A copy of this book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm not really one for YA contemporaries, which is sort of strange, but I've been trying to read more of them lately. GEEKERELLA was a fun, light-hearted read that reimagines Cinderella in a modern world in a mostly realistic way, which lets you as the reader forget that it's a retelling (until the end). I put the book down a few times because of the stepmother, but overall enjoyed it.

As characters, Danielle and Darien were both a blast to read. I loved seeing them running through their lives and trying to connect with the other. Elle is thoughtful and resilient in a way that made my heart ache, and Darien a the dream heartthrob nerd who's a total cinnamon roll.

Although anyone who's familiar with Cinderella will be aware of this, there is some serious emotional abuse in this book from both Danielle's stepmother and her stepsister. That made me put the book down a few times—not because it's not realistic, but because it's hard to read. They are *awful*. The second stepsister has some nuance, but Chloe and Catherine are just straight-up cruel in a way that's heart-wrenching.

This was ultimately a 3.5 star book for me for a few reasons: Although Elle's background and relationship with her father was pretty fleshed out (I wouldn't have minded some flashbacks with him, though), I felt less of that development on Darien's end. Darien's relationship with his father doesn't make a ton of sense since there isn't much of a foundation for it; I didn't even know his mom was in the picture until the end. The whole falling-out with Brian also wasn't really explained until the very end, and even that was a bit lackluster. I wanted to understand how *both* main characters came to be the people they were with the drives they had, not just one.

I also would have loved to understand why Robin chose to marry Catherine in the first place, though, especially if he was so deeply in love with Elle's mom. I mean, not saying that you can't fall in love again, but Catherine is so STARKLY different that I wanted to see the side of her that she showed Robin.

I also think there should have been a bit more in the texts between Darien and Elle—they fall for each other but haven't really talked about much? I think it would have made more sense if they both shared a little bit more with each other as time went on. Darien feels like he *knows* Elle, but other than the time that she texts him saying that everything is ruined, she doesn't particularly share a ton with him. Also, when he asked her name, why didn't she ask his?? Or maybe she did at the beginning, and I don't remember.

Also, how is it that Elle has NO friends? I missed whether she went to the same high school as the twins, which might explain it, but I'm a little surprised she doesn't have at least *some*one who also feels isolated who approaches her.

A complete aside: I had no idea what race Darien was supposed to be. I knew he was a person of color, and the original actor for his character was David Singh—who I assume is supposed to be South Asian, from the name. But I didn't know if Darien was also South Asian. That might seem like a small thing to clarify, but as a person of color, I would have appreciated it.

Oh! Something I forgot to mention. I LOVED Sage. I loved how her friendship with Elle grew, how confident she was in herself. And I also loved that she stuck around and found a great relationship of her own.

Overall, anyone who loves YA contemporary would love GEEKERELLA. It's a fun, mostly light-hearted book that will especially appeal to anyone who's ever followed a fandom and understands what that's like. (I could hardcore relate to Elle's worries about the Starfield reboot!) And those of us who, for some inexplicable reason, aren't huge YA contemp readers will still enjoy the ride.

Super cute and fun story. Fast paced with clever language and wit! Perfect for the age range, a must read.

This was a really enjoyable , light-hearted story of a girl finding her place in the world and the TV series which inspires her throughout.

I found the TV series storyline quite easy to relate to and actually wanted to watch it by the end! On some level, most readers will have had 'fan love' for something in their life and even if not, the family storyline allows readers to understand the character's desire to keep the show so present in her life, in terms of how she makes various decisions and we can empathise with her.

However, some may have found other TV series mentions a little too embedded in the storyline if they do not appreciate the concept of being a true fan of something as it does feature in some way in every chapter.

That would be my only fault but otherwise I loved the overall message of the book and felt the show aspect helped it along a lot. Iwould recommend to students for their summer holiday reading list as an enjoyable book with a cute romance!

My nerd heart loved this so much!

The perfect blend of fangirl, fandoms, romance, and fame. Mixed with the classic Cinderella fairy tale, Poston created a brilliant story.

I admit that I'm typically not a big fan of the rockstar or famous actor type tropes. For some reason, they just usually seem too unrealistic. I think I struggle to believe that they're all just good dudes looking for a sweet, normal girl. (I still feel that way about this one, but the cuteness made it acceptable.)

I'm not going to lie, the beginning wasn't captivating. It took a good 15% for me to really get into it and to care. But then, I just wanted to read and read until I got to the end. And the entire time, I was dying for their true identities to be revealed. Because this also includes a kind of enemies to friends/lovers trope, and THAT, I love.

Now when they did meet (unknowing who each were), I loved it. I loved that they didn't get along. I loved that it wasn't insta-love. I love that there were more interactions between them—good and bad.

I think Sage was my favorite part of this book, though. No-holds-barred, hilarious, and best friend worthy, she made this book ten times better. Every scene with her (once her and Elle became friends) was my favorite. Especially a particularly hilarious one towards the end of the book.

