Geekereview: A Review of Geekerella

Geekerella is a modern day Cinderella retelling, by Ashley Poston. The main character, Danielle, is a geek, primarily of a Sci-Fi show, Starfield, which she used to watch with her father, before he died. The show had a character, Carmindor, who was a Federation Prince. In an upcoming film reboot, he's going to be played by a teenage heart-throb Darien, who everyone thinks is going to ruin the character. Said teenage heart-throb is a huge geek himself, having grown up watching the show, loving Carmindor because he got to see someone who looked like him in charge of a ship. One wrong number later, and our leads are texting each other details about the show.

I loved this book! It's been a while since I've read a book this quickly. The references to other fandoms are many and varied - I got a kick out of the 'calibrating his guns' discussion. And my Dad watched Star Trek in the evenings, while Mum worked. Granted, I would normally do my own thing in the same room, but the feeling was there.

One of the main problems with making a Cinderella story is the trap of making every other female character bitchy. In this one, the overall cast rounds out the two romantic leads fantastically. Sage, Cinderella's co-worker, is lovely, and a geek herself. She never got into Starfield, which means Danielle gets to do the time-honoured geek tradition of introducing someone else to a series. Sage's Mom, in her few scenes, also comes across as a lovely person. Calliope, one of her Step-sisters, isn't so much evil as she is trapped, between her sister and mother. There are also some good female characters in Darien's side of the story, and there are some male characters you'll hate just as much. The stepmother is also given a reason for her behaviour. It doesn't explain it, but it does make sense. She didn't like how her husband was so into this Sci-Fi show, and doesn't like how his daughter is the same way. She thinks that dwelling too much on a show is bad for you, in a discussion that almost every geek who's ever had their interests put down will relate to.

The story also touches on some more serious issues, like the pressures of fame and, where a Cinderella retelling rarely treads, into the long-term effects of abuse. Danielle feels like a burden and someone who ruins everything. While the story ends (spoiler alert) on a happy ending, feelings like that aren't likely to disappear overnight.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who's ever been considered (or considered themselves) a geek.