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!

Books I'd Like to see From Another POV

This is a post I really wanted to write since I'm on a night's break from Revision. I've been thinking a lot lately about what books I would love to see from another characters' perspective. I always seem to think, when a character makes a sudden reappearance, "Where have you been?" or "What happened?". Have you got any books you would like to see written from another point of view? I certainly do!

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins(Peeta & Gale's perspective) This is a tough one, as I would like to see all of the books from different perspectives but, I think the main one for me would be to see Peeta retelling the tale of the 74th Annual Games. I would love to see how he was able to escape Cato, how much he loves Katniss and how he was able to camouflage himself in the mud. He has such a gentleness to him, I'd like to see his point of view of being chosen for the games.

 

 

As for Mockingjay, I would devour a book from Gale's perspective. For people who have read the series, wouldn't you want to know what part he played in the heart-breaking run-up to the ending? I still want to know what thoughts went through his mind, and if anything was it all his fault.

 

Small Blue Thing by S.C Ransom(From Callum's perspective) Small Blue Thing is such a beautiful romance story, and Callum(who is a Dirge stuck in a half-life on misery) would be a brilliant character to get to read about. I would love to dig-deeper into the world of the Dirge's. I found the whole concept so interesting throughout the series, I think being able to find out more about the secrets of St Pauls Cathedral would be amazing. What about the moment he realises Alex has found the amulet, and he has a chance of freedom? I want to read this!

 

Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth(Jeanine Mathews Novella) I wouldn't like to read a whole book from Jeanine's perspective but, I'd be first-in-line to purchase a novella. Getting inside her mind and seeing why exactly she decided to control the factions the way she does would be so interesting. Or maybe the novel from Caleb's or Tori's point of view, I think they are such complex characters, I mean, why did Caleb pick Erudite? The mysteries of novels! Who knows, maybe we'll find out in Allegiant!

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green(From Augustus Waters' perspective) It's hard to mention his name without feeling your eyes brim with tears but wouldn't a The Fault in Our Stars novella from his perspective be so touching. There is so much wisdom when it comes to Augustus and he can see the brighter side of everything. I'd love to read his words, they would be a masterpiece! And John Green I'm sure would be able to write this!

 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (All with Ridley Duchannes) It would be difficult to have the whole plot told by her, but how evil(and I admit, fun) would it be to read from her POV. All the mischief and plans she makes. It would be a fast-paced, and slightly scary, but completely worth it read!

 

Geek Girl by Holly Smale(From Lion Boy's Perspective) Can you imagine how hilarious it would be to read Geek Girl from the boy Harriet meets under a table? His reaction when she started to try to explain herself would be priceless and have tears streaming down my face from the laughter and then the moment he finds her hyper-ventilating into a crisp packet. When you need a light-hearted and fun read this would be perfect. I completely fell in love with Harriet, Lion Boy and Toby of course and anymore I could grab from this cast would always be worth the read! Imagine if he felt as embarrassed as Harriet did!

 

What books would you like to read from anther POV?

 

Geek Girl Blog Tour: Interview with Holly Smale

Today, I'm participating on my first blog tour. It's my stop on the Geek Girl Blog Tour.

 

Congratulations on Geek Girl! What gave you the inspiration for this novel?

 

Thank you! I was writing a very serious novel for adults when a good friend suggested I have a bash at a book about modelling, because I did it as a teenager. I didn’t want to, frankly, but she nagged me until I agreed to give it a shot, and as soon as I wrote “My name is Harriet Manners and I am a geek,” I realised that it wasn’t a story about models at all. It was about geeks and outsiders - it was about the people who don’t fit in - and that was a story I was suddenly passionate about telling.

 

Could you give us a quick synopsis? 
 

Geek Girl is essentially an updated fairytale: it’s a modernised version of The Ugly Duckling. Harriet is a fifteen year old geek who is bullied at school, so when she’s spotted by a modelling agency she thinks she’s been given the chance to change her life, or - maybe - herself. Unfortunately her metamorphosis isn’t quite the adventure she was expecting. Not least because the fashion world doesn’t seem to like her any more than her schoolmates did. 

 

Were any parts of this novel based on events in your life or others you know?

I’d call it fictionalised semi-autobiography. I’m not Harriet, but we’re similar; the story didn’t happen to me, but bits of my real life inspired it. I was spotted by a modelling agency when I was fifteen on a school trip, and I was also bullied quite badly at school. Those scenes in particular are very much based on real events. The others are a mish-mash of fiction and truth and reality and imagination, as most books are.

