“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!

A must read!
If you are a young adult or young at heart this is the perfect read. With a lot of pop culture references and an amazing story line this will definitely capture your heart.
This is the kind of book that will leave you feeling like you just lost a friend when it is over. Can't wait to see more from this author.
Praise Ashley Poston for this amazing installment.

Cute and sweet. It's nice when you have a story that is familiar enough to feel like home but with new twists to keep it relevant and still told well enough that it doesn't make you feel like something from your childhood has been ruined.

This review is in exchange for a free copy received from netgalley.com.

Wow. I have not read a YA book that I've fallen in love with in a lonnnng time. This was such a cute, fun read! I'm so happy I got an ARC for this and am so excited to recommend it to my friends and my students! I love a good Cinderella retelling and the whole geek/nerd/fandom premise is awesome. As someone who has definitely geeked out over various things, I could relate to being a fangirl. I will definitely be purchasing this book to keep on my shelf!

I really enjoyed this modern and nerdy retelling of Cinderella. It had everything from cosplays to cons to fangirling/fanboying moments to sparks flying between nerds - all mixed with a food truck (the pumpkin carriage), a punk girl and lesbian Sage (the fairy godmother) and glass slippers which are part of a cosplay. Elle carries an emotional depth, much deeper than previous Cinderellas in my opinion, and shows the effects of child abuse. While I wanted her to stand up for herself, I understand that she's just a teen and finding the strength to face her abusers is hard - something that resonates with me as someone with anxiety and finding solace in fiction.

I love Darien, the co-protagonist and a PoC (yay!). Not only he is a heartthrob actor starring as the lead of Elle's favourite show/reboot, he's a fanboy himself. Like Elle, he has family/relationship issues and struggles through the hurdles thrown at him. This book is written for us fangirls and fanboys. It doesn't matter that an introvert/nerd developing a relationship with a celeb is far fetched. I didn't doubt Elle and Darien for a second. As for the stepmother and stepsister (there are two but one turns out to be good), they don't get much of a backstory or character development, but that's fine because sometimes villains don't deserve to be sympathised.

This is a must-read retelling!

Prepare for the gush, y'all, because I absolutely LOVED this book! I can count on one hand the number of YA contemporaries I've truly enjoyed: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Upside of Unrequited, and The Female of the Species.

And now Geekerella!

This book is adorable. I don't have any other word for it. You'll find all the familiar elements of Cinderella in this new spin involving a blogger/sci-fi geek, another geek/actor, and a convention that's sure to be out of this world! It reminded me a bit of that movie, A Cinderella Story, the one with Hillary Duff (y'all know the one I'm talking about?). That kind of modern day with the girl who doesn't quite fit in and how she rises above it and gets her happily ever after anyway.

First off: Elle.

This girl is ON FIRE. Her twin step-sisters are absolutely dreadful and so much fun to hate, though I think I hated her stepmother even more. All she wants is to hold on to the one thing that was hers and her father's: Starfield. The show that meant it all and I loved that this was the connection to him, that she was the fan that knew it all and then some, the blogger writing those scathing articles attacking anything that might damage the nostalgia of the show.

Her stepmother makes an excellent villain because not only is she awful and easy for the reader to dislike but she has a backstory for the way she acts. In her own twisted way she wants the best for Elle (what she thinks it the best, at least) and while it doesn't redeem her actions in my eyes, it makes her human. The same with the twins. They're written as being basically the same person but you soon realize that perhaps that's not quite true.

I think what got me most about this book is that it centers around this show, Starfield, and the fact that it's being remade into a movie with a whole new cast and everything. Now, how many of you are already cringing at the thought of your favorites being made into a movie or remade, whatever the case? I know I would.

Elle is all of us. And her prince is the actor taking over the lead role. Darien was an interesting perspective to read because I can't say I know much about celebrity life but I liked the way Poston showed that he wasn't about all the glitz and glam. He's constantly challenged by the show and his career, his texting with Elle, what he wants out of life.

