Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a super fun and really adorable book! I love the MCs, the fandom and the overall cuteness! Seriously. This book needs to be fangirl-ed over.

I received an arc to read and review.

Wonderful read with fantastic characters! I would like to commend Ms. Ashley Poston for this amazing novel! I really enjoyed it! It's nostalgic. I remembered how I started to become fan. Fanatics can definitely relate into this! I believe that once you learn about the fandom world, there's no way out. You'll always be a fan forever.

This book just worked on so many levels. On the surface, and from the promos and summary you think it is just a modern retelling of Cinderella, but it is really more than that. It is about believing and trusting in your self, as well as others. It is about taking those risks that you wouldn't normally dream of taking, and about how family isn't always the people you are related too. I also like how it poked fun at fandom and the crazy but beautiful people those fans can be.

Danielle, also known as Elle, was a great character. She often presented herself to the world as the downtrodden stepsister of twins, Chloe and Calliope (yes that is really her name) and her evil stepmother Catherine. But she has an inner strength that I admire even when she gives in to her stepmothers demands and ignores (or tries to) her sister's horrible behavior towards her. She also writes a blog, just for her own amusement, although she does have a few followers. I felt that I could really relate to her.

I also liked Darien, he was a sweet geek that was thrust into stardom by his father. His fans cracked me up as well. I loved the fact that his dad, who is also his agent, had his abs insured. What a concept. Darien grew more than Elle in this story I think. It was nice to see part of the story from his perspective, he just wasn't the object of a fangirls obsession, but had doubts and issues of his own. I really felt how lonely he was and how accidentally texting someone and then starting a friendship with them through texts, where he could hide his true identity, was so sad and depressing. Being a teen superstar must be so lonely.

The twins were solid characters and so was the stepmother Catherine. I liked that one of the sisters wasn't quite as evil as Elle thought by the end of the book, and that she was able to shine a little at the end too. Catherine was an interesting character, although we didn't see her that much. I liked that the author included some motivation as to why she was so mean to Elle.

The fairy godmother role is played by Sage, a really scary girl on the surface, but in the end sweet and caring and endearing to all. I loved her food truck the Magic pumpkin, and how much she came to care for Elle and helped her out.

Overall, a really great read that was not only a fun retelling of Cinderella but an homage to fangirls and boys everywhere.

This book was a very fun Cinderella retelling. I loved how things were changed to fit with the story they're trying to tell (contest instead of a ball, Cinderella meeting the Prince beforehand), I think it went very well. Yes, things got a little predictable (like with what happened to Elle's mum's dress) but the characters were fun and interesting. Plus another book which shows you can add diversity into a book without it being a huge big thing. Enjoyed it very much!

Geekerella is a book I didn't know I needed until I finished it. The cast of characters were so great and I loved the romance build-up.

I really could relate to Elle's character and thought she had so much growth through out the story. Darien was the cutest and I wanted to bundle him up and cuddle him all day. I really felt for both of them and I loved their connection.

Elle is SO passionate about her favorite show and I love that it is something that reminds her of her dad. I lost mine at a young age, too, and I still hold tight to all of the memories and belongings that I have of him. I'm glad Elle had Sage as her best friend/fairy godmother to help her get through the worst of times and be there for her when she needed it.

There were SO many cute scenes and I'm honestly feeling a re-read here soon because it just made me so happy. This is definitely the book to read when you're feeling down and need a pick-me-up. Yes, it had some harsh scenes and characters but the over all story is worth it. Definitely a must read.

It is funny timing was that I got this book just as I was gearing up to attend a Comic convention in my area. The plot of this book centers around Elle (Danielle) Wittmer, who is determined to enter a cosplay contest for the new Starfield movie at the local ExcelsiCon in memory of her father who died many years before. Elle and her father spent hours together watching Starfield, a show that they both loved so very much. Of course her stepmother disapproves, and her step-sisters are determined to win the same contest in order to launch their make-up vlog into viral stardom.
So I read this book, in which Elle gears up to attend ExcelsiCon as I was gearing up to attend Comicon and then read the details of the Con and aftermath after having attended my own Comicon. Serendipity.

