Geekerella

Once Upon a Con #1

by Ashley Poston

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. 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 the 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.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Retellings, Audiobook, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2017

About the author

New York Times best-seller by day, fanfic author by night.

Viist her at www.ashposton.com.

Reviews

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SUPER ADORABLE
I wasn't sure about it for some reason but I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't know before going into it but it's a very by the book Cinderella retelling and it worked so well in a modern setting. Just a quick, easy, feel good read.
*video review to come*

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“Never give up on your dreams, and never let anyone tell you that what you love is inconsequential or useless or a waste of time. Because if you love it? If that OTP or children's card game or abridged series or YA book or animated series makes you happy?
That is never a waste of time. Because in the end we're all just a bunch of weirdos standing in front of other weirdos, asking for their username.”

― Ashley Poston, Geekerella

GUYS THIS BOOK THIS BOOK! I'M CRYING RIGHT NOW OF THE FEELS AND I NEVER CRY BECAUSE OF BOOKS! NEVER!

This book is perfect. There's no flaw about it! Hence the 5 star rating. It's perfect and relatable and amazing and funny and spectacular and everything I need from a book. This book is for us, geeks. NO ONE WHO ISN'T A GEEK CAN APPRECIATE THIS BOOK THE RIGHT WAY I'M TELLING YOU. No offense to non-geek people but this is a little something for us forever-and-ever geeks.

This book is a Cinderella retelling (but could stand out as its own book without the Cinderella influence) about a girl named Ella and her passion for a tv show called "Starfield" (which mostly reminds me of Star Trek and I love that) that she shared with her late father. She lives with her evil stepmother (stepMOnster) and her stepsisters who bully her into existence. After a while she finds out about a contest centering the new film reboot of "Starfield" and she has to enter but at what cost?

I've been a geek my entire life. I don't remember myself not being a geek. From Harry Potter to Star Wars to Doctor Who to Marvel to Lord of the Rings... I've been in fandoms my entire life, I've been reading fan fiction my entire life, I've had OTPs I would die for my entire life, I've been making GIFs for my favorite shows for Tumblr my entire life. This book was a hymn to people like me. This book didn't make me cry because of the romance but because of the nerd culture love it portrayed. It made me feel like I belong in an amazing world not too many people can understand. But the ones that can, know. We all geeks know. The author did an amazing job with making us nerds relate to this book cause she's a nerd herself. And she knows. Like for God's sake this book even contained MEMES. FUCKING MEMES. I live for this book.

I'm so happy I got to read this. I'm so happy for these characters. I'm so happy they got what they deserved-happiness. I'm happy for Elle, Darien, Sage, Cal, Gail, Lenny, they were all wonderful. And I'm so grateful to the author for giving this book to us. IT'S MY FAVORITE BOOK RIGHT NOW OKAY IT IS. Unless I read another book of hers, or another book about fandom culture and die again.

This review is such a mess but I am a mess right now! I would recommend this book a 148394820% to geeks like me, to fandom people like me, to people who know. If you know what I'm talking about throughout this review and if you can understand my feelings for this book then it's for you. Order it, read it and then thank me cause I recommended it this book to you ha! NOW ABOUT TO CRY SOME MORE BYE!

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.

Elle Wittimer loves, loves, loves Starfield - it has all the best elements of all the best fandoms.

Her late mother and father both loved it, and her father was the man behind the convention for Starfield.

Currently, Elle lives with her Step-mom and twin step-siblings and to put it frank, they're making her life a living hell.

Then, she sees the announcement for Starfield's reboot as a movie series plus a costume contest at this year's ExcelsiCon, and she knows she has to enter.

Darien Freeman - teenage heartthrob - is far more geek than anyone could've expected.

Before the fame and fortune, he was a lonely kid with absentee parents. And Starfield was his lifeline.

Now that he's the star of the upcoming movie, he is feeling all of the pressure from the media to get this exactly right.

When a fiery blog post (written under Elle's pseudonym) goes viral, Darien finds himself more lost than ever regarding his place in this fandom.

By chance, he texted Elle and she responded. Slowly, only through text, the two of them get closer. But with the Con, the movie and above all Elle's family keeping them apart, this is going to be one hellova costume contest.

Because in the end we're all just a bunch of weirdos standing in front of other weirdos, asking for their username.

Omg. Yes.

This one hit me in the feels.

I absolutely LOVED the way Poston took the Cinderella trope and turned it around. It was so well done and so fresh.

Elle and Darien were such great main characters, I felt for both of them and truly loved all of the cutsey moments.

I also was impressed by the step-mother's commitment for evil. It was over the top and completely unreasonable, and yet it also felt realistic.

All in all, I LOVED this one and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. Much. Fun.

This super cute Cinderella-goes-to-Geeky-Con story is probably closer to a 3.5 in terms of merit because I think it could have been even better pretty much all the adults are terrible, the emotional beats could have been stronger, and a major issue with sticking so closely to your source material is that it becomes fairly predictable. Its sparks back to life once Elle arrives at the Con, though, but it is such a cute and enjoyable read, it gets rounded up to 4 stars!