Both of these characters are just so real. The thing about contemporaries, for me, is that I never believe them. Which is crazy because I primarily read fantasy so don't ask me to make sense of that. I'm not sure I can. But with contemporary, it's in our world with nothing else to explain away the unbelievable plot. Geekerella wasn't out-of-this-world in terms of a crazy plot. The story was grounded. This is a girl who has a not-so-great home life, a boy who has been betrayed and hurt, a family in shambles after a death and handling it in their own way, a show that is more than a show.

I saw myself in Elle, in her struggles through life and trying to overcome a bad situation to make a better one. I saw myself in Darien, figuring out what I really want while letting others make the decisions for me until I get to that point. I saw myself with their romance, the late night texts and waiting for the other to respond, spilling secrets before you even realize you're doing it.

This book is pure magic.

For the misfits and the dreamers, the geeks and the cool kids, I say to you: read Geekerella. Because everyone can get something out of this book.

Who needs fluffy Doctor Who Cinderella fan fiction?

I NEED FLUFFY DOCTOR WHO CINDERELLA FAN FICTION.

YES I DO YES I DO.

This book is GLORIOUS, people. The story follows a fangirl blogger and the incoming lead on a sci-fi serial in a You've Got Mail sort of situational romance. It has all of the traditional Cinderella elements we know, but modernized and nerdified.

HOORAY FOR DIVERSE CHARACTERS! One of the leads is POC, and there's also LGBTQIA+ people. It is a Cinderella story, so there is emotional abuse, but that is to be expected.

I read Geekerella in a matter of hours. Once you start this, you won't put it down. It's just the right amount of fluff and substance. And if you're part of the world of geekdom, you'll find this instantly relatable. And who can resist the bright purple cover?

Geekerella was absolutely adorable! I kept debating on my rating for it though and that's because the first 25% was up and down, and I was afraid I wasn't going to like it. After pushing through that 25% I ended up finished the rest of the book in one sitting and can admit that I am indeed a fan. It's got our favorite similarities to the classic it was based off of, Cinderella, yet stills has a unique twist to keep it fun and it's own story. I loved the characters and loved seeing them and the story grow. Reading this and seeing how dedicated our main character, Elle, was to her fandom, Starfield, really makes me want to cosplay for Comic Con this year too! Fans of retellings will definitely love this one, and for fans who do not like retellings, I still believe you should give Geekerella a chance as there's enough differences to keep it unique. Plus if you have your own favorite fandom that you go crazy for, you'll without a doubt be able to relate to this story!

Elle is the "Cinderella" of the tale, abused and misused by her stepmother and twin stepsisters. Her only respite is her love of Starfield, a cult classic science fiction show, which her father used to obsess over. When a movie of her beloved Starfield is made but casts a resident heartthrob as the main character her world looks set to come crashing down. Her vitriolic rant on her blog goes viral.
Meanwhile said heartthrob Darien Freeman is also a huge fan of the show but doesn't think he is good enough to take on the role of a lifetime, especially when he sees a certain blog-post.
Fate lends a hand when the two start texting over ExcelsiCon, started by Elle's father and soon to be graced by the new star. When the two meet for the first time will it be love or loathing?
As a firm geek immersed in all things fandom I was captivated by the description and had to read it. I read it through in one sitting and felt so satisfied when I finished that I immediately wanted to read it again.
Ashley Poston has a great grasp of the life of a fangirl, everything from heartfelt blog posts and how one show can transform your life right down to the utter heartbreak you feel when your beloved character is going to be played by someone you think just can't handle the role.
She also made the world around the main story believable with her insights on celebrity culture, today's obsession with YouTube reaction videos and High School pecking orders.
But I think the best part, for me, was the reality of her descriptions of the science fiction convention and how it is like a family. The scene with the Starfield salute made me tear up. (My best memory ever is Joss Whedon showing up to a convention and everyone spontaneously breaking into "You can't take the sky from me.")
If you are a fan of anything at all, you will love this book.