You don't need to attend Comic or Fan conventions to love this book. It is a wonderful version of the classic Cinderella story brought into the modern world in a smart and believable way. Elle is a character that you can really champion and rally around. She faces her adversity in the role of Cinderella (Geekerella) with a great deal of determination. Hers is a story that anyone can identify with in one way or another, and it manages to have some real heart. You can feel how very much that Elle loved her father, and how much she misses him. There is no question that what Elle stands to lose is heart wrenching, much more so than in the original from which it is inspired.

I loved this story. It is the perfect fairy tale for those that let their geek flag fly.

I absolutely love fairy tale reworkings, especially in the YA genre, and this one does not disappoint. A retelling of Cinderella, Geekerella reads like the Geek Girls Guide, with a true and complete understanding of the geek fandom lifestyle. Elle and Sage are the perfect team as they go on this adventure together, and the "evil" stepmom and twin stepsisters are fleshed out to not just be flat, mean people, but very nuanced in why they are the way they are. The love story between Elle and Darien builds beautifully and I loved how both characters fumble through it but ultimately prevail. The best part of the book however is how accurately Poston captures what these various fandoms mean to so many people. There were several times that my eyes filled with tears as Elle described how Starfield helps make her feel accepted and understood in the crazy world of being a teen girl.

Loved the concept of the book! It was unique and refreshing and yet very timely. Thoroughly satisfying read!

This was a fun retelling of Cinderella. It was well written and my favorite part was the main character has an obsession with a tv show and finds other like her to help cope with the death of her father. Unfortunately, her step mother thinks it is a waste of time. This reminds me of my crazy obsession for Harry Potter. "It taught me a lot of things. Like about friendship and loyalty, and how to think critically and look for all sides of a narrative..." This can apply to any fandom out there. We can find people who share our passions and form long lasting friendships. This was a creative story. I mean, the "pumpkin" for this Cinderella story is a food truck! I highly recommend this believable retelling of a classic fairy tale.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston was absolutely fantastic! It's a perfect 5/5 stars filled with fun characters, vegan food trucks, and cosplay contests--what more could you ask for! Geekerella is perfect for any fangirl or fanboy out there looking for a fun, contemporary read with a geeky twist.

I am probably going to say it every time I read fairytale revamp that I really enjoy retold and re-imagined versions of stories we all know by heart and love.

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As you can guess Geekerella by Ashley Piston is one such tale and I’m sure you can guess the parent backbone. Here’s some clues:

A) nasty stepmother

B) icky twins

C) orphaned

D) a ball

Yup, you guessed it, Cinderella! Though not my all time favorite I do happen to like the tale.

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Danielle is our “princess” who was left to live with her selfish unreasonable stepmother after her sci fi loving dies in a car accident. Her love of Star field which she shared with her father will be her ticket out. After the announcement of a movie reboot of her beloved low key show she decides to return to the convention (con) her father founded when she was a little girl. She hasn’t been since he died but if she were to win the star field costume contest she could find her freedom away from her step family and maybe find somewhere to belong. Someone to love her.

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Darien Freeman is an actor that was cast as the reboot movie’s hero, our prince have you. The star gunners, fans of the star field show, think he is a terrible choice due to his vapid heart throb role on a soap opera. What people don’t understand is that he himself is a stargunner but his manager tries to keep it quite to make sure Darien’s heart throb status doesn’t get overshadowed by the geekdom. So in a way he is also a bit like our Cinderella.

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Even though you know how the story basically and how it ends Ashley Piston spun a story that was still entertaining and engaging. It was also pretty funny sometimes too.

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I give it an enthusiastic 4 of 5 stars!

So if you are into fairytale revamps I highly recommend Geekerella!

And remember my little booklings,

A dream is a wish your heart makes…

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite!”

This novel was adorable. I devoured this Cinderella retelling in a day. I loved that it was about geeky things. Elle was extremely relateable and a well-written character. I recommend it for readers who like contemporary novels and for those who want to read a book that embraces fandom culture completely.

My full review can be found at [a cup of tea and an armful of books] at the the link below.