Please ignore the terrible cover art and pick this up if you've ever gotten excited when you saw someone wearing a tee-shirt referencing a movie/book/band you like, or if your heart secretly melts over meet-cute romances, or if you enjoy, you know, SMILING ABOUT ADORABLE THINGS.

Review to come. I'm still grinning from ear to ear. :D

[High Lady of The Night Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We’re all geeks here”

A love story most unlikely, a friendship most unexpected and a story inevitably beautiful. The horrors of being tied to a stepmom who hates you. The shackles that come along with fame. The tug of the familiar, the nervousness of taking risks. I can't help but fall in love with dreams.

In this book we follow two characters, Danielle Wittimer who is the biggest fan of the Starfield series and grew up with it, and Darien a teen actor who just scored the lead role in the remake of the series.

Danielle's love for Starfield is sort of violated when the teenage idol, the heartthrob Darien Freeman is casted as the lead in the remake of the original series. She feels like her fandom is violated because Darien comes along with an entire fandom of teenage girls who are in love with him and his looks but not the Starfield fandom, they know nothing about it other than the fact that Darien Freeman is now cast in it. I must say if I was in Elle’s place I would feel the same way and turns out so does everyone else in the original Starfield fandom. The original series wasn't all that popular but it still gathered quite the cult following and these people were like family joined by their mutual love for Starfield and they all felt a surge of rage when Darien and his followers who knew nothing about this amazing series just invaded their sanctuary.

But the poor guy however heart stoppingly handsome he is, is just a geek at heart. He does love his fame but for that fame he hides the part of him that knows everything about Starfield and is a fanboy. There's actually a point in the book where his internal monologue is - ”don't fanboy don’t fanboy”, we can all relate to that.

I feel the need to mention Darien's appearance on the show Hello America. Elle is watching the show host asking Darien the questions and he answers all of them but misses a question, not because he didn't know the answer but because his script told him to not answer so that he doesn't seem too geeky to the crowd, but as Elle doesn't know that and it increases her initial contempt towards the man who seems to be hijacking her most beloved series. I'm not sure why this incident stuck with me, but watching Darien after the show thinking back to how he hated that he couldn't answer a question he knew the answer to, really touched my heart.
.
Elle’s father started ExcelsiCon a convention for people in fandoms. Once he died Elle was left with a stepmother and two stepsisters who she couldn’t hate more. Watching Elle remember how her stepmother got rid of everything that belonged to her father was so sad and watching her stepmother take advantage of her at every turn, treat her like a slave has my blood boiling.
But this time she is not going to abide by the constriction her stepmother set for her. She is going to go to ExcelsiCon and take part in the cosplay event and hopefully win.

Darien tries to contact the person who started ExcelsiCon unaware of the fact that he had died and his phone passed on to his daughter, Elle. They start talking to each other via text and start falling in love without ever having met. Darien loves talking to her because with her he doesn’t have to hide his inner geek and can just be who he is.


”I’m glad to share this sky with you —Maybe we should start looking up together, ah’blena.”

I understand exactly why their conversations were so dear to each other, they were an escape from each of their lives into a discussion about the story they care about most as neither of them has anyone else to share their love for the fandom. I can't imagine not having someone to go crazy and fangirl with. In fact my best friend is the one who pushed me to read this book because she finished it recently and loved it. She was right, this was an amazing read.

As long as you are a reader and a fangirl/boy I feel like this book is right up your alley. The fandom aspect was so perfectly incorporated into the retelling it feels absolutely perfect. This book proves how your fandom can be your family and watching both of the characters find solace in that is heartwarming.

Everyone in the fandom are people that understood how supportive characters and stories can be in a person's life. All stories teach us to grow as people and we are constantly learning things from stories we could never have learnt otherwise. They give us hope and they allow us to dream and the people who remain ignorant of the power fiction possesses shall never know the joy that it is to see past reality into worlds that will never exist but will always have a place in our hearts.

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATE: $1.99 Kindle US 4/4/19

How sweet was this =) ♥



When I first started reading the book I wasn't so sure and then it started to get to me.

It was a sweet little book about a fandom, some sweet friends, and a retelling of sorts.

Elle lives with her jerk of a stepmother and her two daughters. Elle and her father (when he was alive) were big fans of the show, Starfield. They were geek fans together. I love that. But living with the horrible stepmother is not the greatest thing now that Elle's father is dead.

Elle works on a food truck and becomes wonderful friends with a really cool girl named, Sage. I fell in love with her once she and Elle started becoming friends. And then there is Franco the dog, his is a whole other tail < -- see what I did =)

I love the whole fandom story about Starfield. A lot of people are up in the air about the new guy taking over a main role. His name is Darien. He also has fangirls that are cray.

And then there is a cosplay contest. We find out just how sweet it is when some unexpected things happen due to this contest.

Overall, it was a feel good little book. A quick read with some lovely characters. I love getting my fluffy goodness on =)

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[♛ may · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddy read with Skam trash

You would THINK that a book with an adorably epic cover, relatable geek plot, and is a retelling of a v famous story would STEAL my heart and win me over instantly. . .