Also! This book includes diversity in POC and the LGBT community. I didn't know this going in, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Poston reminded me how fun fandoms are, how fun they can be. How amazing it feels to be part of something. Part of something that others love as much as you. Something that brings you together, no matter your differences everywhere else in life. And I totally want to cosplay at a con.

precious adorable wonderful adorable cute OTP fandom awesomeness yes pls more books like this excited for the sequel

*Disclaimer: I received this for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't been reading much recently, getting into new routines and settling in to our new house, so I thought I'd pick up something light and fun.

This wasn't just an adorable romance plot-wise. This whole book is a love letter to fandoms. It highlights the alienation that avid fans can feel in 'normal' society, it touches on the fears that fans have when it comes to adaptations of their favourite shows, it looks at cosplay and convention culture, and alongside that it is a retelling of Cinderella.

The fact that it is a retelling does make the plot somewhat predictable. The stepmother was horrible, as were the stepsisters for the most part, but I did enjoy the side characters that Ashley Poston created. There is a lesbian romance subplot with two of the side characters but I wouldn't say that the book focuses on that at all so don't go into this thinking it has strong LGBT elements. I did like that that relationship happened very organically and there were no shock moments when it came to characters revealing their sexuality which is a testament to how it was handled by the author.

'Starfield', the fictional fandom explored in this book, is something that I would love to see on screen. It sounded like all of the best parts of Star Trek and Firefly, and if Ashley Poston ever decided to do a Carry On (by Rainbow Rowell) style spin-off, I would definitely read it!

Overall this was a sweet and fun book that I'm happy to have read. I picked it up at the perfect time and I think it would make a great holiday pick. The female protagonist wasn't always saved by the male love interest which was refreshing and I would highly recommend this book.

Growing up I loved the “Cinderella Story” and “Another Cinderella Story” movies. No finding something like this but in book form and nerd edition is like a dream come true. Something I never knew I needed but am so happy to have found it.
This story has everything to make my Fangirl heart beating plus amazing characters, funny, sad and infuriating moments.
Needless to say I love this book with all of my heart. “Look at the Stars. Aim. Ignite”

Loved loved loved it!!!! I absolutely loved this book! Im a huge fantasy lover so i was surprised at how much i loved this commentary one. im kicking myself for not picking this up sooner. this is the ultimate fangirl book! the character are very easy to relate to. I just love the relationship between them. If your any type of fangirl and like retelling you will love this book!!! as a " geek" myself i do wish elle was more confidence in herself. theres nothing wrong with being different and into geeky things. We're all geeks here! I absolutely loved the ending of the ball so much!

I'm a sucker for a fairy tale retelling, even though I feel like more often than not they are let down. Lucky for me, Geekerella was a surprise win! An adorable romance with little call outs to Cinderella all sandwich in a love letter to fandoms and cons. I love how Ashley Poston brought the story of Cinderella into a more modern setting and it made me all nostalgic for my years cosplaying and attending cons. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple POV stories but this one definitely worked for me. This is a book I can see myself rereading in the future and will be recommending all over the place!

My rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars. This review is based off an arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest reviews.

This is such a beautiful love letter to fandom! I was expecting your average, run of the mill YA rom-com, but this was so much more! Ashley Poston's passion for fandom bubbles up from every word, and that leads to a heartwarming love story, between a girl and a boy, and between the characters' relationship to fandom. The story was predictable, since it's a Cinderella retelling, but there were enough differences that I enjoyed myself. The characters are all distinct and believable, and the settings of the Magic Pumpkin and the convention were memorable. I loved this story and all that is represents.

What's not to love when you have a fairy tale re-imagining! It's everything you could want, and more. I was drawn in from the very first page and I didn't want it to end.

This. Was. So. Damn. CUTE. I mean, REALLY.

As far as Cinderella re-tellings go, I found this to parallel the Hilary Duff film "A Cinderella Story" more than anything else, Disney or otherwise. A short list, if you will, comparing Sam and Elle.

- Job: working at a diner vs working at a food truck
- First Met Prince Charming - email vs text messages
- Connection They Bond Over - University choice vs Starfield
- Friend - Kid everyone else thinks is weird
- Fairy Godmother - Person they work with

I could go on, but you get the idea. Very, very easy to swap this for that. And that said, I didn't hate it at all.

It was well put together as whole. The writing may not have been the best out there, but the characters were fun. Darien's point of view were particularly interesting in regards to the movie filming and the celebrity high life. Elle's on the other hand was really quite heart jerking. You expect the stepmother and sisters to be awful, but Poston really took it to another level. A few times I had to slam my mouth shut and be thankful I was reading in the lunchroom alone so no one heard whatever sound just came out. Like, who does shit like that to their stepkid and gets away with it? And in the same vein of stepsisters, Poston thread a little twist in there that I actually really appreciated.

I thought at first that the overly fangirl stuff was silly. But then as I read further, I realized I was being silly for thinking that. I may not be to the level where I go to conventions and cosplay, but I know how I am with things like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. Excited at every little drop of news that comes your way, devouring every tidbit you find, and re-reading and re-watching every chance you get. AKA fangirling. Geekerella went from silly to highly relatable very quickly. This book centres on Starfield, a sci-fi show that Elle grew up watching re-runs with her dad. Think Star Trek and Star Wars. Personally, I couldn't get excited about this fictional show, just because I'm not a fan of the aforementioned real shows (I realize I said I love Doctor Who, but that is so damn different and you know it!) However, Elle's love for it was contagious, as was Darien's. I might not be an expert on it, but I appreciate what it represents for them. There were a few references I didn't get or were overused, but it wasn't annoying.

