If you feel that I wrote a book with my lead, I console you that most of it was already known to you. It is no secret that the American writer Ashley Poston deliberately relies in her stories on the known motifs from fairy tales (which can be seen even in the titles of her novels). Geekerella based on Cinderella (Cinderella) was her first work from the – so far – three-volume series Once Upon a Con addressed to teenage audiences, who are members of various fandom (I started my adventure with Poston’s work with Zaczytana i Beast, about which you can find an opinion HERE. ).
Elle Wittimer is an orphan who lives with her stepmother and foster sisters. The girl has no other family, so until she reaches the age of majority, she has no other option than to humbly bear the obligations imposed on her and mockery by these three women. However, there is one bright spot in her life – the classic Starfield sci-fi seriesthat her late father instilled love for (her mother was also a fan, but she doesn’t remember this one). The girl spends a lot of time following and getting involved in the functioning of her fandom (e.g. by writing blog posts and reading fanfiction). Day after day passes by, until Ella learns that there will be a cosplay contest at ExcelsiCon – a convention founded by her dad – and the main prize is a large sum, perfect for the first steps towards becoming independent. So the teenager makes a decision: she will use her father’s outfit to win and change her fate!
Vege food truck Magiczna Dynia invites you on a journey!
In line with the words in the introduction – get ready that it has already been. The main theme of the whole novel is nothing new – but it reminded me more of that movie with Hilary Duff than the classic fairy tale about Cinderella (probably because of this element of SMS and stepmother, who looks like a star and sisters aspiring to be called Internet influencers) . It is quite a naive and simple story about a single girl who wants a normal life and falls in love with her plan in a very Disney style. Is it a bad book because of that? Absolutely not. Written from two perspectives (Elle and Dariena, her prince charming), it gives us an insight into what the life of both main characters is like, thanks to which we can get to know them even better and, as a result, also like them. It does not offend with infantility, and even keeps us with him in the same way as romantic comedies on Netflix. It reads smoothly and without rolling your eyes. The modernization of references to the classic Cinderella, i.e. a pumpkin carriage changed to a food truck, and a fairy godmother into a friend and a young designer, are also watched with interest.
How to fly to the stars – basic course
A nice addition is the whole fan aspect and the Starfield series . While I was disturbed by the references to that sci-fi in Zaczytana and the Beast , in this book they are a good introduction to the main fandom and Ella’s fascination. Although the novels in this series can be read independently and not sequentially, it is better to start with Geekerella when it comes to these fragments about the film that shakes the world of the characters described .
What was best for me about this reading was that I understood the main character. I am a geek myself and I was also a geek as a teenager, so I appreciate the way in which the author has woven into the content of situations I know from the fan world, i.e. dedication to preparing an outfit, organizing tickets and accommodation, as well as the excitement of meeting new people and the convention itself. .
As a teenager – I would read!
I admire a little Ashley Poston for choosing to write about the geek world so directly. I liked the inclusion of slogans such as convention, “ship”, cosplay (and many others) – concepts straight from the world of fandom, which not every average reader needs to know (here by the way, a bow to the translator for using the term “gżdacz” !). I also like the described flourishing romance between Ella and Darien (the author created this relationship in a very charming way). I must admit that I had a night with this book and would like to reach for the next titles in this series in order to relax in the familiar atmosphere of the fandom.