. . . but you didn’t consider this book.


Things this Book Got Right:
- Girl friendship
- The beauty of geeking over something and blogging about it
- The calamity that is chores
- Diets
- Siblings who touch your stuff
- Geek cons

Things this book got WRONG
- Darien’s insured abs
- Yes, you read that correctly
- INSURED
- ABS
- Ew
- Barf
- Texting strangers
- Instalove that would make Cinderella and Prince Charming cringe
- The totally down to earth, hot actor guy
- The mary sue who would DEFINITELY stand up to the hot, down to earth, actor guy
- Darien’s insured abs
- Who the frick insures a part of their body
- And they’re abs ????
- Like what happens when you eat a sandwich and those abs go bye bye ???
- Is your stomach insured too?? Im confused how this works
- The writing is juvenile
- Darien is NOT realistic like plz im not an actor with insured abs and perfect hair and my ego is bigger than his
- Also the font was. So. bloody. Small.
- My eyes are bleeding thanks
- Anyways

This book had a LOT of potential to be hella cute and steal all our souls but all it captured instead was my boredom.

So I wanna apologize on behalf of readers and epic cover makers all over; this book should have been cancelled before midnight.

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

2 stars!!

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was so surprisingly delightful, and made me so unexpectedly emotional. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, but this modern day retelling feels and was actually able to evoke quite the feelings from me. This is a heartwarming story and if you consider yourself nerdy whatsoever, don't let this book pass you by.

I obviously feel confident saying I'm a pretty geeky individual:
➽ Video Games? I've been raiding for over 10 years in World of Warcraft.
➽ Esports? League of Legends is my world, and I will not miss NA LCS or LCK for anything.
➽ D&D? Vox Machina is love, Vox Machina is life. #Critters
➽ Fandoms? You all know I have that covered. *Explains why Hermione and Draco should have been together*
➽ Cons?


I've embraced and been comfortable with my nerdiness for a while now, but it wasn't always so easy, and this book really struck a chord with me and what I felt like when I was seventeen years old and still unsure of who I was. This book truly felt like my coming of age story, and a book that would have meant everything to me if I would have picked it up when I was younger and needed it. For that alone I will always cherish this story and recommend this book.

Never be ashamed of who you are or what you love. Celebrate your passions loudly and unapologetically. Never settle and never listen to anyone who wants you to become something you're not. I promise you, there is someone out there who will love and accept you for who you are and will care about what you love. In the mean time, love yourself and embrace what you love.

“I’m the lost princess. I’m the villain of my story, and the hero. Part of my mom and part of my dad. I am a fact of the universe. The Possible and the Impossible. I am not no one.”

Okay, I promise I'll try to be less emotional. This adorable story starts out like any modern day Cinderella retelling would: with a girl grieving the loss of her father, while trying to put up with her evil stepmother, while dealing with her evil stepsisters. She feels alone and so isolated, while trying to keep the peace and do all the housework and chores for her unloving family. If only there was a way for her to escape.

Our Cinderella, Elle, escapes the only way she knows how: in the fandom of the beloved sci-fi show that she shared with her father, Starfield! Starfield is much like a mix of Star Trek and Star Wars, and it just so happens that the show is getting remade into a movie and Elle's favorite character is being played by the most unexpected of male leads. Oh, and Elle also runs a Starfield blog, where she voices her opinion of the casting choices.

Meanwhile, this male lead, Darien, is dealing with his own broken home, even though Hollywood makes everything appear perfect on the outside. Even though he's supposed to just be a teen heartthrob, he is secretly obsessed with Starfield and has dreamed of this leading role his whole life.

Then, due to a very strange set of events and miscommunication, our two protagonists start texting one another, while being completely unaware of whom they are actually communicating with.

“I hide the phone under my pillow. Because I’m not a princess. And this is the impossible universe, where nothing good ever happens.”

Throw in a cosplay ball, a food truck pumpkin, an amazing friend, and endless geeky references and you have yourself this amazing story wrapped up with helpful discussions and wonderful reminders to love yourself and know your worth.

There is also amazing lesbian representation in this book. The story doesn't shy away from it what so ever, and it is treated, as it should be treated, like normal. Again, this book is important, needed, and truly a shining light in 2017 publications.

This book was pure joy to read, and I connected with it on a very deep level. This story is truly a love letter to fandoms in general, and it warmed my heart to no end. I was laughing, crying, smiling, and absolutely loving this book from cover to cover. I am so happy a book like this is getting published, and I wish it all the success in the world.

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐

What's not to love about pumpkins?? Just saying:
- Pumpkin carving
- Pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin spice latte
- Pumpkin soup
- (Geeky) pumpkin book


This was a cute retelling of Cinderella, definitely, but it was juuuuust a tad boring, it kind of lost me on the way.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Geek, I adored this book and I'm not afraid to admit it!



This was my last completed book of 2019. An excellent way to end a great reading year!



During the course of my 2019 Christmas holiday travels, I found myself alone in the car, A LOT. I wanted a little romance to keep me alert whilst driving. Not for me, of course, but on audio.

