Book Review - Geek Girl

Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Series: Geek Girl #1
Genres: Contemporary | Young Adult
Release Date: 28th February 2013
Publishers: HarperCollins
No. Pages: 378
Source: Review Copy - HarperCollins
Rating:
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Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a 'jiffy' lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Geek Girl was a book that I requested just before I had to take a year out, and when I came back I was determined to catch up with all my eARCs. No matter how late the review may have been I thought it was better late than never. It just so happens that I was dying to read this book too so I was excited to finally start it. I didn't expect to love it, at most I thought I would settle for like, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself flying through the pages because it had me hooked.

The story is focused around Harriet, a girl who could only be refereed to as a geek. She doesn't care how she looks, dresses or about being popular, she has her best friend Nat and that's all that matters. Nat however has always dreamed of being a model, and is constantly worrying about clothes and fashion. They say opposites attract in relationships and it couldn't be more true for these two. Harriet and Nat have been best friends for years, so when she ask's her to go on a school trip to the Birmingham Clothes Show, she regretful agrees, only to change her mind at the last second trying to fake illness, but Nat doesn't by it and they manage to get on the school bus just in time.

From the very first few chapters its easy to see that people don't understand Harriet, she considers her dress sense as comfortable and quirky, but others don't see it like that. She's constantly ridiculed by the other girls and relentless picked out. It doesn't help that she's clumsy and forever doing things to upset the popular girl at school, Alexa. From the first step on the bus things start to go from bad to worse, her and Nat are sicked on, she stumbles and falls on Alexa and her luck doesn't look like its going to change when she gets to the show . Poor Harriet is trying to look likes she's happy to be there, but when there's a misunderstanding with hats, a man comes to her rescue, a man she soon finds out works for a modelling agency and is interested in taking photos of her.

What starts of as just a way to escape the catastrophe she's left behind her, and a ways to hide from Nat, turns into Harriet being offered a modeling deal and a lot to pay for. Even though she is reluctant at first to accept, feeling like she would be going behind her best friends back, she's left with very little options other than to take whats offered to her. Can she really go from Geek to Chic though?

As the story goes on, we really see Harriet come out of her shell. At first she's shy and awkward but as she starts to find her feet she begins to get used to the busy lifestyle and constant attention, she's a little bit more at ease with everything and herself. The characters in this book are all really well written, and each one compliments the other perfectly. And what little romance there is in the book is very fluffy and cute. It's just a really well rounded book with enough friendship, love and family to keep you interested.

The best thing about this book? the one thing you will hear or have heard about Holly Smale is how she must have one hell of a sense of humor and it shines through in her written. This book was such a run read that had me laughing on more than one occasion. I'm just sorry it too me so long to get around to reading it, and can't wait to start the next one :)