ARC Review: Geekerella (Once Upon a Con #1) by Ashley Poston
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Series: Once Upon a Con #1
Author: Ashley Poston
Published April 4th 2017 by Quirk Books
Goodreads Synopsis
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.
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. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi 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’s ever wanted, but the 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.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
I heard about this book first by American book bloggers who had received review copies, and I knew I needed a copy. Me being the dafty that I am, I requested it from America, not the UK, but still a copy managed to arrive (thanks, Jamie). I love retellings, and as a retelling of Cinderella, this was so well done! Ella was a fantastic MC, and really endeared herself to the audience. With an evil step-mother and step-sisters, she dives into her favourite fandom, Starfield, to escape reality. Her blog about the show is quite vocal, especially about the casting choice for the new lead, and this leads to messaging to and fro from someone who believes Darien was the perfect choice. The other MC, Darien, may, on the outside, seem perfect, but he's dealing with his own issues. He adores Starfield as much as Ella, and feels the pressure of being the lead actor to heart. Ella and Darien, not knowing who each other is, soon begin to fall for each other, and the upcoming ExcelsiCon is the perfect chance to meet.
This book was just perfect for any nerdy book/sci-fi lover. Starfield is a mash up of Star Wars and Star Trek, and the fans in the book remind me of real life fans of these franchises. Though the book is based on Cinderella, there is a lot of originality in the plot, and both Ella and Darien's characterisations were fantastic. They were cute and funny together, and I adore them both. I'm so happy that there is a second, companion book, so I'll be able to see more from them again. I can't wait to dive into The Princess and the Fangirl soon!
Dates Read:
Rating
4 Stars
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