I had been putting this off forever, for unknown and totally irrelevant reasons, and on a whim decided to download it.



The stars blessed me that day, as I found so much more in this story than romance.

It genuinely touched my nerdy soul.



I felt filled to capacity with acceptance and understanding whilst listening to this modern-day Cinderella retelling.

At its heart, a story about embracing your passions and never apologizing for who you are or what you love. Something I am trying to work on myself.



Our protagonist, Elle Wittimer, is a teen living with her Step-Mother and two Step-Sisters in South Carolina, and yes, you guessed it, the Steps are wicked!



Elle tries to stay out of their way as much as possible.

She spends her summer days working in a food truck called the Magic Pumpkin and her nights blogging about her favorite fandom, Starfield, a classic scifi show that she has loved her whole life.



Starfield is the one thing that makes her still feel connected to her deceased parents, both huge fans.

When it is announced that Starfield is soon to get a movie reboot, Elle can't wait to see who they cast. As any superfan though, she's worried they're going to ruin it.

Do reboots or adaptations ever truly do justice for our fandoms?



After teen heartthrob, Darien Freeman, is announced to be playing the pivotal role of Federation Prince Carmindor, Elle knows it is going to suck. What would he possibly know about Starfield?

She suspects all he knows are abs workouts and alarmingly charming smiles. Fueled by anger, she takes to the web and blogs what a travesty it is.



Darien Freeman is a fan however. Being cast as Carmindor has been a life-long dream for him, but he's been cast to play a particular part, not just in the movie, but in life. Bubble-headed playboy is his image and he is forced to stick with it.

Written off by the Starfield fanbase as a faker of the highest order, Darien finds himself frustrated and misunderstood. But what can he possibly do about it? He's trapped.



Under the same stars, Elle feels trapped as well. Her Steps are downright cruel to her, but she has no means of retaliation or true escape. She feels powerless against them.

To promote the new movie, the Starfield execs plan a cosplay contest to be held at ExcelsiCon; the very same Con created by Elle's late father. She can't believe her luck and sees the grand prize, tickets to L.A., as her means of escape.



Darien is not pleased when he discovers he will be forced to attend the Con. He used to love attending Cons, but to have to go and not be able to proclaim his love as a true fan feels stifling.

Reaching out to a phone number listed as info for ExcelsiCon, he ends up getting in touch with Elle, but neither knows who the other is. Thus begins their relationship, via texts, and their means of finding escape through one another.



From the very first chapter, I fell for Elle and her story, hook, line and sinker.

The homage to the original tale of Cinderella, while bringing it fully into the 21st-century, was beautifully crafted. I loved all the little details and connections throughout the book.



As the synopsis states, this is also a love letter to nerd culture and for many of us, that means a lot.

To feel that we aren't alone and there are legions of people out there just like us, who love the same things, accept us and don't call us weird, it feels good.



Overall, I was really damn impressed with this and hope to be picking up the next, Once Upon a Con installment soon!

Thank you, Ashley Poston, for writing this. It was absolutely wonderful!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING.

Well I wasn't expecting to finish this book four hours after I started it but here we are. I loved EVERYTHING about this book. The nerdiness. The cons. The CHARACTERS. Basically it took my favorite things from other Cinderella retellings and wrapped them into one, PLUS EVEN MORE.
I love that it's told from dual perspective and tackles (even in passing) issues like "fake geek girls" and people not understanding how much you love something that's nerdy and your favorite thing being rebooted or turned into a movie.
I didn't love that most of the "evil" characters were women (though one was a guy!) but that's kinda cinderella for you.
Gosh I cried throughout this book and just felt a lot of it deep in my heart. I love things so deeply and people don't understand and this book took that and was like that's your strength and I JUST I'm getting emotional again probably because I need to sleep.
This book was everything to me that's it ok goodnight.

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.

[Natasha Polis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love letter to fandom! Super cute, super corny, but all around a story for young readers to love.

Some of the dialogue was super cringe, and I'm not always a fan of "movie star" characters. But it's fiction so you just have to go with it. I'm here for the 15 year old fangirl who would have died to read this book!

[sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

*5

i’m just going to pretend that i didn’t reread this book for the third time. Now i might be able to write an actual review for this one :)

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

AWWW this was cute (it was SO CHEESY, tho). And I didn't believe the "falling in love" part, but I'll explain that in my wrap up :).

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute and clever story!

Ever since Elle was little, she’s loved a Sci-Fi TV series called Starfield. Her parents also loved the show and her dad actually started a convention called ExcelsiCon for the fans. Now, there’s a Starfield reboot with new actors and a chance to enter a cosplay contest. Winners of the contest will get a chance to attend the ExcelsiCon Ball and meet the new actor playing the part of Prince Carmindor. Elle knows she must enter the contest because she’s an ultimate fangirl and lives for Starfield. The big problem is that Elle’s stepmother is bitter about anything that doesn’t benefit her and she hates Starfield. Elle will have to find a way to make this happen on her own and without her stepmom finding out.


