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asreadbyfeb's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
mediashadowreads's review against another edition
4.0
*Warning – Contains MINOR spoilers*
Got to love a good retelling. As a child Cinderella was one of my favourite fairy tales and growing up I still have a soft spot for the tale… I’m a big fan of retellings anyway but when I heard about Geekerella I just had to pick it up and I’m glad I did so. This is a very nicely done retelling… to be fair it’s incredibly well written, to the point where during the book I forgot it was actually a retelling. It had enough individuality to hold its own so to speak.
One of the biggest plus’ for me was the writing style… it flowed so well and was so so easy to follow. I tend to find sometimes with contemporaries that I will skim some of the book because you tend to have extra bits added in here and there that don’t add to the story but with this book I didn’t actually do that. It all felt relevant. It all felt important to the story. And I think a lot of that did have to do with the writing style so big props to Poston for pulling that off… because it most certainly isn’t an easy thing to do.
Now in terms of characters… leading lady Elle made a bigger impact for me than Darien… don’t get me wrong Darien was a sweet character but Elle just took the star of the show award for me. I think her level of geekiness and the fact she’s a blogger like myself and like many of you guys out there just made her so relateable, so quirky and so lovable. She had her moments of being massively feisty and she had her moments of sorrow but she never strayed away from her love of Starfield and the community that surrounded the show and that is something that is not too far away from what many of us have with our book community.
Darien too had his geekiness but over time he had to hide it away… that too I think is relateable for a lot of people, the idea of being labelled a geek or a nerd isn’t always seen as a positive in some peoples eyes and it can often make you a target for nasty comments. As a youngster I went through this so I can relate so much to Darien in terms of that. He’s wants to be his true nerdy self but as per usual… the chic cool actor must come first, his true self has to be hidden away or it risks ruining his ‘image’. I like that the book deals with that as an undercurrent… obviously the geekiness and the romance of this book are the main story elements but particularly with Darien this book shows us that it’s ok to be whoever you are… you can be the cool actor and still totally nerd out over a tv show kind of thing.
Whilst the set up of this book is obviously predictable because of the fact it is a Cinderella retelling it still very much held a big chunk of individuality and uniqueness that made it even more enjoyable. I like that we had Elle’s friend and colleague essentially as the ‘fairy godmother’ and the Magic Pumpkin food truck as the wonderful ride to the ball… we had the evil stepsisters who were also twisted a little in the book… so instead of both the sisters being ‘evil’ turns out only one of them really is… and even then its not really all that bad. I like that Darien essentially knew who Elle was at the end of the ball and didn’t have to go around having every girl in the ‘kingdom’ trying on a glass slipper… he knew who she was and now simply had to find her.
One of the things that for me let it down slightly and was the main reason I knocked it a star was because the ending just seemed a little too rushed. Yes… this book I believe was meant to be a light and easy read but I feel like the period of time after the ball should have been a little more drawn out and suspenseful to a certain point. And then when Darien declared his ‘love’ to Elle it should have been more… sweet and cute and just had the moment held for a little longer… basically the ending quarter… in my opinion should have been drawn out just a little bit more than it was. Because for me it felt a little forced and rushed.
This story was sweet… the characters were sweet and very much relateable. Was this story predictable? Yes… in most aspect but it had certain elements that just gave it a really nice change, a different pace and a different feel altogether. This book is definitely one to get you out of a reading slump in my opinion, Cinderella is a well loved fairy tale and Geekerella definitely does the original story justice whilst still bringing its own spark. If you like your quirky contemporary retellings then I’d definitely suggest Geekerella… even more so if you’re into all things geeky…
Would I suggest this book to other bookworms?
If you like your contemp’s or retelling then you definitely need to pick this up!
Am I completely in love with this book?
In love no… but it was an easy fun read so I’m not far off!
Got to love a good retelling. As a child Cinderella was one of my favourite fairy tales and growing up I still have a soft spot for the tale… I’m a big fan of retellings anyway but when I heard about Geekerella I just had to pick it up and I’m glad I did so. This is a very nicely done retelling… to be fair it’s incredibly well written, to the point where during the book I forgot it was actually a retelling. It had enough individuality to hold its own so to speak.
One of the biggest plus’ for me was the writing style… it flowed so well and was so so easy to follow. I tend to find sometimes with contemporaries that I will skim some of the book because you tend to have extra bits added in here and there that don’t add to the story but with this book I didn’t actually do that. It all felt relevant. It all felt important to the story. And I think a lot of that did have to do with the writing style so big props to Poston for pulling that off… because it most certainly isn’t an easy thing to do.
Now in terms of characters… leading lady Elle made a bigger impact for me than Darien… don’t get me wrong Darien was a sweet character but Elle just took the star of the show award for me. I think her level of geekiness and the fact she’s a blogger like myself and like many of you guys out there just made her so relateable, so quirky and so lovable. She had her moments of being massively feisty and she had her moments of sorrow but she never strayed away from her love of Starfield and the community that surrounded the show and that is something that is not too far away from what many of us have with our book community.
Darien too had his geekiness but over time he had to hide it away… that too I think is relateable for a lot of people, the idea of being labelled a geek or a nerd isn’t always seen as a positive in some peoples eyes and it can often make you a target for nasty comments. As a youngster I went through this so I can relate so much to Darien in terms of that. He’s wants to be his true nerdy self but as per usual… the chic cool actor must come first, his true self has to be hidden away or it risks ruining his ‘image’. I like that the book deals with that as an undercurrent… obviously the geekiness and the romance of this book are the main story elements but particularly with Darien this book shows us that it’s ok to be whoever you are… you can be the cool actor and still totally nerd out over a tv show kind of thing.