I am a sucker for Cinderella retellings. Out of all of the fairytales in the world, this is one that just never gets old to me. Seeing one that was a retelling with a fandom twist, well...I was sold. My expectations for anything Cinderella-like...hatred of the stepmother, love of the Cinderella character, and tons of swoons. This book delivered.

Geekerella follows Elle, our nerdy Cinderella character, and Darien, our prince Charming. Both are deep in the world of Starfield (kind of seemed like a mix of Star Wars and Star Trek, with a dedicated fandom like Doctor Who). Obviously Elle is living with her stepmother and stepsisters, while working constantly to try to save up to get out of there. Her anticipation for Starfield to be brought to the big screen is high, until they announce who will be playing the lead...Darien. Not the ideal pick in her eyes, Darien comes across as the Hollywood type that is in it for the money. Little does she know he is a major Starfield fan as well.

This book follows texts, blogs, and various fandom things. It has so much that I think we all can relate to, and what some may dream of in our world of fandoms. The connection between Darien and Elle is something else. It's real, not without it's imperfections, but very much their own. I found myself rooting for them, longing for them to be together. I found myself feeling all the emotions I typically do in a Cinderella story (I even teared up a bit. Seriously, a huge Cinderella nerd here).

This book was adorable and I sucked it all up so fast. It was everything I wanted it to be, and I cannot wait for it to be out in the world for everyone else to get their hands on it. We need more retellings like this. What a wonderful, heartwarming story.

This book was adorable and perfect - I LOVED IT!

Two things that I will never get tired of: Cinderella retellings and books about fandoms. And Geekerella was BOTH - lucky me! This book was everything that I hoped it would be - beautiful friendships, adorable romance, family drama, great self-discovery, and the heart of the story showcased all the positivity that comes out of being a part of a fandom!

There is a great range of diverse characters and they are all amazing. Our main characters are Elle and Darien, and the story is told through their alternating POVs - I really enjoyed this! Elle is such a relatable character, I think we've all felt a little lonely and different at some point in our lives. And for me, I saw myself in her every time she felt weird and different but being a part of a fandom helped her feel less alone. I'm still that girl, so I just loved reading about a character I could relate so easily to.

Then there's Darien - such a sweetheart! I enjoyed seeing his side of the story because his life is the complete opposite of Elle's but similar in a lot of ways, too. He's the current heartthrob and I liked seeing how he dealt with fame. Also, the pressure he experiences to live up to such an important role in a reboot (of an already beloved series) was interesting to read.

I have to point out that the fandom surrounding this series, Starfield, is AWESOME. In this world, it was the first sci-fi series to have a POC playing the lead.. So, I was already sold on this book being awesome from that alone.

The romance is adorable! All the family drama is very much like Cinderella, which I enjoyed since I'm such a fan of the original tale. The friendships are the BEST, and her friend Sage is SO awesome (I miss her already)! Okay. Obviously, I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys Cinderella or contemporary stories! :)

Geekerella has been on my radar because of the praise it has been getting from my Goodreads friends. Normally, I’m not one for famous-people-romances, but it was becoming harder and harder for me to dismiss the praise, so I decided to give it a go. And OMG. I’m so so thrilled I decided to read it because this book made my shipper heart indescribably happy. It’s such a sweet Cinderella retelling, which manages to not only be fresh, but memorable in every way.

I honestly thought every aspect of Geekerella was fantastic, but for me what really stood out was how well-developed the characters were. Ashley Poston may have been inspired by an old fairy tale, but she takes her time to flesh out her characters so that they are so much more than their fairy tale counterparts. There’s Danielle, our Cinderella, who I almost immediately connected with because she’s so likeable. She’s pretty much living in hell with her step-mother and the evil step-sisters, but she still manages to have hope, courage and kindness for those around, much like the original Cinderella. I found her exuberance for her favorite show, Starfield, that she bonded with her father over, to be infectious. Just as the title indicates, she was a total geek and an adorable one at that.

