Book Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Publisher: HarperCollins (28th Feb 2013)

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Purchased.

Blurb:

Harriet Manners 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. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her.

So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she 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 impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

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

As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

I have heard so many good things about Holly Smale’s Geek Girl and that it has won many awards and all. This highly acclaimed novel is nothing but amazeballs and total awesomeness. I had recently developed a liking for Young Adult novels and aside from Stephanie Perkins, I can say that Holly Smale could possibly be another favourite of mine.

Geek Girl follows the story of Harriet Manners, who, by definition, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a geek. Tired of being bullied and laughed at by the popular kids, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself. When she gets scouted to be a supermodel, she’s whisked off to a whirlwind adventure before you can say pose! For Harriet, being a famous jet-setting supermodel may sound fabulous and an absolute dream come true, but could she handle being in the spotlight?

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed Geek Girl because I simply adore Holly Smale’s unique and witty writing voice. It’s funny, sharp and fresh. I warmed up to Harriet immediately and the shenanigans she got up to really had me in stitches. The other characters were equally well-written. I enjoyed the company of Harriet’s “stalker”, Toby who is a total sweetheart and highly likeable.

Geek Girl is totally worth reading if you’re looking for a new series to sink your teeth into, or just for a few laughs. A shining bright voice in YA, Holly Smale never failed to amuse me with Geek Girl. Filled with fun-facts, Holly Smale’s exceptional debut novel is thoroughly entertaining, with a cast of zany characters, Geek Girl is definitely worthy of a place on your shelves!

 

Chloe Grace Moretz as Harriet. Just look at her expression!