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 her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?
‘Geek Girl‘ by Holly Smale has such a pretty cover. A book about a gorgeous geek? That sold me from the start, before I’d even read the blurb. My copy was obtained via Netgalley from Harper Collins UK. There’s something so easy about an ebook that just makes you devour the pages. Maybe because it is so simple just to have ‘one more flick’, whereas in paper books I feel the need to finish on a chapter. Also I think because it’s not easy to tell where you are in the book (I know it gives a percentage, but it’s nothing like judging the actual size of a book).
Anyway, I got through this book really quickly. It is not the kind of book that will change your life, but if you are looking for a lighthearted, funny YA book that Geek Girl fits the bill. Harriet is a definite geek, and everyone knows it. She has one best friend, as well as an arch enemy, a stalker, and a love interest. What more could you want? Harriet somehow stumbles into the world of modelling. Hoping it will transform her into one of the cool kids, Harriet agrees. Even though it is her best friend’s dream to be a model, Harriet goes behind her back to take part in photo shoots with the gorgeous Nick.
However, when she returns, she discovers she isn’t such a good liar. Her best friend won’t talk to her, her stepmum has left and bizarrely modelling doesn’t make you instantly cool. Harriet has to try and sort her life out before it all blows up.
There are some really funny, quirky moments in the book, such as when Harriet hides under the table to get away from situations. And her stalker Toby, hides in the bush outside her house. I would definitely recommend this, but only for a quick lighthearted read. It is nice to see geeks get the spotlight, and to show that just because you are pretty, it doesn’t stop you from being a geek.
4 sofas from me!
Snuggling On The Sofa 