Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Hey all, Dani here.

Okay, fine, yes, I know I said some fantasy reviews would be coming, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review this adorable contemporary romance. Will you forgive me if I say that this book involves geeky characters and a lot of the book centers around the fandom of a sci-fi TV show and its upcoming movie reboot? Oh, and there’s also a fandom convention in the book too. It was just such a good book. I have to gush about it, okay?

Summary

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

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.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

This book was so cute! I loved it so much! First off, the cover is adorable, and the quality of the books pages, as well as the cute artwork on the inside of the cover and the title page is just wonderful. It is absolutely an adorable geeky modern take on Cinderella.

Elle and Darien and even Sage were such great characters. I really enjoyed watching the development of the characters and seeing them interact. Sage was a fantastic “fairy godmother” and I frankly would like to have a companion book or sequel that focuses on Sage. That would be really cool.

I love that this book showcases how a passionate fandom of a show reacts to a movie reboot of a beloved TV series. I related to it so much, because I have been one of those people with concerns when a new adaptation or a reboot is announced. You worry that the cast won’t be how you think of them, you worry that it just won’t feel the same, you worry that they will completely screw up the plot. So I greatly appreciate that Elle was one of those Starfield fans who really cared about the show.

I also really enjoyed that Darien was a fan of the show himself, and wanted the reboot to go well because he cared about Starfield and portraying the Carmindor the right way. I felt bad whenever people assumed that he wasn’t a true fan and that he would ruin the movie.

So basically this book really lets you feel for the characters. And obviously the plot pretty much follows the basic Cinderella story, so I don’t think I need to hash that out for you. But can I say that I loved that the ball was actually a cosplay masquerade ball at the convention? It was adorable and awesome.

Oh, and the fact that Sage and Elle worked in a food truck called The Magic Pumpkin? Come on, that is fantastic!

I could just gush on and on about this book, but I’ll just stop now by saying that you need to go and pick up this book. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year! It just made me feel so happy and the fangirl in me absolutely adored it.

Where to Buy

You can pick up your own copy of Geekerella from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.