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite". This has to be my favorite book thus far of 2017! This modern day take on Cinderella was just what i needed to pull me out of my book slump. Ashley is an amazing writer and I can see her quickly rising to the top 10 list. Geekerella was so fun for me as I am that fan girl, convention nerd, and misunderstood girl! She wrote a fun story told in alternating perspectives. The supporting cast was well written and make you love/hate them. You will find yourself rooting for Elle, as she endures an evil step mother ans evil step sisters all while trying to find her place in life and come to accept her fathers passing and that she really is her fathers child. Darien makes you wish you could just jump through the book and scream at all the people taking advantage of his stardom. I believe this book will quickly rise up in the book tube community, so i suggest everyone read it. This book was super, super cute and i loved every page of it! Thank you Quirk Books and Netgalley for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review! 5 stars from me!

Ohhhh I LOVED this one !!! It was so cute and emotional and full of Cinderella awesomeness.

I love all the fandom in here, the cosplay, the con.. just so great !! I love those kind of things, and even though I'm not brave enough to cosplay, I've been to a couple of Con's myself and I love it. All the geeks together haha, just great !!

Elle was a great MC, been through so much and she has the most awful people around her. I really felt for her and Darien. I loved how real Darien was, and read about him being in a movie and what it entails ^^

And can we talk about Sage for a moment? She was awesome !! She took Elle under her wing and helped her out so much. She was a great friend and I really liked reading about their developing friendship !!

The only thing that well, I can't say it really bothered me, because it didn't.. but I did notice some things that made me think of Cinder & Ella. Okay like most of the plot is basically the same. But it was just so sweet and addictive and that made it okay?

All in all a great read. Not like super tragic or anything, but a lovely, geeky, piece of fandom awesomeness.

Geekerella fulfilled all of my expectations plus more. It was a fantastic take on the classic story with the addition of fandoms, a crazy convention, unique characters, and one adorable Weiner dog (who I didn't even notice on the cover at first but look! He's SO CUTE!).

Like I said, Geekerella is (obviously?) a modern retelling of Cinderella. However, Ashley makes this story interesting and unique with a fan convention instead of a royal ball, a vegan food truck instead of a magic pumpkin, and an adorable Frankenweiner instead of mice. The characters have more depth, being diverse and representing often overlooked minorities. I loved the small touches that give all the characters life and thought they worked together to make the book original and not too predictable in a story everybody already knows. Elle and Darien make for believable heroines, each with their own conflicts and struggles, particularly with their families, their aspirations, and their love of Starfield.

The other star of this story is the focus on Starfield and the people that love it. I loved the way Ashley discusses the passion fans feel towards their favorite shows, the way both Elle and Darien overcome other's ideas of fandoms to show how much they relate to Starfield and how much it means to them. In a world where they both feel like outsiders and alone, this con and this show gives them a safe place with characters and people they love. The way they gain courage and inspiration from the characters of Starfield is relatable and adorable and really helps both the characters and the plot to be fresh and relevant.

There were points where I wished there was slightly more original elements from Cinderella, though I totally understand why it followed very closely to the classic story. Darien and Elle both spend a good while taking crap from people around them, over and over again, when I felt like it wouldn't have been weird begin to break away a little sooner. I also wished we got even more information on Starfield (I know, I'm crazy, right?!). While I love retellings, sometimes knowing exactly what's going to happen wears on you as read, and I think that for the most part, Ashley did a great job in keeping the story new and different.

Overall, I loved Geekerella. It's a fun, original romp through a classic story. The characters are great (I especially loved Sage and Franko) and the details surrounding the fictional Starfield are fantastic. I loved the modern touches and the representation of characters. The passion with which these characters love the things they do, and learn to love them without shame or embarrassment with those who love and support them, is a wonderful message and is at the heart of this story.

