Book Review-Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title: Geek Girl

 Author: Holly Smale

Series:  N/A

Published:  28 February 2013 by Harper Collins

Length: 378 pages

Warnings:  None

Source: netgalley

Summary : 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?

Review: Harriet Manners is a geek, and proud of it. One day, she’s on a school trip, and she gets spotted by a modelling agency. Whisked away for a photoshoot and a makeover, Harriet finds her life changing in many ways-and not all for the better.

I requested this because lots of people said it would be good. I started this book. And Harriet started talking. And spouting some really random facts. And I did not like her for the first part of the book. I’m really glad that she was clever, because it beats the heck out of someone who is too dumb to live. But people who just talk on and on  to lengths such as Harriet  to people who aren’t interested irritate me.  As the book went on and it was established that Harriet was a geek, we focused more on the plot, I liked Harriet a bit more. Annoying fact insertation, Harriet is likable, funny and a great main character. She’s become a lot more mature by the end of the book.

I really liked some of the secondaries, for example Nat and Annabel.  Alexa got what she had coming together. Wilbur was downright irritating throughout. Toby, the stalker, was annoying, but cute. Nick, the love interest, was sweet from what we saw of him, but I feel we should have gotten to know him a bit more. I think all the characters could have been a bit deeper, and developed more (aside from Harriet, who was done really well).

The school side of Geek Girl, the atmosphere, and social dynamics were well captured. I have no experience of the modelling world, so I have no idea how realistic it was, but it’s a good setting to bring out different sides of the characters.

I really like the fact that Harriet stays true to herself, realises that it doesn’t matter what she looks like, that being a geek is good and dressing in XXX isn’t everything, and spreads the word majorly.

Overall:  Strength 3.25 tea to a cute contemporary with a nice message.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website |