Darien Freeman is a young actor who’s also a Starfield fan and he’s playing the star role as Prince Carmindor in the Starfield reboot. He’s become uncomfortable in this position because Starfield fans don’t seem to take him seriously. They think he’s a joke because of the previous show he starred in and don’t believe he’s a true Starfield fan. So now he wants to find a way to avoid the signing event at ExcelsiCon altogether, until he meets someone who helps him think otherwise. Will Darien be able to pull off the part and prove to everyone that he has what it takes to represent the original Carmindor?

The story does follow similar tropes and themes from Cinderella including a horrible stepmother, stepsisters, and other not-so-great circumstances. Elle still mourns the loss of her father and due to how she’s treated by her evil family, she has fairly low self-esteem. Her stepsisters are the popular kids at school and Elle doesn’t have many friends. She works on a food truck called ‘The Magic Pumpkin’ along with a girl named Sage who she eventually becomes quite close to. Elle learns a lot about being herself throughout the book and also about the true definition of family and friendship. I could totally relate to Elle and she’s definitely a likeable character.

I loved Sage! I think she turned out to be my favorite character. She’s exactly the kind of friend Elle needs. She’s strong, supportive, and teaches Elle to be herself and to be proud of who she is. Sage is different and isn’t afraid to express herself to anyone. This helps Elle tremendously, especially with her stepsisters, Chloe and Cal. I loved the way the author made these two sisters different with Chloe being the true evil one.

As for Darien, I liked his character. There were parts in the book where I thought he was a little annoying and even cocky at times, but he’s dealing with his own set of struggles, including a dad who he’s not close to and a nonexistent mother. When Darien became an actor, his friends became distant and everything sort of fell apart, so he doesn’t have many friends at this point. As for the parents, I couldn’t stand them. Elle’s stepmom is horrible and treats her like garbage. Darien’s dad is pretty bad too and cares more about what’s best for himself than what’s best for Darien.

Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling. I think the author was very creative with how she switched up the plot, setting, and characters. The writing is good and the pacing was spot on for me. I found some parts comical and even shed a few tears at other emotional parts regarding Elle and her dad. The ending was a little too cheesy for my taste and I didn’t like the way the characters came together, but I absolutely cannot deny that I was invested in these characters all the way to the end. Everytime I had to put the book down, I looked forward to picking it back up again.

I think anyone who loves Cinderella retellings will enjoy this book. I’m looking forward to the next book.

4****

You can also read this review @www.readrantrockandroll.com

[Ashley Nuckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would read this book again and again and again and again! It was the absolute cutest thing and I’m obsessed😭

[areeba ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so cute. it made me smile. ME. SMILING. FROM. THE. MARSHMALLOW. FLUFF. I. AM. IN. LOVE.

i absolutely adored this. it was a little boring in the beginning but it picks up and those little details connected to the original Cinderella story i was screaming throughout the book and telling my sister about the "Geek" twists.

that cosplay scene? yeah my heart shriveled up and died. and i absolutely loved Elle and Darien is such a dork 😭💞 and yeah it was tooooo insta lovey dovey, they just gave Cinderella and Prince Charming a run for their money but like i said it didn't annoy me for some reason.

and when they called each other Ah'blen and Ah'blena #feels. and SAGE AS THE GODMOTHER I MEAN A PUNK FAIRY GODMOTHER GAHHH.

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prościutka ale bardzo przyjemna! Miłe zaskoczenie, 3.5

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We might not know much about each other, and I might not be there, and you might not be here, but I'm glad to share this sky with you. Maybe we should start looking up together, ah'blena".

Ay, dioses, Geekerella es todo lo que está bien en el mundo. Es de esos libros que quiero abrazar, que me dejan suspirando, creyendo en el amor y soñando que algún día conoceré a alguien tan geek como yo y nuestra manera de decirnos "te quiero" será "After all this time? Always".

En este retelling de Cenicienta nos encontramos con Elle, una chica que, tras la muerte de su padre, debe vivir con madrastra y sus horrorosas hermanastras. A pesar de lo terrible de su vida, Elle es absolutamente feliz refugiándose en el mundo de Starfield, una serie a la cual su padre, el fundador de ExcelsiCon, la introdujo y, por ello, siente que es su legado. Pero Elle no es sólo una geek más, sino que adora escribir fanfics, se sabe absolutamente todos los diálogos de la serie y, además, es una blogger reconocida en el universo de Starfield.

Por otra parte, tenemos a Darien Freeman, el actor del momento, que, tras hacerse súper popular en una serie en la que salían sus abdominales al aire el 90% del tiempo, es contratado para hacer de Carmindor, el personaje principal de Starfield, en el remake que Hollywood ha planeado. Pero, más allá de lo que las cámaras muestran, Darien no es el actor chulo de turno, sino que realmente adora Starfield y tiene muchísimo miedo de no poder llenar las expectativas del público y de él mismo. En medio de un ataque de pánico y tratando de arreglar una situación incómoda, Darien encuentra el número del fundador de ExcelsiCon y le escribe para intentar cambiar unas cosas... pero lo que Darien no sabe es que esa persona está muerta y el número ahora pertenece a Elle.