We are also luckily privy to Darien’s, a teen heartthrob, who is set to play Prince Carmindor in a reboot of Starfield, voice. I thought it was great that the author added his POV to the book because it added an extra dimension to Geekerella. I loved this boy so much. He may have been a famous celebrity, but he was humble, slightly tortured, and such a genuinely good guy. His complicated relationship with his dad, his desire to want to do a good job as Prince Carmindor even though the fandom wasn’t rooting for him, and his sweet demeanor made him easy to fall for.

His and Danielle’s relationship was the perfect slow burn kind that develops through text messaging – I’ve come to realize just how much I love it when book characters fall in love via letters and texts. It makes everything extra swoony, especially when they finally get around to meeting. I was nervous that when Elle and Darien would meet, there would be unnecessary drama and separation given how Elle wrote a scathing blog post about Darien being cast as Prince Carmindor, but the author manages to keep the romance surprisingly drama-free. It’s a sweet romance with so many deliciously shippy moments, and I 100% felt the connection between the two as they found solace in one another. Besides the romance, we also get a great friendship in the form of Elle’s budding relationship with Sage, her co-worker at the food truck. It was lovely to see a great positive female friendship here.

I also loved how effortlessly diverse Geekerella was. Darien was of Indian descent, and there was also a super sweet f/f ship that I LOVED – seriously, I legit flailed and squeed when it happened because it just was so unexpected, but also I didn’t realize how much I wanted it until it happened. I thought the fandom elements were also written beautifully. It’s an amazing feat, in my opinion, that Ashley Poston was able to make me feel like this fandom was actually real and that I, myself, was part of it. I also really loved how she incorporated elements from Cinderella into the story. The great thing about it all was how it remained cheese-free! I loved all the homage the book pays to the Disney version.

Yeah so, if you’re looking for a book that you will devour from start to finish, that will give you all sorts of swoony feels and make you giddy with all the fandom references, then what are you waiting for? Buy Geekerella ASAP. You will not regret this purchase!

“I hear the observation deck is nice this time of year, Carmindor.”
“Only on the south side of Metron.”

You’d think you’ve seen one Cinderella retelling and you’ve seen them all, right? Geekerella proved me wrong and, trust me, I have seen and read almost all of them. It takes the retelling to a level I wasn’t expecting; I wasn’t disappointed. I knew the anger for her stepmother and stepsisters was going to be off the charts, and it was, but in the end the rest of the story was much more interesting and the frustration for Elle’s situation was put a little bit on the side.

The beauty of this book is that there’s not only Elle’s side of the story. We see as much of Elle’s life and we see Darien’s. We see both stories, both struggles and how their worlds, so different, collides. I loved all the geeky references. I’m happy to say I knew every single one of them. It’s great to see someone else being as much of a geek as you are.

Elle is a super fan of a classic tv series called Starfield. He saw every single episode a trillion times with her father and now that he’s gone, she still feels the show like a big connection between them. She is a Stargunner, that’s the fandom name, and writes a blog about it. It’s funny seeing how the fandom explodes as soon as a reboot of the series is announced. I have seen this happening so many times. We have new fans of the series, old fans, and fans of the actors playing the roles. And it’s a complete chaos. Tumblr drama!

Our dear Darien, a character I loved from the very beginning, is an actor and, yes, he is going to play Carmindor in the new reboot movie. Are the fans happy? Of course not. They don’t know how big of a geek our boy is. Oh, if they knew they’ll be totally in love with him and much more supportive. Playing such a big role, a character people have loved for years, puts a lot of pressure on such a young boy. His life is not going to be the same. Darien is already famous; he acts in a tv series, maybe something like 90210 or Dawson’s Creek, and has lots of adoring fangirls. And with adoring, I mean obsessing.

Elle works in a vegan food truck called the Magic Pumpkin with the eccentric Sage. She has a curfew and has to do every single chore around the house. The poor girl is a mess and needs to find the courage to stand up for what’s right and build herself a better present and future. She doesn’t need to be saved; she needs to believe she can so that she will be free of the injustices life has thrown at her.

"But no one should be that vicious, period. She’s like a Dalek with a blacklist. Absolutely relentless."

