Geek Girl - Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Series: Geek Girl #1
Published by HarperTeen on January 27, 2015
Pages: 384
Genres: Contemporary, Humor

Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss

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Geek + runway = a hilarious runaway hit! This bestselling UK debut is full of humor and high-fashion hijinks—and now it’s coming to America.

Harriet Manners is tired of being labeled a geek. So when she’s discovered by a modeling agent, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. There’s only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Does she have what it takes to transform from geek to chic?

Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious new trilogy. It was also the #1 bestselling YA debut of 2013 in the UK, where it was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Best Book for Teens. With all the humor and fabulous shenanigans of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Geek Girl is about to become an international superstar.

This book was so much fun! I downloaded it from Edelweiss and started reading on an impulse and it was the best decision ever, it was a one read sitting kinda of book that made me laugh out loud and had the most crazy plot ever. Also, this is the first time that I have to agree with the comparisons on the sinopses, this book is a matchup of Georgia Nicolson - with its crazy plot and characters, the british slang and hilarious lines - and The Princess Diaries - Harriet is such a Mia with her freaking out over everything and making a big deal out of things.

One of my favorite things about this was the family dynamics, Harriet lives with her father and stepmother and I absolutely loved their relationships, her dad and his nerdy references, his funny way of dealing with things and (sometimes to much) laid back way; her stepmother being the opposite of that, a lawyer always on suits and with a plan of action. I specially loved how Harriet locked up to her stepmother, there isn't enough books out there that represent a positive relationship between a teen and their step-relative.

The friendships presented here also were great, Harriet has one best friend and they relationship was portrait in a very truthful way - they fight but on the end are always there for each other (+ always ready to kick some bully ass, which is that what friends are for right?). We have a stalker on this one too, but I didn't found it alarming, like I'm totally against stalking and all but this one was so clear to a funny part, also he is also ready to jump on and defend Harriet against bullies (or at least stay behind her, for support of course) so it was all good on my view.

The romance was a bit "meh", I could have done without it but Harriet is a 14-years-old girl so isn't a mystery to know why she feel so head over heels for a supermodel. Also about Harriet having 14-years-old, because of this the narrative turns really juvenile and sometimes too young, it didn't really bothered me much, but it also isn't the book if you're looking for a more mature YA.

I recommend this to readers who want a laugh out loud funny book, a quickly mindless candy-brain read, and also people looking for books to give for a younger teen.