For fangirls looking for a book that they can relate to, look no further: Ashley Preston’s Geekerella is here to save the day. A Cinderella retelling, Geekerella is told from the perspectives of Elle and Darien. Elle is the biggest Starfield (think Star Wars and Star Trek) that you’ll ever meet. She’s excited for her favorite sci-fi TV series to be turned in a movie, until it’s announced Darien Freeman will be playing the lead role. How could a teenage soap opera star play the Federation Prince? At least, Elle has Excelsicon and the Starfield cosplay contest to look forward to, where she’ll have the chance to finally escape from her evil stepmother and stepsisters. Meanwhile, Darien is doing his best to handle playing the lead in Starfield. Between being a huge fan of the series and people doubting his ability to play the Federation Prince, Darien questions how he’ll pull the role off, let alone judging the Starfield cosplay contest at Excelsicon.
Geekerella is a great read for fangirls and fanboys alike because of its appreciation for fandom culture. There’s cosplay, blogging, forum discussions, artwork, and more—all the small details that add up to being part of a fandom. There’s the classic fangirl, exemplified through Elle, who tries to get all of their friends to join in on their obsession. For instance, Elle sharing Starfield with her co-worker, Sage, reminded me of pushing my own friends into Hamilton. Additionally, Elle and Darien are obviously both huge Starfield fans, and seeing their reactions to the series and Excelsicon reminds readers of their own fandoms. Their Starfield could be your Star Wars, Twilight, Disney, The Hunger Games, etc. Both characters’ experiences with the sci-fi series reminded me of my own experience growing and continuing to love Harry Potter.
Overall, Geekerella reminded me of my love for being a fangirl. I hope it does the same for you.