This story is a cool take on Cinderella. Poor Elle Wittimer is being forced to live in an unhappy existence with her stepmother and two semi-nasty stepsisters. Life is quite unpleasant and the only thing that makes it a little better is her love of 'Starfield' an epic sci-fi television show that she used to watch with her dad.

Finding out this old television show is about to be rebooted as a film completely makes her day, month, year but her joy is crushed when teen heartthrob Darien Freeman is cast in the lead role of Prince Carmindor. Elle thinks Darien is far too lightweight to bring gravitas to the role and surely he knows nothing about the original show. He is so not the one or is he?

Through a comedy of errors and a cast of interesting characters, Elle and Darien connect first anonymously through a series of texts and then eventually in person. This is a delightful story with a few twists and turns that aren't always expected. Anyone who has ever cosplayed or been involved with a geek convention or perhaps has totally fangirled out on a particular television show or star will totally be on board with the setting of this story. It was just an all round fun story which brought a smile to my face and a fist pump to the air when certain characters faced divine retribution. Absolutely worth the time and energy to read - you won't be disappointed.

Hello my name is Taylor...and I'm a OBBSESSED FANGIRL over this book. I can't even get myself together to write this review. I am so in love, I am going to go buy every book by Ashley Poston.
OKAY first I loved that it was set in Charleston SC such a beautiful area! Also fangirl moment here Yallfest takes place there and I could so picture the pumpkin going through downtown. Okay back to the review.... This gave me so many happy feels. I related to Elle on so many levels. I spent all of highschool with my black glasses, died red hair, my miniature dachshund, and everything nerdy thing known to man.
"You’re a good boy, yes you are! Once I save up enough, I’ll spring the both of us out of here. Whatcha think of that, copilot?” His tail pat-pats excitedly in the mud. “I’ll even get us matching sunglasses. The whole nine yards.”
If this is not me I don't know what is. So Elle has my heart. She was a relatable character that truly had you rooting for her. I loved that she was a writer and blogger. The blogging and vlogging world is so important to me and many other fangirls and boys. So it was really special to see that world portrayed here.
SAGE my wonderful green haired goddess, I did not know it was possible to relate to so many characters yet here we are. As the B in the LBGTQ I was so here for this character and everything she was! Really one of the best side characters ever. I could go for a book about what comes next for her!
Darien my nerd girl heart! I loved him. I know some guys who look like your typical popular jock, who could never understand fandom's but that is not always the case ALL people can surprise you. Anyone can be geeky and Darien is no exception. I loved his story and the difference between who he wanted to be verses who the world though he was.
Excelsicon was done so well. I have always wanted to do a cosplay contest but I can't sow to save my life! This whole book was geeky wonderfulness! If someone wants to do a movie version i'm here for that! This gave me Cinderella story circa Hilary Duff days! Only 1000 times better because these were characters I could relate too! PEOPLE get your preorder going because it's so worth it. SO MANY STARS FOR THIS.

Favorite Quote and next tattooo! Because OH YES this will be tattooed on my body!

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite."

Quick fun read. Perfect or fans of scifi tv/movies

There were a few things that I liked about Ashley Poston's Geekella. Firstly, it does a great job of retelling the classic Cinderella in a way that serves as a love letter to fandom in general. Secondly, I adored the character Sage, Elle's co-worker who basically plays the role of the "fairy godmother" in this retelling. And finally the text conversations between Darien and Elle were truly adorable.

All that being said, I didn't enjoy Geekella as much as I thought. Perhaps it was that it the book wasn't as light hearted or fun as I thought it would be or maybe it's for the reason that the pacing felt uneven especially near the end. Still by the novel's end, I did end up caring for Elle as a character and while I can't say the same about Darien or her relationship with him it was incredibly satisfying to see Elle finally get her happy ending after some much cruelty and heartbreak.

Oh my gosh this book was so cute. I already adore nerdy love stories but this for me was even better then BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE. There were some spelling and grammatical errors throughout but not enough that it would turn me off from reading it. I honestly felt like I was Elle and my fiance was Carmindor! So wonderful!

This is one of the books of 2017 I have been looking forward to the most. I like re-tellings. I like to fangirl on occasion. This book just seemed like it would be such an adorable, fun read. However, I find myself a little disappointed. It might just be my current reading mood. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of mystery and suspense and whenever I reach for something a little lighter I end up being a little underwhelmed.

Let’s start with what I did like. I liked Darien, the up-and-coming actor who wins the main role of Starfield. He had a good sense of humor and though he had a few stupid boy moments, he was just So Nice. I loved seeing a leading man who wasn’t some cocky man-whore. I liked Sage, Elle’s co-worker/friend/fairy godmother, too.

I didn’t really like Elle, though. I know that she’s had a lot of horrible things happen to her, but I found her really whiny and over-dramatic. She was completely oblivious anytime anyone tried to show her any kindness or friendship for much of the book. She had no backbone whatsoever for the whole story and then once she gets to ExcelsiCon she starts acting the exact opposite. It just didn’t work for me.

I also felt the story was too slow and much too long. For most of the book I felt like nothing was happening. You would think being on the set of a movie would be a little more exciting – or at least a little interesting. It was not. And I felt like we just saw Elle live the same day over and over again until it was time to go to the Con. I will say that when we got to about the last quarter or so of the book I started to enjoy it a lot more. I felt like actual plot happened and I was finally able to hop on the Elle-Darien ship.

Overall, Geekerella was just an ok read for me. I think it would have benefited from being a little shorter so it didn’t feel so slow and drawn out. However, I did like Darien’s humor and I enjoyed the story more by the end. I think that there are a lot of people that will enjoy this book, though, especially if you are a fan of YA Contemporary and enjoy participating in fandoms. I’m bumping my original rating up a little since the writing really wasn’t bad and I feel like if I was in a different mood I’d probably feel more favorable towards it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

This book made my heart sing with happiness. It started as a sweet, light take on Cinderella and turned into a book I just couldn't put down. It was well written and fast paced with interesting characters. I even liked the Acknowledgments at the end of it.

The sci-fi fandom aspect added a lot to the story and was a clever twist. By the time the book ended, I felt like Starfield was a series I had actually watched.

Geekerella is exactly what the title suggests, an adorable book dedicated to geeks and fandoms with a Cinderella retelling twist. It’s about a girl called Elle who grew up watching an old but hugely popular sci-fi series: Starfield. She’s the biggest fan of the show and her dreams come true when she finds out Hollywood are doing a brand new adaptation.

Elle’s excitement for a new Starfield doesn’t last long when she finds out Hollywood’s up and coming ‘it’ boy is being cast as Prince Carmindor; Starfield leading male character. Sure Darien Freeman maybe perfectly cast in the looks department but he’s far too arrogant and glamorous to play her Prince Carmindor, I mean the guy has his abs insured? Soo not Carmindor. Naturally Elle goes to her blog to rant about the casting choice and overnight it becomes an Internet sensation.

Staying true to the Cinderella classic, Elle lives with her terrible Stepmother and stepsisters. She's also desperate to attend ExcelsiCon, a fangirls dream convention in order to enter the Cosplay contest. It’s at ExcelsiCon that Elle bumps into Darien Freeman. This was such a cute story; I loved watching Elle and Darien work through their problems, both with their careers and family life.

Now while this book was all kinds of adorable, it was just far too slow for my liking. I enjoyed that Elle and Darien didn’t meet straight away but when they finally do near the end of the book, everything speeds up and then it's over. The erratic pacing put me off slightly and I just wanted more of a connection between the two. I get that having a fandom in common is pretty much everything to a fellow fanboy/girl but I would have loved them to connect in other ways or at least interact a little more. I guess I just wanted more of a romance as I was expecting a star crossed lovers/true love trope.