Geekerella by Ashley Poston | Parent Guide & Review

Synopsis of Geekerella

Elle lives with her step-monster and two step-sisters, who love spending time at the country club and spending money trying to become famous. Elle is a geek. She loves an old television show called Starfield and has her own blog about it. Elle isn’t sure what to think about the actors in the movie adaptation, but her heart is set on winning the cosplay contest at the convention her Dad started before he died. Darien Freeman is a teen actor who lived for cons before his life was taken over by acting. His biggest dream was to play Prince Carmindor in Starfield, but as the convention draws closer, he feels more like an imposter until a mysterious girl changes his mind.

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First Impression

This book is an amazing contemporary Cinderella tale that is about a lot more than Cinderella’s side. Ads for this book have been popping up in my Facebook feed for months now and after reading a sneak peek I was hooked, but I had to find a copy. Yesterday, I found a copy of the audiobook through Overdrive and I couldn’t stop listening! I listened to the entire thing in one day because it was so good! Ashley Poston has done an amazing job of making the characters real and not perfect. They have fears and anxieties. One loves strong coffee and the other is afraid of heights. Little details like this are scattered though to make Geekerella come alive and draw readers in.

Book Ratings

Overall: PG

Violence: G

Language: PG innuendos

Adult Content: PG

Reading Level: Grade 7 – YA

Themes in Geekerella

Themes in a story can come in many different shapes and sizes, kind of like people. A theme can be a reoccurring idea or collection of ideas and are a great jumping off point for real-life discussions about topics and ideas that matter. Themes can also be the hidden message or underlying message that an author writes into the story. These more subtle messages are what makes a story interesting and complex. They also help us learn more about the characters and relate to them on a deeper level. Here are a few themes in Geekerella that you can talk about with friends, family or in book reviews (Hint: these could be the start for amazing English papers).

• Friendship: Both main characters learn what real friends are and not to make assumptions about others. Each character goes through the loss of friends and gaining new ones.
• Controlling Parents: This is one of the larger themes and conflicts in the novel. Two of the main parents portrayed in the book are very controlling and manipulative. They try to mold their teen instead of listening to what the teen wants. In contrast, there are also good depictions of what it means to be a loving and guiding parent. In the end, the teens stand up to their controlling parents and start communicating openly.
• Homosexuality: Very small theme, and more of a brief brush. There is one paragraph were one of the best friends is homosexual and comes out to the main character. There is no discussion about why or whether or not they like the main character. It does show acceptance and friendship without regard to sexuality.
• Not fitting in/Loneliness/Afraid of non-acceptance: I lumped these together because I think they play off of each other. All of these are conquered as the main characters bond together over a common interest (a sci-fi T.V. show) and when they meet up with others with similar interests at the convention. Both sides (popular and not popular) are presented and it shows that we have more in common with those around us than we originally thought.

Quotes

Here are some of my favorite quotes! I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book! Plus, I love all the references she sneaks in for various fandoms.

“Look to the Stars. Aim. Ignite.”

“My dad said the impossible is only impossible if you don’t even try. So I want to try.”

“What? Oh!” She shoves her phone into her back pocket. “Sorry, sorry. Do you ever feel like you’re forgetting something?”

“My underwear. All the time,” I say with dead seriousness. “Sometimes I give myself a wedgie just to make sure I have them on.”

My Thoughts

Honestly guys it took me forever to pick up Geekerella because I thought that it sounded super cheesy and I wasn’t sure how fandoms and romance went together. I’m so glad that I read this book though. It was super funny and clever. I especially love the real down-to-earth characters who have problems outside of their sci-fi obsessions. One of my favorite parts is at the very end when Elle and her step-mom are talking and Elle explains why she loves Starfield (the T.V. show) so much. I connected with that so much. The reason why Elle rewatches and geeks out about Starfield is the same reason why I love reading and talking about books. We love seeing the human side of the characters and feeling connected to them.

Next Books to Read

Here are some more book suggestions if you liked Geekerella: Beastly by Alix Flinn, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. If you want a longer list of books, check out this post full of fairytale retellings.

This is a must read for anyone who loves contemporary fairy-tales with a twist. What did you like about this book? What are some of your favorite fairy-tale adaptations?

Happy Reading!

Emily