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

Review: Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Author: Andy Robb Website|Twitter
Published: 4 June 2012 (Stripes)
Format: E-book
Pages: 352
Buy the paperback: Amazon|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Borrowed from e-library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
If you haven't worked it out yet, girls don't do this. They don't come to the Hovel. They don't like goblins and dragons. They don't paint miniatures. They don't play role playing games or re-enact fictional battles. And they don't talk to Geeks like me especially if they're pretty. And this girl is pretty. What do you do if you're a fourteen-year-old Geek, and a Beautiful Girl has appeared in the midst of your geeky world? And she seems to like you... For Archie, the natural reaction would be to duck and cover ... run for the hills ... buy a new model elf... Anything but risk stepping into the Real World. But even Geeks have to put their heads above the parapet at some point. With his mum barely able to contain her excitement that her son is about to join the human race, and his step-father, Tony the Tosser, offering crass advice, it's time for Archie to embark on a daring Quest to win the Beautiful Girl's heart and shake off his Geekhood for good...

My Review:
Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind follows Archie as he battles his way through teenage life and the many obstacles it throws in his way. His mum's boyfriend is, in his words, a "tosser" and his dad is disappointingly absent, but it's okay because he has his friends and their regular gaming meet-ups to keep him sane. Then one day a girl pops up in  his life creating a whole load more awkward teenage boy problems for Archie.

Okay, so you know sometimes when you start reading a book and it just seems so perfect it's as if it was written specifically for you? That's how I felt during Geekhood. All these little references just made it call out to me. I mean I was always going to have a great deal to like when it comes to a book about geeks, but I just connected with this book on so many levels!

I'll start out with the humour which was just brilliant. Archie himself was such a funny character and I loved his voice throughout the story because he just absolutely jumped off the page. I have never been a teenage boy so I can't relate to him per say, but his character is exactly like the kind of teenage boys I encountered at school, and who I so rarely see portrayed in books. I think it helps that this book is so freakingly British and British humour > every other type of humour. I mean take the amount of tea Archie drinks (because making tea is what you do in every possible situation). Those observations Archie makes are the same ones I make in my own household with my own family and just being able to recognise those characters and situations made me grin like a madwoman.

Onto the geekiness! Archie and his friends are huge fans of RPG games and love hanging out at The Hovel, their favourite gaming shop. I loved how the gang bonded over their games and how passionate they were about what they love. There's several moments in the book where Archie starts to question what he does and his identity and whether he should be moving on from those parts of his life as he grows up, and I loved seeing that kind of identity crisis he goes through. I think all of us geeks have looked at ourselves and wish we could be that much cooler and hidden our inner geek, but at the end of the day, this book definitely made me want to wear my geekiness with pride!

The range of teenage problems covered in Geekhood was brilliantly accurate, and I loved how the author hasn't shied away from the most awkward and embarrassing teenage moments. As Archie tries to impress the new girl on the block Sarah, he starts worrying about his image and suddenly it's like the whole world revolves around her. I think we all remember those first proper crushes and the freaking out about how to act around them and what to wear. I was giggling my way through so many of the scenes where Archie's mum tries to help him out and interfere. What I loved most of all is that whilst the book covered those awkward experiences, not once did it make me cringe. Because seriously, I hate cringing, and so often I cringe my way through books and it completely distracts me from the story. So I was relieved I could just completely lose myself in Geekhood and just laugh!

The friendship between Archie and his best friends Matt, Ravi and Beggsy was a real highlight. There were some ups and downs that I'm sure we can all relate to, thanks to jealousy and that one friend who starts to change and drift apart from the group, but the four of them are just so funny and obviously have a really strong friendship. I mean reading this book left me totally want to hang out with them and play games. It was interesting to see how they coped with the negative attention their geek status gets them. I also really liked Sarah, Archie's love interest. She just takes everything as she comes and seems like a genuine person who will take the time to talk to anyone. I loved that she was a bit of a misfit too.

I mentioned earlier how this book felt like it was meant for me, and even the little things like having a character called Sarah made me smile. (I have this theory that authors avoid that name because it's so common, but surely the fact it's so common means there should be one in every book?! And I loved this particular Sarah!) And then it threw in references to my home city of York and I was convinced it was a sign. Me and this book were meant to be.

I laughed so much throughout Geekhood and I'm certainly going to be recommending this to everyone I possibly can. If you've ever been labelled a geek or been ashamed of your passion then it's the perfect way to let you embrace that side of you. It was a brilliant portrayal of those awkward years of growing up and figuring out who you are and discovering those new feelings that come with the hormones. I think everyone will be able to relate to Archie and really empathise with him. Plus it will make you laugh. A lot. Go grab it now!


Rating: 5*
What to read next: Geekhood: Mission Improbable by Andy Robb, the second Geekhood book
Books like this: Spy School by Stuart Gibbs