 

Geek Girl is full of stand-out personalities, were any of the characters inspired by people you knew?

They all stand alone as characters: when I write them, and think about them, they have their own voices and faces and ways of moving and speaking that don’t coincide with anyone in real life. Some of them have characteristics plucked and tweaked from people I know or have met; some of them are secret parts of me I don’t acknowledge very often. A couple are more real, though. Richard is quite recognisably my dad. He thinks he’s famous now.

Geek Girl is full of stand-out personalities, were any of the characters inspired by people you knew?

They all stand alone as characters: when I write them, and think about them, they have their own voices and faces and ways of moving and speaking that don’t coincide with anyone in real life. Some of them have characteristics plucked and tweaked from people I know or have met; some of them are secret parts of me I don’t acknowledge very often. A couple are more real, though. Richard is quite recognisably my dad. He thinks he’s famous now.

It was also packed with interesting facts that I have been randomly sharing since. Where did you find them?
 

All over the place! The internet is a great source for hunting down interesting titbits: I Google and sniff around whenever I see something I think is interesting or funny. I sometimes sit in a library and make notes out of random books too. Or somebody will tell me something, and I’ll immediately jot it down. It's fine if it's a fact, but a lot of my friends have started beginning conversations with “do NOT put this in a novel.”

 

Did you enjoy writing from Harriet's view? What was your favourite part to write?

I love Harriet, and I get excited every time I get to step into her head again: she is so alive for me.

I enjoyed writing all of Geek Girl, but some bits particularly stand out. I cried when I wrote the main bullying scene - it brought back some painful memories - and Nick is so lovely that any scene with him and Harriet together is fun to write. Overall, though, I’d say the scene with Annabel is my favourite chapter. Without spoiling the book, I think having people who genuinely love you is one of the luckiest things anyone can ask for and it was wonderful to be able to give Harriet that.

 

Were you ever a Geek? 

I am a geek, present tense. It doesn’t go away. You may get more comfortable in your own skin as you get older, but I think the inner geek stays put. I’m just lucky because as I’ve become an adult and found the people I match properly - as I’ve started embracing my differences - my geeky qualities have stopped being flaws and started being strengths instead. 

Did you ever get bullied, just like Harriet, because of it?

 

Yes. I got bullied quite badly, and I was unhappy for the majority of my teens. That’s what really pushed me to write Geek Girl, and when people sometimes criticise it because they think the bullying scenes are “exaggerated” it worries me. They happened, and - more importantly - I witnessed much worse happening to other people. It’s so important that people acknowledge cruelty and bullying going on all around them, even if they’re lucky enough to escape it themselves. Otherwise how can we expect it to ever get better?

 

 

Geek Girl has already had a big impact, what do you want to be the message people take away when reading Geek Girl?
 

I didn’t write Geek Girl to try and make geeks sound cool. I wrote the book to say: be proud of whoever you are. Harriet’s not the only character in the book - there are a range of personality types - and I wasn't trying to say that she was better than any of them. I was just trying to make the point that whoever you are - whatever your sense of humour, or fashion sense, or interests - you should embrace that and be the best, kindest possible version of that person. I’d love it if that was the message readers took away. I’d love it if it gave people more confidence or faith in themselves.

 

Why did you want to become a writer and when was it you realised it was what you wanted to do? 

I wanted to be a writer from the age of about four or five: basically as soon as I realised that books didn’t magically appear out of thin air. I’m a natural outsider, but people fascinate me and I love working out why they do what they do and watching their individual stories unfold. Everything about writing appeals to me: playing with language, creating worlds and people, making readers laugh or cry or feel different. Also, I was an incredibly bossy little girl so it’s the obvious next step: I get to build a universe and then tell it exactly what to do. It’s so much fun. 

Have you got any advice for aspiring writers?

Nothing that hasn’t been said by thousands better at it than me. It’s a skill, just like jumping high or making wardrobes, and the more you practice and hone it the better you will be. Words are your tools, and they can never be too sharp: study grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocab until they are second nature. Read, read and read books by people more talented than you will ever be, and then forget what you have read and find your own voice and what you want to say. It’s the same as in life: the biggest strength you have is in being yourself.

 

Geek Girl by Holly Smale is out on NOW, published by HarperCollins Children's Books, £6.99 (PB).  Also available in e-book formats.

 

 

 

*Thank you to Holly Smale and Harper Collins.*

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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