Darien, on the other hand, doesn’t have a perfect life like people might think. He is rich, famous and has landed a big movie role, but he isn’t himself, he sells the image his manager, his father, has built for him. He just wants to show the world the things he cares about, he wants to show his weak sides, his fun sides, a lot about him that people usually assumes without taking time to know him better. Darien is such a sweet boy, adorable and funny. There’s so much about him that people don’t see and it’s a pity because I think those sides of him are what makes him the wonderful boy he is.

Needless to say, I loved Elle and I definitely loved Darien. I wanted them to find happiness, to be their best selves and to be free of things that were taking them down. Let’s just say I was glad this was a retelling because if there was not going to be a happy ending I was going to get cranky. I love happy endings.

There’s so much to love about this book. It deals with the importance of representation in the media: Darien is dark skinned and so is Carmindor. A kid seeing someone like him in a tv show is important, can change the way they face the world, it can make a difference. It also has lgbtqia+ characters: they aren’t in the background, only mentioned and soon forgotten. I always struggle to understand how hard can it be to write diverse books. We live in a diverse world and our everyday lives aren’t all one shade. It should be easy, almost too easy in my opinion.

This is my second retelling of the year and, as I said before, I was not disappointed. I have smiled a lot and a book that makes me feel so much has to be a book worth reading. Right?

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite."

Disney meets nerdom in this delightfully geeky Cinderella story. Danielle "Elle" Wittimer is struggling through life with her controlling stepmother and stepsisters straight out of Mean Girls. What she holds onto most is her love of the show Starfield, which is her last remaining connection to her dead parents. Darien Freeman is a teenage actor who lands his dream role playing the lead character in the Starfield reboot movie - but will he be able to break out of the soap opera heartthrob shadow of his previous role and be appreciated by the nerdy Starfield fans? Going back and forth between Elle's and Damien's perspectives, Geekerella provides a modern and geeky twist on the classic fairy tale that will appeal to nerds across all fandoms.

Very, very funny and sweet. I swallow up fandom books whole, and this was a self-indulgent, feel-good look at the world of cons - with Cinderella! I loved Elle and Darien a lot.

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

Fairy tale retellings seem to be growing trend within in young adult fiction. But with the added bonus of geekery and fandoms, Geekerella by Ashley Poston stands out among the crowds. Based on the classic tale of Cinderella, this cute and fun romance was a quick and enjoyable read.

Danielle (Elle) Wittimer is our leading geeky girl. Growing up, Elle and her late father would watch this classic sci-fi series Starfield together. This helped fuel Elle’s love for the fandom, and helped her stay connected with her dad even after his passing. However, when Starfield is rebooted for a movie remake, Elle is skeptical of the male lead’s ability to bring Prince Carmindor to life. Enter Darien Freeman, the book’s token celebrity heartthrob. Darien has always wanted to play Carmindor, but due to his overbearing manager and gossip magazine headlines, he’s known more his abs than his geeky obsession. These two characters become intertwined via some digital magic and the story evolves from there.

Now it wouldn’t be a Cinderella retelling without a ball, and the story soon becomes centered around Elle trying to win a cosplay contest to gain an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball. Working for the Magic Pumpkin food truck, another allusion to the classic tale, Elle is determined to make enough money to buy tickets to the Con and win the contest. Darien is also involved with the Con; his celebrity status ensuring that he is used for promotional purposes despite his efforts in maintaining a “normal teenage” life.

With a little magic, and a whole lot of Lord of the Rings references, the story unfolds in a cute and romantic way. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the wicked stepmother. Catherine, the stepmom, gave Dolores Umbridge a run for her money for most-hated-female-antagonist. She made me so frustrated.

Overall, this book was very entertaining. It had all the classic ingredients for the Cinderella story - the evil stepmother, the crazy stepsisters, even the glass slipper! But with a few twists and turns (and a moment of redemption for a hated character), this rendition felt fresh and new. There were many nods to famous fandoms. Starfield itself seemed like a show that I would want to watch with hints of Firefly and Stargate SG1. It also included some POC and diversity in it’s storyline which is always refreshing to read!