Book Review: Model Misfit(Geek Girl #2) by Holly Smale

Harriet Manners knows a lot of facts.

• Humans have 70,000 thoughts per day
• Caterpillars have four thousand muscles
• The average person eats a ton of food every year
• Being a Geek + Model = a whole new set of graffiti on your belongings.

But clearly she knows nothing about boys. And on a whirlwind modelling trip to Tokyo, Harriet would trade in everything she's ever learnt for just the faintest idea of what she's supposed to do next.

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When this came through my letterbox, I was so excited to start reading. As I turned the first few pages, I soon remembered why I loved the first book so much. Filled with witty-humour, personality and a whole host of characters to love, Model Misfit is a fun-filled continuation of the Geek Girl Series that became something I couldn't wait to pick after a long day!

At the beginning of this book, Harriet Manners is taking another step towards her own metamorphosis: she is spreading her wings. A new baby is on the way, her model boyfriend Nick has dumped her and she feels thrown to the side now her best friend Nat is going to France for the school holidays. The only thing she has to look forward to is spending the days with her delighted stalked Toby. Now approaching her sixteenth birthday, Harriet is growing up.  Since the final pages of Geek Girl, she has gained more confidence yet she is still the fact-filled, dinosaur-obsessed, geek with the graffiti-covered bag we all love. This time, she's not afraid to stand-up to Alexa by pointing out a grammar mistake - readers will be willing her on at this point! I really enjoyed this novel - and wanted more as soon as it came to an end.

I felt I got to know a lot more about other characters who have such large personalities - Wilbur especially. He became a father-figure to Harriet in many ways, a very vibrant, exaggerated one! Toby, possibly the most caring stalker in existence, is receiving all my affection! Sweet and charming, I applaud Toby for being the hero of this whole book. I will have to comment on Nick here, who is best known for being Lion Boy. It took me over 300 pages of this novel to decide what I really thought of him, as after you realise how his and Harriet's relationship ended, you may find yourself ranting to your parents...

Smale's writing is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. She has an ability to thrown in humour completely naturally and have you laughing-out-loud in every-chapter. Her writing completely reflects Harriet's personality yet, is so simplistic you can just enjoy this book and be happy to. You feel like you have a relationship with these characters, and realise that you're completely connected to their lives. I went through moments where I would be angry at a character, next I would be sitting jaw-dropped(you'll realise why at the end) and then willing another on. I couldn't help but share the facts I was reading with anyone I could find - and looked forward to what I would find out next.

The plot in this novel had constant twists and turns, and definitely kept you guessing! On the other side of the world, Harriet continues to struggle with modelling. Although, it comes together at the end and you instantly realise how smart Smale was when it came to planning this novel. Everything tied-up at the end like a boxed-gift covered in dinosaur wrapping paper - and it shows it had brilliant plotting! The way it all worked, the little hints but never too much, made an even better ending.

The only reason I haven't given this book five stars, is not for my lack of enjoyment. I did feel like things were over-done at times. Wilbur's 'quirks' were over-used and I liked them in the first book for how they were an added-extra. I found when they were repeated constantly on a page, they lost that naturalness! Also, I would have loved to have seen Harriet looking around Tokyo more, as it's such an interesting city!

4 Stars - A must read for fans of the first novel, and anyone who is looking for a light-hearted and fun read!

Geek Girl: Model Misfit by Holly Smale(Cover Reveal)

Today, I woke up and logged onto my laptop to have my day made by the fact the cover for Geek Girl: Model Misfit would be revealed later that day! After a really busy day yesterday, this made me forget about how tired I was and the fact all I wanted to do was go back to bed! As I waited for the cover to be revealed(By Holly on twitter by a countdown that reminded me of New Years) I was chatting to Lucy, Sunny and Amber about our love for the first book. I'm so excited to get back to Harriet's life and find out what is happening. Also, I loved all of the other characters and can't wait to see the likes of Nick and Wilbur again!

