Review: Picture Perfect (Geek Girl, #3) by Holly Smale

Spoiler warning! This book is the 3rd book in the Geek Girl series and this review may contain spoilers from previous books. If you haven't read previous books, then you can read my review of book 1 Geek Girl here and book 2 Model Misfit here instead.

 Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Author: Holly Smale Website|Twitter
Published: 5 June 2014 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Hardback
Pages:
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|Waterstone's
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek."

It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series!

Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she knows nothing about modelling in the Big Apple, and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or how to "become a brand", as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from your boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

The laugh out loud follow-up to award winning GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches.

My Review:
I absolutely adored the first two Geek Girl books and jumped at the opportunity to buy a gorgeous shiny copy of the third book in hardcover! I was in need of a reading pick-me-up, having been in a bit of a slump lately, and knowing how much I laughed through the previous books, I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Picture Perfect sees Harriet faced with the opportunity of a lifetime when her family heads stateside to New York. Only Harriet being Harriet, nothing quite goes to plan for her. She's got a new baby sister, a long distance boyfriend and now she's leaving her friends behind. That's a lot to deal with!

For anyone who, like me, loved Geek Girl and Model Misfit, you won't be disappointed. Picture Perfect had me giggling from the beginning and within the first few sentences I was so delighted to be reunited with Harriet. She is just as hilarious as ever, and the opening few pages where she discusses her new role as a girlfriend were fantastic. I think she perfectly encapsulates young love and all the hopes and dreams you have at that age. For a lot of the book we see her inner thoughts about her relationship which I think will be relatable to anybody who has ever liked anyone as a teenager. Scribbling in your diary, dreaming up how conversations will turn out, reliving those prescious moments from over the summer - it was all just spot on.

Seeing Harriet facing the start of sixth form and exam results also brought back a lot of memories! The nerves and anticipation, and not just about the grades themselves, but about how your life will change. I loved seeing how Harriet and Nat tried to plan their friendship, overcoming the barriers of being at different schools come September, and giggled over the effort Harriet is putting into her new school bag and wardrobe for a non-uniform sixth former - giggled because I know it all so well from my own experiences! I was right there with her.

Being the third book in the series, there's a great mix of new and returning characters. I loved seeing the old faces and jet-setting off to a new place gave Harriet the chance to meet some new ones. It kept the story feeling fresh and exciting. Like with Model Misfit (which had scenes that took place in Tokyo), I thought the escapism of the New York scenes made it even more exciting to read. I can see this being a perfect summer holiday read!

Holly Smale has the ability to have me absolutely hooked to the pages and grin like a mad woman. I adore her writing, the humour and her ability to create these characters you wish would come to life so you could hang out with them. The book captures the ups and downs of teenage life so brillianty, dealing with the family dramas and school bullies in a way that makes you really root for the main character, in this case our wonderful Harriet.
 
I can't wait to read more of Harriet's adventures. I demolished this book in one evening and I know I will re-read this series whenever I need that mood boost! These books never fail to disappoint.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: The next Geek Girl book is scheduled for 2015
Books like this: Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb, Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

September's Book of the Month!

Each month I look back on the reviews I've posted and choose a favourite. As September has passed it's time to look back and choose my latest book of the month! And I've decided to do a joint winner this month for reasons that will become obvious. So without further ado, my book(s) of the month is...

Geek Girl and Model Misfit by Holly Smale!

I read and reviewed both of these books this month and I couldn't pick between them. They were both hilarious and refreshing, and such a fun read. I honestly can't recommend them enough and I'm just soryy I didn't get round to reading Geek Girl sooner! The characters are incredible and there's some fantastic relatable and heart-warming scenes, as well as plenty that will make you laugh out loud. Check out my review of Geek Girl here and my Model Misfit review here. I also made a book playlist for Model Misfit which you can find at this link.

Runner-up:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

This was a close thing because this book blew me away too. A book about a girl who writes fanfiction was just so exciting to read. You should all go and check it out! My review here.

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

Spoiler warning! This is book two in the Geek Girl series and so this review may contain spoilers for Geek Girl. You can read my review of the first book here instead.

 Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Author: Website|Twitter
Published: 26 September 2013 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Kindle e-book (ARC)
Pages: 356
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks HarperCollins!

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
“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?

My Review:
So I loved Geek Girl and couldn't wait to start this one! Model Misfit picks up Harriet as she works to balance her new jet set lifestyle with the slightly more down to earth teenage problem of GCSE exams.

This was one of those books that I sneakily started even though I was reading something else, because once I'd downloaded it to my Kindle and read the first few pages I just couldn't stop. The opening few scenes with Harriet on a modelling shoot were just hilarious. She's just as brilliantly geeky and funny as ever!

Model Misfit throws Harriet a whole bunch of new challenges she has to face. She's still getting stick at school, Nat is going away for the summer, exams are upon them and Toby is still hanging around. Then there's dreamy Nick and all the boy drama he brings with him. I thought some of the moments where things get on top of Harriet were so brilliantly done, because she throws these hilarious strops where she knows full well she's being overdramatic, but it reminds me how much of a big deal things are when you're that age and how you wish the world would swallow you up! Her internal monologue is just freaking funny.

One of my favourite parts of Model Misfit was the general presence of Toby, Harriet's friendly geeky stalker. I thought he had great potential in Geek Girl and you get to see even more of his funny side in this book. I would find myself giggling away at the things he comes out with, especially when he's hanging around with Nat and Harriet and trying to be sensitive to girls and their issues. Harriet's dad really steals the show in this book as well, just as he did in book one for me. I thought the introduction of Annabel's mum Bunty was fantastic as well. Holly Smale writes absolutely fantastic characters. Like I could spend all day in a room with each of them and I'd either end up having a really interesting discussion, or come out with my sides in stitches from laughing.

