I never get tired of the Cinderella story and this one did it justice, representing geeks and con-goers out there. Really fun, modern day take, which will really resonate with die hard fans!

What a geeky cinderella retelling (see what I did there?)! I loved every minute of this! The setting is vibrant and the characters quirky, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVED the romance from start to finish.

Though I'm huge fan of retellings, 9/10 the Cinderella ones seem to fall flat for me. Geekerella didn't. It was everything I need in an adorable YA Contemporary wrapped up in a fun and quirky package. I absolutely loved all of the characters(well, *most*) and Elle and Darien were super cute together. I don't want to give any spoilers away, though, so I'll leave those two at that.
I will say I love books like this that embrace the Con culture without making the participants look like "weird" antisocial recluses, but the everyday fangirls(and boys!) that we are. Just an overall supercute read that I highly recommend to teens and adult YA fans. I look forward to more from the author.

Oh my geeky feels! I am in love. Ridiculously in love with Ashley Poston's Geekerella. This book is a fun rendition to every single person out there who has ever loved and have been part of a fandom. Absolutely perfect!

What I Loved:

Cinderella is one of my all-time favorite fairy tales and I'm always happy to jump into a new spin, just like Geekerella's. This is a modern retelling, similar to Hillary Duff's A Cinderella Story movie, but much more entertaining and relatable to us geeky lovers. It has the horrible step-mother and step-sisters who Elle is forced to comply every demand, but with the fun twist of being a fandom-obsessed blogger, daughter of the ExcelsiCon creator of said fandom, and finding herself exchanging texts with none other than the actor who will play the main lead in the new Starfield reboot.

In "real" life, Elle absolutely hates the idea of Darien playing Carmindor, the Starfield hero since he seems to be just a popular heartthrob playing the part only for the money. However, Darien is as much of a fan as Elle, though he has to constantly struggle with the prejudice and expectations of the public. When they start texting each other, completely unaware of their true identities, they start to feel a connection and have the chance to truly be themselves. Sparks fly, feelings ensue, and an adorable romantic fairy tale takes place between the two.

When it comes to made-up fandoms inside books, I often struggle to feel invested in them as much as the characters, but this time, I fell madly in love with Carmindor and Starfield to the point of wanting to believe that it's a real Sci-Fi series. Elle and Darien speak so passionately about this fandom that it's hard not to feel for it, to dream of one day watching the new reboot with Darien in it (and also to see the old episodes!).

Author Ashley Poston constantly shares a few quotes from the Starfield series and I can't stop myself from sharing my favorite one:

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite." - Federation Prince Carmindor

Oh, why does this quote make my heart swell so much? Geekerella truly ignited my geek-loving soul, its aim went true and struck me in a way that no book had done in such a long time. I am madly in love with the characters, Elle's and Darien's love story, their passion and vulnerability at being the odd ones out. And not only Elle and Darien, but also the other supporting characters that made this story even more magical. Like Darien's assistant Gail or Elle's coworker in the Magic Pumpkin food truck, Sage. This is a book where everyone (good) could be themselves and stand out on their own.

Final Verdict:

Forgive all my fangirling, but I really cannot stop raving about this book. Geekerella may very well be my favorite read of the year so far. It's absolutely magical, romantic, and perfect for all of us geek at heart. Trust me on this one, you definitely want this book to be at the top of your TBR pile!

I"m usually not big on retellings but I do love all things Cinderella and the author does a great job with this modern day take on a classic tale.

Ever After is my all time favorite movie retelling of this classic and I love the reference made in the book toward it. A cute story that I think most people will like. Predictable as we all know how the story goes but if you need something light and adorable, this is the way to go.

This was absolutely the cutest thing I have read all year. I love retellings, and this was a great one. A must read!

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book in the first 24%. It just didn't grab my attention.

Ahh….who doesn’t like a feel-good story. I loved this book!

This is a modern day Cinderella tale starring Elle Wittimer, a geeky 17 year old, who feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere. She is orphaned when her father dies and forced into virtual slave labour by her demanding stepmother and twin stepsisters. Elle escapes her bleak reality by losing herself in the fantasy world of Starfield, an old TV show, which she used to watch with her dad. She even writes extensively about all things Starfield on her blog, Rebelgunner.

Elle discovers that her favourite show is being remade into a film. She is extremely disappointed to find that Darien Freeman, a soap star, will be playing Federation Prince Carmindor.

Elle hears that the producers of Starfield are hosting a CosPlay contest, which she is desperate to win as it could be her ticket to a brighter and better future for herself. She has been scrimping and saving behind her stepmother’s back so that she can pay for her ExcelsiCon ticket and expenses.
Elle works part-time on the Magic Pumpkin food truck with Sage, her green-haired, kick-ass best friend, who helps her on her quest to go to ExcelsiCon. Sage, together with Elle’s newfound text “friend”, embolden her to open up and take charge of her life.
Meanwhile, Darien is reluctant about having to participate in this year’s ExcelsiCon as the “true” Starfield fans have written him off as just another shallow heartthrob, totally unsuitable to play Carmindor. What they don’t know is that Darien is a closet nerd and a Starfield super fan. Under pressure from his father, Darien is frustrated by the constant burden of having to maintain his superstar image when all he really wants is to be himself. He wants someone in his life, who will understand and support him without judgement. Someone like the girl he’s been texting, which was by accident in the first place, but feels right as he can be himself with her – except he can’t reveal his identity.

This book pays homage to the fandom culture and I highly recommend it. I was charmed by the references to Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, amongst others. The Cinderella retelling made me feel nostalgic and happy.
This book helps us to understand that we are all unique and deserve to be loved. We discovered how much the characters learnt about themselves and despite being scared, they were brave enough to stand up for what they believed in and what they wanted.

The advice then is: You have a voice, so use it to stand up for yourself. This is your life. Take charge and unlock your potential. Surround yourself with people who care about you and distance yourself from those who seek to trample all over you. You also deserve a happy ending.

This book was surprisingly good! I wasn't expecting this book to make me feel as much as I did whilst reading it. I naively assumed that this book would be lighthearted - perhaps to the point of lacking substance - a bit of fun, but without much impact. Man, was I wrong. Of all the books that I would guess would make me start crying, it wasn't Geekerella, but the characters and the story are so easy to delve into and get attached to. 

Geekerella is, as you can probably tell by the title, a Cinderella retelling. I don't mean this in the way that you often hear YA fantasies call themselves fantasy retellings whilst changing the story altogether, I mean it is literally a Cinderella retelling. Right down to a pumpkin carriage - albeit, a pumpkin food truck. Since her father's death, Elle has been living a miserable life with her stepmother Catherine and her step-twin-sisters Cal and Chloe. All that she has left to hold onto is Starfield, the sci-fi television show that her father introduced her to as a child. She knows everything that there is to know about it, and runs her own little blog dedicated to it. When she sees a cosplay contest at this year's ExcelsiCon, she knows that the prize money is exactly what she needs to get out from under her stepmother's thumb and make her own way in the world. All she needs is to find a costume. Meanwhile, Darien Freeman, teen superstar actor, has been cast in the lead role, and is struggling with fan expectations. He has always loved Starfield, but being a nerd doesn't quite fit with his image, and Starfield's hard core fanbase are ripping into him, so judging this years' cosplay competition is the last thing that he wants to do. Both Elle and Darien struggle in their respective worlds, only finding solace in the text messages that they swap with a mysterious stranger, as obsessed with Starfield as they are. 

The characters in this novel had depth and detail, they were interesting and had their own struggles and storylines even apart from the romantic one. Elle's friendship with Sage, her relationships with her sisters and step-mother, were all important. So was Darien's struggle with his job and relationships. Apart from this, Starfield itself was also incredibly well-developed, which, for a novel which explores fandom so much, was vital to the characters feeling real. Although Starfield is a made-up television show, I found it easy to relate to how much the characters love the stories and the characters, their passion for it, and how much they care about the remake. I also liked how Starfield was the background against which the characters' personal struggles play out against, because it meant that we understood their motivations and feelings. For Elle, Starfield is at the heart of all her memories of her parents, which explains not only why she cares so much about the remake but also why she is so desperate to win the cosplay competition - to make her parents proud. For Darien, his internal struggles with confidence are made clear in his playing the lead role in Starfield. He doesn't believe that he is good enough to play his favourite character, and he finds it difficult to be surrounded by actors who don't care about the show in the same way that he does. The characters, the story, and the show Starfield itself, were equally important in making Geekerella as good as it was, because they all bounced off each other to create a really moving and fun story. 

I also loved how much this novel is inspired by Cinderella. Of course, there was still so much original content to this book, but it was fun to spot the comparisons. For example, instead of a pumpkin becoming a carriage, the pumpkin themed vegan food truck that Elle works at it her carriage, and her fairy godmother is her colleague Sage, who helps her to make her costume and encourages her to keep fighting for what she believes in. It was also nice to see more development to the characters, like in Darien and Elle's own storylines, and also in the minor characters. Catherine, the evil stepmother, and the sisters Cal and Chloe were nuanced characters, and I especially looked forward to the scenes with Catherine where she showed a bit more of her human side, and the redemption arc for Cal. All of the references to the fairytale were interesting to find and made reading Geekerella even more fun to read. 

Overall, Geekerella was a really enjoyable book and I sincerely regret leaving it unread for so long. The story is sweet and simple, with nuanced and interesting characters, and told in a fun way. Definitely give this book a chance, even if it doesn't seem like it's quite your type. You might find, like me, that you judged it too early.

Wonderful story. I really enjoyed the pacing of the story.

Elle is a huge fan of an old sci-fi tv series that she loved with her dad who has passed away. The story is being revamped into a new movie and she's not too happy about who they picked for the lead. She writes a very popular blog about the series. She also has a step mother and two stepsisters who treat her like crap.

Darien Freeman is a star of a romantic ya tv series and is also a fan of the show but most people do not want to give him the chance to do really well in it. They never really mention that Darien is black but they do mention that he has brown skin. But I sort of like that because it really doesn't affect the storyline at all.

Elle and Darien accidentally start texting each other knowing very little about each other. Elle doesn't find out that Darien is the guy she has developed feelings for. He doesn't know that she is the one who wrote the scathing review of him.

Having grown up on a steady diet of fairytales and Disney films, it won't surprise you to learn that I have a rather large soft spot for happily ever afters and modern spins on classic fairytales. Geekerella is a brilliant take on the classic Cinderella story, weaving in fandom, conventions like Comic Con and references to make it something special all on its own. It is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite takes on Cinderella that I've ever experienced!

Geekerella is told from two different character perspectives, Elle Wittimer and Darien Freeman. Elle is a diehard fan of the TV show Starfield, which is getting remade into a movie with a brand-new cast. She wants to enter the cosplay contest sponsored by the producers, both because she is a fan and because the first prize would help her gain her freedom from her stepfamily much sooner. Darien, on the other hand, is also a Starfield fan, and it's a dream come true for him when he's cast as Federation Prince Carmindor in the remake. But he'll have to fight to prove that he's more than just a pretty face to the Starfield diehards who've dismissed him. Their paths cross, and sparks fly - but it remains to be seen what sort of happy ending is in store for these two.

I loved Geekerella. It's the perfect modern take on Cinderella, and feels like the novel I've been waiting for that I never knew I wanted until I was reading it already. Poston does a lovely job of incorporating familiar details from Cinderella (and even a few things that felt very much like A Cinderella Story, another favorite Cinderella interpretation of mine). But while the story mirrors the fairytale, it also stands on its own quite well. I loved Elle, I loved Darien and I adored their relationship (even though as a long-time rom-com fan, I could totally see where it was going). But most of all, I loved the way Poston wrote about fandom. As someone who wholeheartedly throws herself into the fandoms of the things she loves, it was refreshing to see someone who gets it and knows how to describe the experience, the feeling, the everything about it.

Like I said, I loved Geekerella. If you haven't yet decided whether to read this one, if it hasn't even been on your radar, if you like a good love story, if you love a young adult contemporary, if you want a Cinderella retelling, if you want something incredible to read, well, definitely get your hands on this book right away. You won't regret it!

Very cute! Loved the characters... even though some were very obvious stereotypes. You definitely will root for Elle (the lead) and be pleased with her outcome. Sometimes books need a happy ending and don't get it. Thankfully, Ashley Poston delivered along with some fandom easter eggs sure to please every fannish reader's heart.

This was awesome! Such a great celebration of loving yourself and fandom! I can't wait to booktalk this to a bunch of teens.

Do you like all of those cheesy high school Cinderella type movies that pop up every couple of years? Do you like comic cons and the like? Then Geekerella is for you!

I am a sucker for Cinderella retellings, especially those set in high school. That setting just makes sense you know? High school would be the worst time to have hopes and dreams and an awful family life that is holding you back. That's why I knew I'd love Geekerella before I even started it. And it ended up being super cute and adorably geeky.

Let's start with the characters:
- Elle- Our modern day Cinderella who absolutely loves this old sci-fi show called Starfield (a show her now dead father really got her into) and is super excited when it's rebooted into a new movie. She works in a food truck called The Magic Pumpkin and dreams of leaving her step-mother and step-sisters behind, all while taking her neighbor's ill treated dachshund with her.
- Darien- The new Starfield Federation Prince. His father has got him into acting and made him out to be this hunky pop star type actor, forcing Darien to hide the fact that he's been into Starfield all along and he's just as geeky as the fans.
- Elle's step-family- As tradition, the stepmother is an unfair pain, one of the sisters is a little witch (take away the w and add a b) and one of the sisters is more than what she first appears.
- Sage- The green haired artsy girl who works with Elle in The Magic Pumpkin and eventually becomes her best friend.

The characters were pretty awesome. I liked all the geeky references. I was super ticked off by Elle's stepmother and one of her stepsisters. I liked Darien's "handler" and bodyguard who were there for him more than his father/manager. I also really liked Sage and her mother.

And more into the plot. At the beginning of the novel Elle hears that the new Starfield is doing a cosplay contest at the ExcelsiCon that her father started back in the day. She wants to win more than anything because it will get her to the special admission only Cosplay Ball and a meet and greet with the new Federation Prince. But then she learns that it's Darien who will be said Prince and he's an actor that she does not approve of at all.

So begins an interesting web of issues with Darien getting griped against because his dad/manager wants him to play it cool and not show he's a fanboy. Elle's sneaking out behind her stepmother's back to work with Sage on her costume.

It was fun, it was cute, it was somewhat predictable because, duh, it's a Cinderella retelling but I loved it.

I loved this book so much! It’s definitely one of my top favorites of the year. I remember feeling like I just wanted to cry because of how much I loved it. One of the biggest reasons is the aspect of fandom. I think fandom is such an amazing entity and while it can have its cons (ie: pushing people away from it because it seems like too big of a thing to get into) it is, at its core, just a conglomeration of people who all love something passionately and with an undying, all consuming sort of blazing love. It’s special. It can bring all sorts of people together who may otherwise not have anything else in common! It’s really just such a unique thing. And let me tell you, all the fandom references just spoke to my soul! My Lord of the Rings love, my Star Wars love, my FIREFLY LOVE. (Starfield gave me major Firefly feels and I have this really deep love of Firefly so basically it ended up making me feel that much more in sync with Elle.)

All the emphasis on fandom also had a great message about how these fictional stories CAN and DO have a tremendous impact on you as a person. They can teach you about life and they can also impact how you approach life! The stories may be fantasy or sci fi and “not real” but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a very real affect on you! These stories can reach out and show you that you’re not alone or they can have a lifelong impact on you! I really liked how the story showed that.

The relationship between Elle and Damien was so You’ve Got Mail-esque and that’s really one of my favorite tropes — of two people writing to the other and not knowing the other’s identity. I think I love it because it gives so much freedom and allows so much honesty between the two people! I really enjoyed the Cinderella twists and touches that were incorporated because they were added so seamlessly that it felt so natural. I love it when a retelling is able to be done so well that it can stand as its own story without the reader expecting certain things at a certain point.

In Short…

If you love nerdy or geeky things or any sort of fandom in general, this book will seriously speak to your heart! The romance is also just so sweet and amazing, it will have you rooting for them the whole way through! A Cinderella retelling that I know I’ll be revisiting again and again, I highly recommend!

Within minutes of starting this book, I knew that I was in love with the main character. While I often admire the protagonists in the books that I read, it’s not often that I relate so whole-heartedly with one (besides the whole orphan and evil step-mother/sisters thing). Elle (first of all, favourite name!) is a total scifi nerd, she is addicted to the now cancelled TV show Starfield. She blogs about the show, she used to go to conventions for the show. She is so inspired that she wants to go to college to become a screen writer so that she can inspire others with her own shows.

This is 17 year old me EXACTLY. Just replace “Starfield” with “Stargate”. I was so passionate about Stargate and wanted nothing more than to be involved in creating a show that would inspire others like it did me. Geekerella was a nostalgic ride, reminding me of those fandom days. I’m not sure if I’ve grown out of it or there’s just nothing good on TV that I’ve fallen as in love with.

Geekiness aside, Geekerella is a truly adorable modern-day retelling of Cinderella. I love how Poston wove the classic Cinderella elements into the story (like working in an orange pumpkin food truck). And the romance of the story was really well written. The narrative switches between the two main characters as they get to know each other, and even though you know that it’s going to have a Cinderella ending, you still hold out for these two characters to get together and learn the other’s true identity.

After devouring this in a day, I’m over here dying while waiting for Ashley Poston’s next book “Heart of Iron”. It’s set in space (!!!!!).

*4 stars*

A modern, nerdy tale on the classic Cinderella tale. Ella escapes from her terrible life and her wicked stepmother in the world of Starfield, kind of a cross between Star Trek and Star Wars. She meets the Prince Charming character, Darien, through a blog that she runs and they begin their romance through text messages and over the phone. As it turns out, Darien is the going to be the star on a movie remake of Starfield, and Ella HATES that they picked him to be the iconic hero, she thinks that he is all wrong for the part. Of course, she has no idea that the boy she's falling in love with is him! When they both attend a con and make plans to meet, will it all work out, or will the stars not align for these star-crossed lovers?

An adorkable retelling of the classic Cinderella. Meet Elle, having lost her father, she now spends her days at the beck and call of her evil stepmother and her twin stepsisters. Gone are the days of geeking out with her father over their love of Starfield, now she spends her days cleaning and making sure meals are ready. Everything that she had loved with her father had disappeared. When she finds out that Hollywood is rebooting her beloved tv show into a movie, she's equal parts excited and scared. But then she finds out that teen heartthrob, Darien Freeman is playing the lead character, she's downright horrified. He's going to ruin it, she's certain of it. What Elle doesn't know is just how big of a Starfield dork Darien just is.

This book was very cutesy. I loved the nerdiness about it- from the cons to the cosplays. I could totally relate to Elle on that front. I have my fandoms that I am fully immersed in and have been known to go to conventions and dress up in honor of them. This whole world is fun and exciting and I really got that feel here. The con felt alive and the cosplay was beautifully described.

Where the story kind of faltered for me was the love story. While I enjoyed it and thought the end was adorable. The whole way it started was just a little weird. And also, Elle was kind of mean. She had a very much one track mind of thinking and refused to believe that anyone could be other than what she initially thought them out to be. Darien, on the other hand, always saw the good in people and always believed people had his best interests at heart. I liked him as a character but I really wanted him to stop being his father's puppet and really break out into who he really is.

Quirky characters, fandoms, geeky love, and an adorable dog named Franco - this book was a fun escape and I recommend it to anyone who has any sort of fandom love. It did an great job of showcasing just how tight fandoms are and how they mean so much to people.

Just when you think you’ve read every possible take on Cinderella that could exist, you find another one and not just anyone one, but one that is so wonderfully adorkable that you’ll find yourself smiling as you read.

Just like Cinderella, Elle is pretty much alone in the world. Her beloved father died in a car accident and now her home is ruled by her evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters. The only thing that saves her is her love of all things Starfield that she shared with her father.

Darien, the teen heartthrob, feels like no one really knows him. He’s a geek through-and-through. When he texts a number, which turns out to be wrong, and begins exchanging texts with a girl who is as geeky as he is and who doesn’t know who he is, he finally feels like he can be himself.

This is Cinderella meets You’ve Got Mail. And it’s wonderful.

Ashley Poston writes this one with heart, which makes me suspect she knows this world well and has a sincere love for the people who populate it. I was so absorbed by the middle of Geekerella that I entered that little world that book lovers know where you almost forget you’re reading. You slowly become aware that you’ve been smiling for at least twenty minutes straight because: the feels, the charms, the love!

It IS a geeky fairytale and it combines all of the things we geeky fairytale readers expect to find.

If you love geeky ya books or you just love geeky books, and have somehow missed Geekerella, add it to your list. This one is right up there with Fangirl, one of my all-time favorite ya books.

I highly recommend!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Geekerella is adorable, heart wrenching, and fun. This modern retelling of Cinderella is charming geekiness at its finest, reminiscent of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.