 

When the cover was revealed - at long last - my Twitter Feed was flooded with hype for Model Misfit. Let's just say there were a lot of capital letters and exclamation marks used by yours truly! So, for anyone who hasn't yet seen it(or read the synopsis because I'm throwing that in too!) here it is:

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

 

Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.

With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes. Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.

Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?

 

 To begin with, isn't it gorgeous! The first thing I tweeted after seeing this cover was how it resembles Harriet's personality perfectly. It's fun and fresh, and with the slanting font it makes you think of how out-of-place Harriet feels sometimes. Her tongue is poking out and it makes me want to laugh already - this is definitely the perfect cover to follow. Models are supposed to take things seriously, and it seems like she's having so much fun here and is too busy to think about that. So, it does make her seem like a misfit of sorts!  I also love the colours on the cover just look at the yellow! It's so vibrant! It also matches the first book, Geek Girl. It's definitely a pet-peeve of mine when the covers don't match, but these definitely do! I'm really looking forward to admiring Model Misfit on my shelf next to GG1.

 

Here are the tweets:

My first reaction to the cover!

Me and Amber discussing how good it will look
on our shelves!

 

I'm just so excited to have this on my shelf and finally get to read it! I've already been assured there is more Nick in this book(Thank you so much, Holly) and now I have a cover to admire until it's released on September 26th! This has come around so quickly compared to other books, I cannot express how happy I am that it isn't a year wait like most novels.

So, what do you think of the cover? Tell me in the comments!

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale



"My name is Harriet Manners and I am a Geek"

Harriet Manners is a Geek. She knows 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. She knows that bats always turn left when exciting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. But, she can't understand why she has the work Geek drawn in red marker pen on the outside pocket of her school satchel or why everybody at school hates her. So, when she is spotted by a top-fashion agent she grabs the chance to reinvent herself, to be part of her own metamorphosis. Even if it means stealing her best friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa or repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome Lion Boy who she met under an table.Even if it means lying to the people she loves. Venturing from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her stalker Toby, Harriet begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her anymore than the real world did.

As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Geek Girl was a book about going through your own 'metamorphosis' when you know a lot about everything but yourself. Told through the eyes of fifteen year-old Harriet Manners who, as she admits herself, is a Geek. Harriet is a completely relatable teenage that you will love to follow just like her very own stalker Toby. Throughout the book she struggles with friendship, trust and being who she really is, just like every teenager feels. With ups and downs, along with awkward moments and embarrassing habits Harriet is a realistic character you will enjoy every minute with. But, this was not your average coming-of-age novel. It was full of humour, handing you a book that is full of laugh out loud moments. Harriet herself is honest, smart but also full of personality. A character that I loved and was constantly hoping things would go right for. When you pick up this book you can't read a whole chapter without at least laughing once and anybody who has read it will put money on that.

Holly Smale creates a highly entertaining read that you won't want to end. The characters in this novel are one's you want to be able to constantly read about. Along with funny and witty moments, I also learnt a lot from this novel. Harriet is always sharing interesting facts throughout the book that you will remember and want to share with whoever will listen. It was a fun, fab read that also had interesting and quirky personalities that filled the pages alongside Harriet. The writing(and book itself) was full of character, emotion and humour. Every part of the novel had twists in the plot-each turning Harriet's life upside down. There were also thrilling moments or one's that were so sweet they would make you sigh.

This novel also gives you an insight into the world of fashion. A really competitive industry with young girls going up against eachother, full of jealousy and hatred. One of a dreaded, high end fashion designer. Or a place full of over-the-top, fashion-obsessed, advisors. And a gorgeous colleague nicknamed Lion Boy.

You will take a lot away from this novel, and I personally found myself having a lot more confidence when I put it down. Geek Girl was a book that will make you proud to be a Geek-or like what your own interests are. It was funny, entertaining, interesting and emotional and when it finally comes to an end you will miss the characters you'd shared the journey with. A book I loved! For ages 11+ ****

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