Geek Girl
.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | Holly Smale |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Fashion Self-confidence Modelling Friendship Bullying[1] |
| Genre | Young adult fiction Fiction |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 28 February 2013 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 356 |
| Awards | Waterstones Children's Book Prize Leeds Book Award |
| ISBN | 0007489447 |
| OCLC | 900475810 |
Geek Girl is the debut novel by Holly Smale, published in 2013.[2] It won a 2014 Waterstones Children's Book Prize prize, along with a 2014 Leeds Book Award. It has spawned a series of Geek Girl novels by Smale. Geek Girl has been translated into 30 languages. [3]
Plot summary
[edit]The novel tells the story of Harriet Manners, a socially awkward 15-year-old English girl with a limited circle of friends, a (now) supermodel boyfriend and who is the target of the school bully. Plucked from obscurity to be the face of a high-profile fashion advertising campaign, Manners' change of circumstance results in various conflicts which she must resolve, leading to revelations about herself and the world in general.
Background
[edit]The novel is partially based on Smale's own experiences as a teenage model.[4]
Although Smale did not write the main character Harriet as autistic, Smale has later stated Harriet is autistic because the character is based on her experiences, and she is autistic.[5]
Reception
[edit]Geek Girl received mixed reviews from critics.
Reviewers frequently discussed the story's writing, with Publishers Weekly highlighting the main character's "instantly appealing narrative voice, full of discursions and self-deprecation".[6] While Kirkus Reviews appeared to appreciate the novel's "wacky humor and subtle girl-empowerment message", they found that the novel's "choppy writing and stereotyped characters" left the novel "a fluffy mess".[7]
While multiple reviewers pointed to the story's clichés,[7] they were received differently. According to Publishers Weekly, "If the ugly duckling turned swan is cliché, both Smale and Harriet know it."[6] However, other reviewers found the story "overdone and unoriginal".[7] Despite their favourable response the ugly duckling trope, Publishers Weekly stated that "other overfamiliar types [...] deflate the story’s fun somewhat".[6]
Although the novel is marketed as young adult, multiple reviewers indicated it appeals to teenagers and younger audiences, with ages ranging from 10 to 15.[8][9][10]
In 2014, Geek Girl won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Teen category prize,[citation needed] along with the Leeds Book Award (11–14 category).[11]
Adaptation
[edit]In January 2023, Netflix gave a series order to adapt the novel into a 10-part television series, produced by Waterside Studios, Nelvana, RubyRock Pictures and Aircraft Pictures.[12]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Geek girl. OCLC 900475810.
- ^ "Geek Girl". Booklist. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ "ABOUT". Hollysmale. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Chilton, Martin (5 March 2015). "Geek Girl was a cathartic book to write, says Holly Smale". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ Emily, Olivia (6 June 2024). "The Story Behind Netflix's Geek Girl". Country and Town House. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "Geek Girl by Holly Smale". Publishers Weekly. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "Geek Girl". Kirkus Reviews. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ McLaughlin, Gemma E (24 November 2019). "Young adult book review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale". The National. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ ABitCrazy (5 December 2013). "Geek Girl by Holly Smale - review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ Fawn_of_Ethielda (20 February 2015). "Geek Girl by Holly Smale – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ^ "Leeds Book Awards - Home". Leeds Book Awards. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ Kanter, Jake (20 January 2023). "Netflix Adapts Geek Girl Into Series About Neurodiverse Teenager Who Becomes Model". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 January 2023.