Así, sin revelar sus identidades, Darien y Elle empezarán a escribirse mensajes y, poco a poco, irán formando un lazo que los hará sentir menos solos en el terrible universo de fans locas, hermanastras neuróticas y presiones indescriptibles.

No se imaginan cuánto amé este libro. Leer a Elle era leerme a mí misma. Adoré su manera de amar incondicionalmente algo que muchas personas juzgan, el cómo siempre se refugiaba en ello cuando algo iba mal, la cantidad de mundos posibles en los que vivía. Y, luego, también me fascinaba su nivel de socially awkward penguin en lo que a establecer relaciones se refiere. Vamos, que es muy fácil ser coqueta, interesante y osada cuando estás a través de una pantalla, pero enfréntanos a personas reales cara a cara y perdemos cualquier habilidad para hablar que tuviéramos.

A lo largo del libro, vemos cómo Elle se vuelve más fuerte y decide vivir a la altura del legado de su padre. Se enfrenta a su falsa familia, trabaja durísimo por lo que quiere y no deja que las miradas y los tratos horrendos la hundan más. Elle aprende a ser aún más auténtica, a aceptar ayuda de amigos insospechados y, sobre todo, a abrir un poco su corazón.

Mis partes favoritas del libro, así como me sucedió con Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda fueron los mensajes de texto que se enviaban Elle y Darien sin saber quiénes eran y sintiéndose Carmindor y Amara. Eran tan absolutamente perfectos y tiernos que me derretía con cada uno de ellos. Todo empieza como un tipo de role play bastante curioso, pero poco a poco esas palabras que se dicen entre los personajes se convierten en lo que están sintiendo el uno por el otro. Aún sin conocerse. Sin verse las caras. Sin saber sus nombres reales. Y eso me parece, al menos en el contexto del libro, lo más romántico del mundo.

Con cada página que pasaba necesitaba que Elle y Darien se conocieran, se vieran y revelaran sus identidades, pero al mismo tiempo no quería que sucediera porque sabía que ese sería el momento del drama y del clímax tensionante del libro. Vamos, que no todo podía salir bien en un primer momento, algo de drama intergaláctico tendría que haber.

En general Geekerella es un libro tremendamente cursi, romántico llevado al extremo y con gestos que me dejaban vomitando arcoíris. Pero era lo que necesitaba. Era lo que quería. Quería un libro que me llenara de amor, esperanza, felicidad y finales felices. Un libro que hiciera que mi parte friki y vergonzosamente rosa se sintiera a gusto. Y Geekerella logró todo eso y más.

Ahora quiero encontrar a alguien que me jure su amor eterno junto a las estrellas y me llame ah'blena por el resto de su vida.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute as shit, omg. I never had any intention of reading this bc I thought it was just gonna be another cheesy book set at a Comic Con-esque convention but this was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT and I am sooooo glad that I read it (shout out to Jaclyn for recommending this to get me out of my slump)! There were some moments when it was more than a little cringey, but for the most part I adored everything about this. ESPECIALLY the fact that there was a sneaky little surprise F/F romance in here that gave me life. I'm pleased as punch.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun Cinderella retelling. It’s geeky and current. I liked the twists and how the familiar elements were wittingly spun into a contemporary Cinderella story. The sci-fi bits and the cos-play were a lot of fun although at some point, the plot kind of dragged a bit for me but it was still a generally enjoyable read.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book steeped in fandom and set in Charleston, SC? Yes, please! Seriously, Ashley Poston’s Geekerella has ME written all over it. You’ve got my parents’ hometown (Charleston) combined with a fairy tale retelling (one of my fave subgenres) infused with a fandom-centric plot. Be still my nerdy soul!

As fandom becomes increasingly mainstream more books are being published featuring this unique culture. And what’s better, they’re representing it WELL. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia are two recent examples. No longer is fandom considered the domain of the weird and socially inept. Fandom-centric books are bringing forth this formerly insular world and revealing the genius and creativity present within.

Since I’m a wee bit older than the standard fangirl, (most of) my IRL friends and/or family never experienced this phenomenon. It was never a thing when they were growing up. So to them fan culture seems obsessive, pointless, and downright WEIRD. How can you possibly be friends with people you’ve never met? But here’s what they don’t understand: fandom friendships can be as genuine and authentic as any real life relationship. The bond created by shared, fevered interests is both intense and immediate. Basically I’m speaking Klingon and the only people who can translate my wacky are my cyber-space compatriots.

Geekerella not only gets fandom, it celebrates it. Based on the traditional Cinderella story, Geekerella has all the trappings of the oft-repeated fairy tale but twisted to fit a contemporary setting. Yes, we have the requisite beleaguered title character tormented by her evil stepmother & stepsisters. But every other classic feature has been realistically adjusted. The prince is actually a movie star, the carriage is a pumpkin-themed food truck, and the famous glass slipper? Cosplay. Geekerella’s strength lies in its creativity. Making what could have been nonsensical, both relevant and applicable.

