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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
Finished reading: August 9th 2024
"My dad said that the impossible is only impossible if you don’t even try. So I want to try."
After enjoying her most recent adult fiction, I decided to dive into Ashley Poston's backlist for more books to read. While it's true that I don't read all that many YA books anymore, there was just something about this Cinderella retelling with a geek vibe that I couldn't resist. And I can't deny that I ended up having a lot of fun reading Geekerella! The retelling itself is really well done; the references to the fairytale were incorporated in a way that felt natural. My favorite part is the whole geek vibe though, with the fandom and ExelsiCon. This was so much fun to read about, and I could especially appreciate the connection both main characters have to the event. Geekerella uses a dual POV structure, switching between Danielle (Elle) and Darien. I did much prefer Darien over Elle, as it took me a little while to warm up to her and she could be quite stubborn. I liked her friend Sage a lot more, although I can't deny that I was rooting for both Elle and Darien with everything they had to go through. The text messages between them were a nice touch! The writing style itself was engaging, and it was really easy to keep turning those pages. The way everything was wrapped up in the end was also very satisfying... All in all a more than solid YA retelling, and I will be continuing the series in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Oof. I like Ashley Poston and I was looking for something light to read but this was insubstantial in every way. The characters were flat and the plot was like a Disney Channel movie but even less intelligent. There was zero nuance about anything. It borrowed heavily from A Cinderella Story with the anonymous texting and the main character (Danielle aka Elle, in this case) being heavily invested in her dad’s passion (a nerdy sci-fi series and convention here instead of baseball and his diner) but the evil stepmother takes everything away. I half expected her to find a secret will that showed everything went to her instead of her stepmother.
The only positive I can point to is the love shown to fandom. It’s the only good thing in Elle’s life and was a way she connected to her dad and explored the world socially. If you ever had a tumblr phase, this aspect will resonate with you.
Unfortunately, everything else is jam packed with all the emotional abuse Elle endures, seriously oversimplified aspects of the entertainment industry (Darien’s big budget sci-fi action movie is filmed in 23 days and is completely edited and premiered within the year… there’s no universe where this could happen), and some minor drama about gatekeepy geek boys and bad dad manager behavior.
The only positive I can point to is the love shown to fandom. It’s the only good thing in Elle’s life and was a way she connected to her dad and explored the world socially. If you ever had a tumblr phase, this aspect will resonate with you.
Unfortunately, everything else is jam packed with all the emotional abuse Elle endures, seriously oversimplified aspects of the entertainment industry (Darien’s big budget sci-fi action movie is filmed in 23 days and is completely edited and premiered within the year… there’s no universe where this could happen), and some minor drama about gatekeepy geek boys and bad dad manager behavior.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
clarawithc's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Super cute! A perfect lighthearted read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Stalking and Car accident
kathigusi's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident
stormywolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
I came across this one while scanning the Quirk back-catalog, and then saw that it's the first in a series with a 3rd book recently released. Pop culture, con culture, romance, and a fairytale retelling? Yes, please!
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, there's not much more I can say about how I loved this book. Despite knowing the original story inside and out, Poston wove just enough unique elements in and around and through it to craft a newly enjoyable experience. Whether you enjoy romance, YA, pop culture, Hollywood, fairytales, or just geeking out about things you like, there's no doubt you'll find something to love about this story. And I hear the next books do more with Starfield and, so I don't doubt I'll be running with Stargunners again in the near future. Until then, look to the stars. Aim. Ignite. ...And read.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, there's not much more I can say about how I loved this book. Despite knowing the original story inside and out, Poston wove just enough unique elements in and around and through it to craft a newly enjoyable experience. Whether you enjoy romance, YA, pop culture, Hollywood, fairytales, or just geeking out about things you like, there's no doubt you'll find something to love about this story. And I hear the next books do more with Starfield and, so I don't doubt I'll be running with Stargunners again in the near future. Until then, look to the stars. Aim. Ignite. ...And read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Car accident
noreadingdegree's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
if you love the early 2000s movie a cinderella story starring hilary duff then this is the book for you! it took awhile for me to get into this, but by the end i really enjoyed it.
first and foremost, i adored the fandom/cosplay aspects of this novel. the author's modern interpretations of cinderella were fun and quirky which made for a fun and enjoyable read. this book also hit me in the feels a few times. i also wanted to throw some punches at the stepmom/sisters a few times.
i had a good time reading this book, but there were a few things that kept it from being a favorite. towards the end, the "conflict" was incredibly juvenile and cringeworthy. look, i get that these characters are teenagers, but the cinderella "reveal' is literally her stepsister telling everyone that she was a "geeky loser"....at a fandom convention...during a cosplay ball...seriously? i am getting secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it right now. i also never felt 100% behind elle and darien. i didn't get enough of their interaction on page for me to completely root for them.
first and foremost, i adored the fandom/cosplay aspects of this novel. the author's modern interpretations of cinderella were fun and quirky which made for a fun and enjoyable read. this book also hit me in the feels a few times. i also wanted to throw some punches at the stepmom/sisters a few times.
i had a good time reading this book, but there were a few things that kept it from being a favorite. towards the end, the "conflict" was incredibly juvenile and cringeworthy. look, i get that these characters are teenagers, but the cinderella "reveal' is literally her stepsister telling everyone that she was a "geeky loser"....at a fandom convention...during a cosplay ball...seriously? i am getting secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it right now. i also never felt 100% behind elle and darien. i didn't get enough of their interaction on page for me to completely root for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia and Grief
Minor: Car accident
main character's parents died and it is often discussed/shown how that has affected her and how she continues to deal with the grief.
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