This book came out a year ago, and I was surprised when it suddenly popped up on Netgalley, but boy was I happy to have gotten the chance to read it. I'd definitely read anything else Poston throws out.

I enjoyed this modern twist of a Cinderella tale. Dad dies and evil stepmother and stepsisters make Elle’s life hard. Instead of a Ball, there’s a ComicCon Dance to attend. A shoe gets left behind and there’s a princess to find.
I just reviewed Geekerella by Ashley Poston. #Geekerella #NetGalley

I LOVED Geekerella. It's such a fun and playful story, even with the awful people who try to make everyone else miserable. No joke, though, I read this before, a couple of months ago. The bonus content made my day, however. Reading the script of the final episode of the show that was the centre of it all, beauty.

Highly recommended to any con geeks, we're all in the geekdom together that way <3

This is an adorably perfect Cinderella retelling! There were just enough nods to the original to make it a solid retelling, but I was impressed at a lot of the original takes on the classic.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Ashley Poston's 'Geekerella' is a fun YA book that combines the traditional fairytale of Cinderella with the modern phenomenon of fandoms. Elle Wittimer is a teenage girl living with her evil stepmother and two stepsisters... sound familiar? She is obsessed with the cult TV show, Starfield and is desperate to attend ExcelsiCon, a convention where all things geek are celebrated. With a healthy dose of romance, humour and even a pumpkin carriage, this book should appeal to teens. I am most definitely not a teen, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I really love retellings of classic fairytales, so when I saw this available in Netgalley, I immediately requested it.

The blurb sounds really interesting. The MC is a fangirl like me which instantly connects me to her. The writing is good. I just don't really like how both main characters fell in love via text message, especially nowadays there are a lot of people who pretend to be other people. However, the two main characters are really likable.

Nonetheless, a cute, fun love story for everyone.

This is just as awesome as I knew this would be! I love how the cons are a part of this. I can definitely relate haha. Perfect. Can't wait to read more!

I couldn't really get into this one, to be honest. The writing is quite good, and I like the storyline/plot premise. But the way the main character refers to her relatives, and the discomfort of that, made it hard for me to connect with her (or anyone else in the book honestly) and I just decided to stop reading. This definitely may work well for others, and there's a chance I may revisit this down the track and really enjoy it, but right now it is a no from me.

Geekerella follows Danielle Wittimer, also known as Elle, the geek girl who adores the TV show Starfield, a sci-fi series she watched with her late father. Her father was the creator of ExcelisCon, a Starfield convention that Elle attended every year. This is the first year that Ella plans on going to the convention since her father died. Her plan is to enter the cosplay contest and win.

We also follow Darien Freeman, the teen actor who used to love attending ExcelisCon, before he became famous. Darien always dreamed of playing Prince Carmindor in Starfield, but he has been written off by the Starfield fandom. Darien feels like he is a fake as his meet and greet at ExcelisCon draws nearer. This is until he meets a girl who changes his mind.

This books pulled my heart out, stomped on it and put it right back. I loved this book a lot! I had avoided picking up this book for a long time as I do not like fairy-tale retellings. What a huge mistake I was making to not have read this book sooner. The Cinderella retelling is so subtle that I completely forgot that this was a retelling. It could easily have been classified as a noel with some references to Cinderella. I think this helped me to enjoy the books even more as the retelling aspects didn’t take me away from the story.

I loved how Darien and Elle’s stories intertwined. I got lost in their storylines. Elle was an excellent representation of geek girls; she was a huge part of the Starfield fandom and has her own blog dedicated to Starfield. Elle is also having to deal with her horrible stepmom and bratty stepsisters. I loved how hardworking and determined Elle was to win the cosplay contest and get herself a new life away from her stepmom. Darien stole my heart! He has been given the opportunity of a lifetime but doesn’t quite know who he is just yet. I loved how Darien spent the length of the story figuring out who he is and what he wants to do with his life.

Ashley Poston has done an excellent job of writing the fandom aspect of Geekerella. Ashley manages to sprinkle a lot of pop culture and fandom references throughout the story that I loved and I feel added to the story. The Starfield fandom that Ashley created has me hooked, I wanted to watch the show so badly. Starfield was special to both Elle and Darien and it helped to bond Elle’s parents, Elle and her father as well as Elle and Darien. I would love a Geekerella movie as well as a Starfield TV show. Ashley’s writing is so powerful I was convinced Starfield was real.

This book instantly landed a place on my top ten favourite books of all time. It is such an adorable book, with an added f/f romance which I loved. Geekerella is a love letter to fandoms and is a book I never knew I needed. Geekerella honours fandoms.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. I couldn’t put it down. If you are looking for a book on fandoms with added Cinderella aspects, this is the books for you.

Thank you to, Quirk Books, Ashley Poston and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.