26 February 2013

REVIEW: GEEK GIRL

Author: Holly Smale
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Haper Collins
UK Release date: 28th February 2013
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

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?


Harriet is a geek. And right now, geek is cool.

However for Harriet, she wasn't comfortable in her own skin. Her nemesis and bully, Alexa, was a mean hearted, spiteful girl, who delighted in picking on Harriet and making her feel like an outcast. Harriet didn't have the self confidence to ignore Alexa's taunts and thought far too much about what others think about her, meaning she felt nervous and embarrassed at every turn. Despite, and because of her flaws, I thought Harriet was great. She was down to earth and easy to relate to.

The story didn't get boring; it was a fast paced and humorous read. With a positive message behind it, Geek Girl is fun and sweet. If you were ever the geeky girl at school, you'll love this.

At first I didn't like Harriet's best friend Nat. She took Harriet for granted, inviting her to the school trip and then dumping her as soon as they arrived. I couldn't quite see why they were friends. And as the story went on there was a lot of tension between them, but I did eventually see them look out for each other.

In contrast, Harriet's dad was fab! I loved him from the off. He was off the wall, crazy and more of a teenager than Harriet, often trying to encourage her to act like a proper rebellious teen. I imagine he would be embarrassing as your own dad, but from an outside perspective he added fun and humour to the story. I just loved his personality and the way he teased Harriet, and in turn I loved Harriet's reactions to him.

My one gripe with the plot is the modelling aspect and the personalities of the model agent and fashion designers. It all seemed a little cliche and a little too easy and far-fetched. I understand Holly Smale was once a model and has experience of this job (and I don't), but for me it just didn't sit quite right.

This is a story of a young girl trying to come to terms with who she is, and although she goes to extremes to try to become a different person, it is most definitely a feel good story.

Rating: 4*

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