And that relevance extends to our main character’s name, Elle. An orphaned, friendless Elle lives in Charleston’s historic section alongside her stepmother and stepsisters. Tormented daily, Elle is desperate to escape and perceives an upcoming con (for all you fandom virgins, think: comic con) as her ticket out. Elle is a diehard Starfield fan, a classic sci-fi show similarly loved by her late parents. ExcelsiCon features a planned cosplay contest. What’s even better than dressing up as your fave Starfield character? Getting paid to do so. If Elle wins the contest, the prize money will fund a move to Los Angeles. Adios, jerks.

This year’s ExcelsiCon is doubly exciting because Darien Freeman, star of the long-awaited Starfield movie, will be present. Soap stud Darien brings with him hoardes of screaming fans drooling over his rockhard abs. But you know who’s not drooling? Elle. She has zero interest in Twilight-ing her favorite show. She wants appreciation and depth. Not Robert Pattinson-esque frenzy. Twihards be damned. To her Darien is a dime a dozen soap hunk with no knowledge or respect for Starfield. A blog post detailing why Darien is a poor casting choice propels Elle’s little side project to stratospheric proportions. And in the midst of the hub-bub? A dismayed Darien. After reading Elle’s harsh criticism Darien, secretly a genuine Starfield fan, contacts ExcelsiCon organizers to cancel his appearance. But you can’t escape fate (or fairy tale magic) because d’ya know who founded ExcelsiCon? Elle’s late father. After Darien’s message is mistakenly forwarded to Elle’s phone, an anonymous relationship via text is formed. Basically, it’s like Cinderella meets Who’s Got Mail. From there the standard Cinderella story ensues. Chapters alternate between Elle and Darien, providing our “Prince Charming” the depth missing from the original fairy tale.

Geekerella does a great job of taking the much beloved Cinderella tale and giving it modern flair. We’ve got LGBTQA representation, a heroine with agency paired with a prince that’s a person of color, vlogging, and more. The early text-based relationship between Elle and Darien prevents the story from falling into fairy tale insta-love territory. A solid foundation is formed before these two lovebirds even lock eyes making the story both refreshing and realistic.

But while Geekerella is realistic and undoubtedly adorable, there’s nothing groundbreaking to be found. Yes it’s a modern twist, but all the familiar Cinderella plot points remain. It’s predictable. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Romantic comedies flourish in part due to their guaranteed happily-ever-after. In a world that’s so unbelievably random, it’s comforting to have something to rely on. Geekerella provides that.

To sum up: Geekerella is a modern, romantic-comedy spin on Cinderella. Definitely cute, but not necessarily a stand-out. Early parts dragged a bit and while I appreciated the opportunity to delve into the “Prince’s” story, I found his sections slightly tedious. Thankfully, the story speeds up in the last quarter and at that point you’ll be glued to your seat.

Definitely a book I’d recommend to interested parties, but not a priority read.

3.5 stars

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Geeky Starfield Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was just SO adorable!

I am not a super fan of anything or part of any type of fandom.... especially not anything involving the word star.... but that did not matter at all this book was a lot of fun.... a very well done retelling of Cinderella with a modern twist...right down to the pumpkin food truck....

Elle was such a fabulously likable character.... even though she and my teenage self had very little in common I still found her so Real and relatable.... Darien, well what’s not to like.... a super hot movie star with abs of steel and a heart of gold.... although my favorite character has to be Sage she was the most unlikely perfect ferry godmother....

I would strongly recommend this book to everybody who believes in happily ever after.... when you’re in the mood for a fun fluffy fairytale with a side of nerd....


🎧🎧🎧 Narration: was very well done by both narrators, however there were a few mishaps with the editing... some lines repeated enough that I noticed and I am not necessarily one to notice those things....

📚🌹 find all my reviews on our lovely blog https://audiokilledthebookmark.com/

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.50/5 stars!
What an adorable book this was!!! Loved the nod to Cinderella & how the author Incorporated fangirls and fandoms in it! Loved it!

[Bonnie Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book soooooooooooo much!!!😍 I mean, I totally identified with Elle and her devotion to Starfield, the short-lived TV series that spawned a generation of superfans (which is exactly what happened with Star Trek, my first—and still—love).

I jumped at the opportunity to visit a Star Trek Enterprise replica set and totally geeked out with other fans. (above) I even attended the San Diego ComicCon a couple of years ago and snapped a quick pic with a Captain Kirk wannabe. I, however, remain devoted to Mr. Spock, hence, my blue uniform. Alas, I didn't see a Spock anywhere. Live long and prosper. 🖖



But I digress... This is the story of Cinderella, ahem, Geekerella, Elle, whose father (and mother) was such a fan of Starfield that he started his own convention, ExcelsiCon, in honor of his favorite show.

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

Elle's dad died, though, when she was only eight years old and she's been living with her stepmother and two stepsisters who defintely don't understand her continued obsession with Starfield.

When she receives a phone call from an unknown number asking about ExcelsiCon (which had become huge), she doesn't think much of it. After all, with her dad (and mom) long gone, this is a subject that still causes her heart to break. She had attended the Con with her dad and knew it intimately. She had even danced around her livingroom in her mom's cosplay gown. But those times were over and she was just trying to get through life.