Whilst the set up of this book is obviously predictable because of the fact it is a Cinderella retelling it still very much held a big chunk of individuality and uniqueness that made it even more enjoyable. I like that we had Elle’s friend and colleague essentially as the ‘fairy godmother’ and the Magic Pumpkin food truck as the wonderful ride to the ball… we had the evil stepsisters who were also twisted a little in the book… so instead of both the sisters being ‘evil’ turns out only one of them really is… and even then its not really all that bad. I like that Darien essentially knew who Elle was at the end of the ball and didn’t have to go around having every girl in the ‘kingdom’ trying on a glass slipper… he knew who she was and now simply had to find her.
One of the things that for me let it down slightly and was the main reason I knocked it a star was because the ending just seemed a little too rushed. Yes… this book I believe was meant to be a light and easy read but I feel like the period of time after the ball should have been a little more drawn out and suspenseful to a certain point. And then when Darien declared his ‘love’ to Elle it should have been more… sweet and cute and just had the moment held for a little longer… basically the ending quarter… in my opinion should have been drawn out just a little bit more than it was. Because for me it felt a little forced and rushed.
This story was sweet… the characters were sweet and very much relateable. Was this story predictable? Yes… in most aspect but it had certain elements that just gave it a really nice change, a different pace and a different feel altogether. This book is definitely one to get you out of a reading slump in my opinion, Cinderella is a well loved fairy tale and Geekerella definitely does the original story justice whilst still bringing its own spark. If you like your quirky contemporary retellings then I’d definitely suggest Geekerella… even more so if you’re into all things geeky…
Would I suggest this book to other bookworms?
If you like your contemp’s or retelling then you definitely need to pick this up!
Am I completely in love with this book?
In love no… but it was an easy fun read so I’m not far off!
jenkoch88's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
madelynnfish's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
sandra4444's review against another edition
4.0
"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite."
This book was a cute and fun read that had me smiling the whole way through. Sure, it's a bit cheesy at times and the romance isn't the most captivating I've ever read, but overall, this book made me feel. Feel an intense appreciation for the different fandoms that have played a part in my life throughout the years; for the connections they have forged and for all the feels and memories they have given me, both good and bad.
Elle could be very relatable in her love for Starfield and Sage even more so with her - all too few - LotR references. An interesting take on the story of Cinderella and a lovely story about fandom and everything that comes with it. Reading this book, it felt a bit like being embraced by someone saying that they understand you. And isn't that a wonderful thing to feel?🌟
This book was a cute and fun read that had me smiling the whole way through. Sure, it's a bit cheesy at times and the romance isn't the most captivating I've ever read, but overall, this book made me feel. Feel an intense appreciation for the different fandoms that have played a part in my life throughout the years; for the connections they have forged and for all the feels and memories they have given me, both good and bad.
Elle could be very relatable in her love for Starfield and Sage even more so with her - all too few - LotR references. An interesting take on the story of Cinderella and a lovely story about fandom and everything that comes with it. Reading this book, it felt a bit like being embraced by someone saying that they understand you. And isn't that a wonderful thing to feel?🌟
cheyarsen's review against another edition
4.0
Genuinely loved this book. A super cute devotion to fandoms everywhere. Honestly I didn't realize how much of a geek I was until I read this book. Not that that's a bad thing. The only reason I'm giving this book four stars instead of five is because the first one hundred and something pages were pretty repetitive and it was kind of hard to get through. But if you're having trouble reading it, just keep pushing through because the ending is so worth it. Super cute read that perfectly wraps up my last book. One of the better contemporary novels I've read.
(Also, the reason it took me so long to read this has nothing to do with the book itself.)
(Also, the reason it took me so long to read this has nothing to do with the book itself.)
kerameia's review against another edition
4.0
Having finished the book at 2:30 a.m. today, I'm still relishing (it's noon) the "feels" that it evoked. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a whole. It had me (literally) laughing out loud, eagerly turning pages in the hopes that the latest twist would work itself out, and squealing with delight at the phrases, references, and nods to all things "geek".
The characters and fandom culture are the most appealing factors for me. Elle and Darian's loyalty to and respect for cannon, their humility in identifying as true fans, and the reasons for which they love Starfield (the characters, the values & lessons learned), are all qualities that resonate with me. I also especially love and appreciate the descriptive, family-like atmosphere of ExcelsiCon (thinking of how other cosplayers came together for Elle) -- I could clearly envision the crowds, the mingling of cosplayers. It was beautiful.
I think the author's working of Cal as her own person, and not just a cookie-cutter stepsister, to be refreshing; it makes the Cinderella story more realistic. The other secondary characters are, for the most part, well-developed and provide a good supporting cast. I especially think Sage is awesome, and her relationship with Elle to be realistic.
The characters and fandom culture are the most appealing factors for me. Elle and Darian's loyalty to and respect for cannon, their humility in identifying as true fans, and the reasons for which they love Starfield (the characters, the values & lessons learned), are all qualities that resonate with me. I also especially love and appreciate the descriptive, family-like atmosphere of ExcelsiCon (thinking of how other cosplayers came together for Elle) -- I could clearly envision the crowds, the mingling of cosplayers. It was beautiful.
I think the author's working of Cal as her own person, and not just a cookie-cutter stepsister, to be refreshing; it makes the Cinderella story more realistic. The other secondary characters are, for the most part, well-developed and provide a good supporting cast. I especially think Sage is awesome, and her relationship with Elle to be realistic.