Geekerella (Once Upon a Con Series #1)

by Ashley Poston Narrated by Eileen Stevens, Tristan Morris

Overview

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad's old costume, Elle's determined to win-unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons-before he was famous. Now they're nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he has ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake-until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/20/2017
In this thoroughly enjoyable, pop- culture-saturated Cinderella retelling, 17-year-old Elle Wittimer, unhappy with her social climbing stepfamily, pins her hopes on winning a cosplay contest at a science fiction convention. Raised by her late father on the cult TV show Starfield, Elle anonymously blogs about the show and has expressed her lack of faith in Darien Freeman, the Hollywood heartthrob who’s been cast as Prince Carmindor in an upcoming film adaptation. As the cosplay contest approaches, Elle teams up with Sage, her friend/coworker at a vegan food truck, to redesign her father’s Carmindor costume, while texting with a mystery boy. Actor Darien grew up loving SF conventions and Starfield but has avoided them since his uncomfortable ascension to the “it list.” Poston (We Own the Night) builds an endearingly nervous text-based romance between Elle and Darien, and she gives her secondary characters dimension and agency: Sage is a lesbian fashion maven who gets her own happy ending, and Elle’s stepfamily, though still mostly terrible, is complex. A celebration of fandom and happily ever afters, this feel-good reimagining hits all the right notes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

Spring 2017 Kids Indie Next List Pick
2017 Goodreads Choice Award finalist for Best Young Adult Fiction
Named to Seventeen's 2017 "12 Life-Changing Books You Have to Read This Summer" List

“Geekerella has ‘must-read’ written all over it. A fun romantic comedy with coming-of-age sensibilities and authentically voiced teens, this novel hits all the YA book-love buttons. Geekerella is simply delightful.”—USA Today's Happy Ever After

“Fairytale and fandom collide in this sweet, heartfelt, entertaining rom-com.”—Bustle

“A legit love letter to geekdom.”—Paste Magazine

“Pay attention, fangirls, because Ashley Poston’s Geekerella is about to be your favorite YA romance.”—Sweety High  

“The geekiest spin on Cinderella you'll ever read.”—Hypable

“Geeks and non-geeks will discover their inner fangirl when they fall for this fan-tastic book that celebrates fan-doms, fan-tasy, and 'shipworthy romance’.”—Justine

“This geeky twist on a classic Cinderella story is honestly the most adorable thing ever!”—Her Campus

“This charming and funny twist on Cinderella is the perfect YA fandom fairytale.” —BNTeen blog

“With geekily adorable characters, a show that’s part Star Trek and part Firefly, a cosplay contest, and a food truck fairy godmother, this is a love letter to fandom. Required reading for geeks everywhere.”—Booklist 

“A celebration of fandom and happily ever afters, this feel-good reimagining hits all the right notes.”—Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal

03/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Elle Wittimer loves Starfield, the popular sci-fi series that has garnered a cultlike fandom across the United States. When the latest teen sensation, Darien Freeman, is cast in the significant role of Prince Carmindor, Elle vents her displeasure on her fan blog and receives unprecedented readership. While working on the promotions for the show, Darien begins to feel the wrath of Starfield's loyal fans and attempts to get out of an upcoming ExcelsiCon cosplay event by contacting the convention's organizer. Elle's deceased father is the convention's founder, and Darien's text message is forwarded to her cell phone. The two develop an anonymous relationship via text messaging, which starts to attract the suspicion of Elle's evil stepsisters and Darien's production team. When Elle decides to enter the cosplay contest, she must hatch a plan with her new friend, Sage, to avoid the interference of her nagging stepmother and acts of sabotage from her stepsisters. Predictably, Elle's and Darien's paths cross at the ExcelsiCon ball, which ends with the expected lost slipper. The plot in this fairy-tale retelling won't be a mystery, but there are a few twists and turns that add a unique spin to the classic story. Unfortunately, the alternating voices of Darien and Elle are almost indistinguishable. VERDICT This secondary purchase is best suited for collections that serve teens who revel in the fandom and cosplay communities.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

MAY 2017 - AudioFile

Narrator Eileen Stevens’s subtle Southern accent and energizing performance are an out-of-this-world pairing for this reimagined Cinderella. Sounding intrepid and animated, Stevens never loses sight of Elle, whose love of the cult sci-fi show “Starfield” is her escape from her evil stepmother. When she begins texting a fellow fan, Elle thinks she may have found her Prince Charming. Little does she know that on the other side of the texts is Darien Freeman, the teen heartthrob who is starring in the “Starfield” reboot. Narrator Tristan Morris’s wonderfully theatrical voice never quite captures the young actor, who is caught in a bout of ennui. Teens familiar with the intricacies of fandom will find the inside jokes a delightful addition to this contemporary fairy tale. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169838541
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Series:	Once Upon a Con Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	508,216

Read an Excerpt

The stepmonster is at it again.
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Geekerella"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Ashley Poston.
Excerpted by permission of Quirk Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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