Another real highlight were the parts of the book set in Japan, where Harriet jets off to for a modelling shoot. I love books that can sweep me away somewhere exciting, and reading about Tokyo through Harriet's eyes felt like a real adventure! Plus we get extra doses of Japanese Harriet facts so what's not to love about that?! I thought Rin, a Japanese model Harriet ends up staying with, was a hilarious addition to the characters as well. Her little quirks and observations had me giggling throughout those scenes.

Now getting slightly more serious, I loved seeing Harriet become a little more independent and starting to stand up for herself. There were moments where I was almost standing up and cheering her on as she starts to fight back and take control of things. I think my favourite scene was Harriet's comeback in an argument that involves correcting someone's grammar. I literally wanted to reach into the book and high-five her because that's totally what I would do. I love that Harriet goes on all these ups and downs throughout the book and you get swept along with her in all of those situations. But there were some really uplifting moments, especially towards the end of the book, where my heart felt all warm and fuzzy.

I've mentioned (a lot) how much I love the characters, but the plot in Model Misfit was all so brilliantly pieced together. There's bits of information planted throughout that you don't see as being relevant until the end of the story. I just loved how everything is built up and seamlessly worked into the story. The writing is so clever.

So yes, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. If you loved the first book then you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for book three because I'm missing these characters already. I think this series is going to be my go to comfort read in the future because rarely do books make me giggle so much. I can't wait to re-read them already!

Rating: 5*
Books like this: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil, Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Author: Holly Smale Website|Twitter
Published: 28 February 2013 (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Format: Kindle e-book
Pages: 378
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Bought

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that 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. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

My Review:
Geek Girl was a book I've been wanting to read for a long time, partly because anything with the word geek in the title completely has my attention, and partly because other bloggers had been raving about it. When it came up on Kindle Daily Deal I snatched it up! Geek Girl follows geeky Harriet as she is plucked from obscurity and thrown head first into the fashion world.

I knew I was going to love this book right away because I was already giggling within the first few pages. Books that make me physically laugh are so rare and so the humour in Geek Girl was refreshing and became one of my favourite things about the book. I spent the whole weekend devouring it and came very close to sticking a "do not disturb" sign on my door because I just did not want to be interrupted whilst reading!

Part of the reason I adored the humour in Geek Girl so much was because Harriet herself was so hilarious. Her voice throughout the book was so witty and the way she describes her experiences and little anecdotes made me laugh so much. I loved that she's a little bit hapless and clumsy and one of the best things about Harriet is that despite all her disasters throughout the story, she still remains a completely believable character. What's happening to her is crazy but ultimately I could completely believe the story and that is really important to me. Obviously, given the title, Harriet is incredibly smart, but she's also so likable and nice and someone you'd really want to be friends with which is one of the biggest compliments I can give a character!

The ensemble of characters surrounding Harriet were just as brilliant. She lives with her dad and stepmum Annabel and I loved the family dynamic between them. Harriet and her dad are so similar and I adored the scenes where it was the two of them trying to figure their way out of situations. Annabel also was the perfect antidote to the two of them as she's the voice of reason and common sense so they all balance each other out in the end! I loved the up and down friendship between Harriet and Nat which I think will be relatable to a lot of people. When you're fifteen it's so easy for jealousy to get in the way of things are for you to blow everything out of proportion. I recognised their friendship immediately. The boys in this book were great too, from swoon-worthy model Nick to bumbling, fellow geek and Harriet stalker Toby.

The plot of Geek Girl sees Harriet spotted and whisked off to become a model, despite loathing the fashion world and being much happier watching documentaries. Harriet herself sees it as a chance to change herself after the taunting she gets at school for being a geek. I loved the balance of crazy, hysterical plot and realistic teen issues. We've all been there when you start to question who you are because you are teased about it. Some of the moments Harriet has at school were so reminiscent of my own experiences that I really connected with her in those moments. I think the underlying themes and tones of the book are immensely positive and it's all about learning to embrace who you are. I really appreciated the rubbish decisions Harriet makes as well because making mistakes is how you learn! And she learns a lot over the course of the book.

The book had lots of short chapters and every so often you'd get a chapter beginning with a list because Harriet loves lists, and as a list-lover myself books with lists in automatically make me love them a bit more! The fast pace of the book made it utterly addictive as well. I just couldn't put it down because it was so much fun and there was constantly something happening.

There are probably a billion and one things I've forgotten to mention in this review, because trying to remember all the amazing things about a book this awesome is hard! I absolutely adored it. I loved Harriet, I loved the story and I thought the writing was just perfect. It was a quick read but one that really packed a punch and it was exactly the kind of fun read I needed, but I liked that it had its serious moments as well. It was the perfect balance. I'll be recommending this book to pretty much anyone I talk to from now on and the fab news is that there are more Geek Girl books! The sequel Model Misfit comes out this month and I can't wait to read it.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Model Misfit by Holly Smale, the second book in the Geek Girl series
Books like this: Geehkood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Waiting on Wednesday (#12): Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and gives bloggers the chance to highlight future releases we're excited about.

Model Misfit (Geek Girl, #2) by Holly Smale

Published: 26th September 2013 (Harper Collins Children's Books)

Amazon|Goodreads

“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?

I just finished the first Geek Girl book which I loved and made me giggle like a madwoman, so I'm dying to get my hands on the next one already! At least I don't have too much longer to wait! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments.