Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: RandomHouse Australia
Goodreads
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.Review by Nara
Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.
Geekerella is quite a feel-good contemporary romance that puts a modern twist on the classic tale of Cinderella. I'm really liking how there are more and more books coming out these days which touch on fandoms and fan culture in general. Starting from Fangirl, there have been an increasing wave of novels centring around characters who are utterly relateable in their geekiness and enthusiasm of pop culture.
I have to admit, the romance in general (which is the main thing carrying the plot through) felt a bit superficial, but that was probably okay in this novel, which was more of a fluffy contemporary than a really in depth, thought provoking story. It has the type of storyline that would actually make a really great movie. It's a bit cliched, but again this was totally fine and what I expected in a novel marketed as "Cinderella with a fandom twist".
I like how the author changed little aspects of the original tale, making it quite recognisable and yet still fresh and modern. These things were quite fun to pick up on so I won't mention them and you can try discover them for yourselves. The twist on the fairy godmother was quite different, in that it's Elle's friend who is the "fairy godmother". Sage is hilarious, and down to earth, and she definitely adds a lot to the story.
The ending was so damn cheesy, but in a way that made you feel satisfied, and I found myself smiling to myself at the last few scenes in the novel. Seriously would be great to see some of those scenes on the screen- hoping someone picks up the film rights.
All in all, an excellent modern retelling of Cinderella with relateable characters and a feel-good romance. Recommended to those who like fluffy contemporaries.
Sidenote: other recommendations for fandom centred novels that I've read- Fangirl, Eliza and Her Monsters, Queens of Geek
Really liked it
RatingsOverall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Cover: 4/5
