'Geekerella' by Ashley Poston

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As

ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

This book is quoted as being 'a love letter to nerd culture' and I honestly cannot think of a better way to summarise this story. At first I was a little weary when I heard about this book-I never really know what to think of fairytale retellings- but Geekerella is not so much of a retelling but more of a modern day fairytale. Sure, there are elements of Cinderella throughout, such as an evil step mother and a glass slipper, which I absolutely adored, but Poston manages to write them in a way without the original story weighing down the one we are reading. Elle's story is still completely her own, and I have to say it is unlike any I have read before.

There is so much I loved in Geekerella I have found myself rereading the story twice since I read it last week! With such a huge mix of characters and the two different stories of Elle and Darien playing out side-by-side, there is a lot to draw you into this world. To me one of the major elements of that stood out was character development. At the beginning of the book we have lots of different characters that are seen to be either following the crowd, being put down for their differences or told not to show what makes them themselves. But the adventure that the characters embark upon teaches them, and the readers, that it is okay to be yourself and that there are a lot of people out there that will love you for it.

Poston has cleverly bonded together characters from different backgrounds, actors, vloggers, food truck workers, because of a shared passion for the nerd culture. As a fellow fangirl, blogger, reader and Comic Con enthusiast, Poston makes being a nerd cool. This book made me so proud to be a part of the fandoms and communities that I enjoy so much!

Geekerella is more than a fairytale. It's proof that with a little confidence, you can be whoever the hell you want to be.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston is out on April o4th.
Preorder your copy here!

In the mean time, keep up to date with all the latest by following
Ashley on twitter @ashposton.