Unbeknownst to Elle, the unknown number was Darien Freeman, the teen heartthrob who had been cast as Prince Carmindor in the upcoming Starfield movie. Bored one night, and still trying to get out of his appearance at ExcelsiCon, Darien texts Elle again and thus begins their friendship.

I don't want to give anything else away but, obviously, this is a retelling of Cinderella and it follows the same basic story line. Ashley Poston does a fantastic job of updating this beloved tale and putting her own unique and very creative spin on it.



This is just the most adorable story and it made me really happy! 😊

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute retelling. This time it is Cindrella in the modern world of fandoms and teen heartthrobes.

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 4 out of 5]

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1) Geekerella - ★★★★



When the typical Cinderella story meets a geeky girl, a comic con and an actor instead of a prince, you get Geekerella. A story unlike any other Cinderella like stories, full with wittiness, geekiness and style.

We have Elle, who is our Cinderella. Her father passed away and left her with her stepmom and her two stepsisters. Elle is also a vivid lover of Starfield, sci-fi series similar to Star Trek and Star Wars. She is also a blogger, where she writes all things Starfield.

On the other side, we have Darien, who is an actor and just got the main character role for the new remake of Starfield. While he deeply loves Starfield, he is not allowed to show those emotions and let everyone knows he is a fan, because it will ruin his reputation. And that is the sole reason why fans don’t like him - he is just another guy that goes for the money and ruins their favourite fan fiction (we have all been there though, haven’t we?).

When fate somehow connects Elle and Darien together, under unknown circumstances they start texting to each other, without revealing who they really are. And that is when everything changes.

A story about love and friendship, but most importantly - a story that teaches you to “Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.” A story that reminds you to keep believing in who you are and why you are doing what you love. This is an amazing reminder to all of you - to be the people you want to be, because once you are comfortable with who you are and what you love to do - nothing can stop you in being great! And most importantly - HAPPY!

While there were bits and pieces that I could not resist but to cringe on, such as the falling in love through texting, or not being able to say no to your step sisters, or being afraid to tell your fans that you are a fan, while they keep accusing you that you don’t care. (How could this ruin a reputation? It could only make it better)...

While there were things that bothered me, this story was still a great revolution to the Cinderella retelling. No other story has shown a girl to fight for what she loves as strongly as this, without the help of magic or a pumpkin - even though her best friend Sage was really the fairy in this situation.

If you haven’t read it already, please do! It is worth reading it, as it has a powerful message inside of it. I recommend it to all of you out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

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[Dana (Dana and the Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geekerella was adorable! I'm always okay with cosplaying sci-fi nerds

[Zitong Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awwwww, I really enjoyed that!!! It was just so sweet, yet also powerful of a book and to be fair, I needed a book with a happy ending. It wasn’t perfect, hence the four stars, but still, it was just something joyous to read in a difficult time for everyone. I’m oddly in the mood for some cute, lighthearted, contemporaries books(preferably YA) so please hit me up with recs! 😄

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.75 stars

“My dad said that the impossible is only impossible if you don’t even try. So I want to try.”
RTC...

Cinderella was one of the first stories I have ever read, it will always have a special place in my heart. Let's put that aside and go into my analytical thinking:

💊 This was cute, I didn't have high expectations but it was cute and I like how the re-telling elements were folded up.

💊 The writing style was mediocre to be honest and the Batman thing was a bit ... annoying?

💊 Much of it was expected and that is logical since it is a re-telling!

💊 I teared up toward the final parts of the book which always make me give a higher rating (See? I am nice) and that is really something! You see, I don't tear in heart-breaking novels such as The sun is also a star, They both die at the end, History is all you left me... etc. I only have happy tears when something good is happening or a character is defending another one; I teared while reading Wonder, Harry Potter, It ends with us and Gangsta Granny!



💊 I could relate to many things, reminded me of Eliza and her monsters although the later was a bit more relate-able!

💊 The Insured abs bothered some readers, but welcome to real world, people do the lamest things and insuring body parts is not unheard of, here is a short list that I found on the internet (not an exhaustive list):

Dolly Parton insured her Butt for 600,00$
Rihanna insured her legs for 1 million$
Madonna breasts are insured for 2 millions $
Julia Roberts reportedly insured her smile for $30 million
Mariah Carey legs are insured for 1 Billion $ (I don't want to live on this planet anymore too)

So, if a character has its abs insured, then I am sorry but C'est la vie!
It may have been over-mentioned but I said the writing style is not the best anyway!

💊 It certainly had a message, but then the author keeps roasting bald men, I am against this tbh! you're contradicting yourself even if it is a joke!

💊 I really wanted to make her step-sister behave, she was really fleshed out and as annoying as needed.

Anyway, I like to read those fluffy, fast books for a change and I think this delivered what I was looking for so I am being nice and rounding up to 4 stars.



New fact about me: I once wrote a Cinderella re-telling before becoming an avid reader! The idea was good but it had the worst execution ever 😂😂 (I didn't know that re-tellings existed then and thought I found the next big thing lol).