with My Heart.

It's always difficult when you read a book that is very similar to one you read recently. The immediate reaction is usually that the first book is better; only because it came first. The comparisons between Queen of Geeks  and Geekerella are so obvious they are not even worth listing. But in case you don't know here's the gist: teen geek girl with nothing decides to attend a con, do cosplay to try and win a contest and makes a friend and/or boyfriend along the way. And while I did like Queens of Geek better I don't think it's because it came first, instead it's for all of the following reasons... 

Let's start with a quick list of things that drove me crazy:
- If you have a brick of a phone then it probably doesn't text
- 5'3 is not that short!! In fact it's usually considered the starting height for normal (take it from someone barely 5'1)
- Both characters start out whiny and annoying. I realize this is part of the point but I was very tired of it by 35% into the story
- Every teen in the history of the world knows that clothing drawers and behind pictures are the worst hiding place ever 
- If you're going to correct everyone that it's not a costume but a cosplay (all the time) then don't call it a costume in your own narrative!! Ashley Poston needed a geek editor to pick this one up
- The legal lesson every single YA author needs to be told (it seems); if something is held in trust for someone until they are of a certain age then that item CANNOT BE SOLD by the person holding it in trust. This is law 101 and I can't believe how often this is screwed up in YA books
- Our lead man Darien is of a non-white skin colour. I wish I could tell you what skin tone but for some reason Poston decides to rarely reference his skin colour. This bugs me because I like to be able to picture characters and let's face it skin tone is an important part of seeing characters in your mind the way the author intended (just like you'd give them a specific hair colour, gender, height, weight, etc.). I did however appreciate that the focus isn't his skin tone just because. Yes, I get I've just contradicted myself and I'm sure I'll get torn to bits by SJW's... I just wish I had a better picture in my mind of what Darien looked like, that's all. 

The really great things:
- The rich sci-fi world created as the geek culture for the book. Clearly Poston has thought this world through. It's so good that I want someone to write a book or create a TV show based on the fake geek-verse. I think I would enjoy it a lot more than the actual story in Geekerella
- The Pumpkin, dress and shoe are included and it doesn't feel lame or silly at all. Taking these very cliche things and making them feel like they bit in and are not forced is a hard thing to do. Props to Poston for incorporating them in a way that I didn't roll my eyes at 
- Sage is awesome (the character, not the herb). I adore her and would totally bring her home and love her if she was real (my husband will have to learn to share because I really love her that much in every way you can imagine)
- The overall story of friendship is well put together. There is no insta-love, love triangle or any other ridiculous pretenses in this book. 
- And this quote is just so amazing "So everyone who tries something for the first time's a poser? Come on Elle, that's crazy."  Because the only way you become fan is by starting somewhere

Overall this book was just okay. It has some lovely little messages and tidbits to take away. I can totally appreciate girls between 11-15 swooning for this book and in 20 years talking about how it's a book that changed their life. There's something here, but it's just a bit too obvious for my reading tastes. I think this because as a geek child, when being a geek was not cool, I wish I had had this book. Maybe I would have stood up for myself more, had more confidence or not tried to blend in with everyone else even when I knew I didn't like what they liked. If this book helps even one teen having those thoughts then it's well worth being sold. 
That said, there were a large number of pitfalls in this book. Overall my biggest issue is how very unrealistic the entire premise and main love story are. I know, I know, Cinderella is all about the nobody becoming a princess and I shouldn't be surprised; but it's all just very farfetched. This is where Queens of Geek and it's realness soar above Geekerella for me. 

I would definitely buy this book for a geeky girl of 11-15 and would be very confident recommending it to someone that loves Cinderella (I may be the only geek girl in the world that doesn't like Cinderella that much...) and her rags to riches story. Without a doubt Poston takes us on a journey of a girl going from being afraid of everyone and everything to being a woman who is ready to tackle life no matter what it throws in front of her.

Geekerella is one of the kind of the books that was hugely hyped on the Blogging Community .But the question is that did it live up to my expectations and I am glad to state to say that this one is a hell of a very good Book. A Cinderella Spin-off is always on my TBR . I see love reading fairy tales retellings . But the book took me away in a black Nebula inside the ship Prospero . Reading is sooooooooo fun when you have these kinds of books in your hand . Elle and Darien are one of my favorite fictious character of 2017. The book has the charm and magic of Cinderella along with all it’s nerdiness and Geekiness. Elle belonged to fandom of Starfield and similar I belong to so many Fandoms Harry Potter , Twilight to name few. I could really understand great love ….And well the icing on the cake was the lucid writing in book. You actually breeze of through the books . The book has so many laugh out loud situation .
The side characters of the book are not ignored and you can resonate with them as well. 

“I miss parts of it. I don’t miss the actual place. That’s never as good as you remember it.”

I absolutely adored this book! Ashley is an amazing reviewer and I’m quite happy with this retelling. IT was a fangirl’s dresm, and I gratefully enjoyed every moment of it. I’m looking forward to the companion novel! The bonus content of the script was heart wrenching I’m the best way possible :)

I’m not normally a contemporary reader but this one really interested me, I’m glade that I gave this book a chance. I loved how is was such a modern retelling of Cinderella but still close to the classic one that we all know, it was fun looking for all the retelling aspects like the pumpkin being a food truck, Sage being the fairy godmother, and how all of this takes place in the world of the fandoms.

I feel like this something most readers and others can relate to because it takes place within the geek culture. I had never heard of Ashley Poston until this book, I’m so glade that I read it. The only issue that I had with this book is the text messages between Darien and Elle, to me the astetic of the text didn’t really look like text, if I didn’t have any knowledge of this book and I saw them, I would have never guessed they were text.