Geek Girl
Hilariously funny and completely captivating from the get-go. On an school trip to Birmingham no less, Harriet is ‘spotted’ at the Clothes Show Live and inadvertently takes the job that her best friend Nat has craved for since she was a child. Harriet is drawn head first into the hectic and chaotic world of Fashion with her Agent Wilbur with a -bur not an -iam, Yuko Ito and the gorgeous male model Nick, better known as Lion Boy whom she first meets while hiding under a table. Harriet is unsure about being a model: for one, she’s a total klutz and doesn't know a thing about fashion but, it offers her a different life, one that doesn't include bullies and public humiliation…oh.
After a few successful shoots in Russia, involving an angry snowball/kitten, Harriet is completely taken with modelling, becoming someone else and Nick, yeah Nick.
Even though the story revolves around the theme of fashion and modelling, it deals heavily with discovering yourself and being your own person which I think as a YA novel is an important message to shout about.
The book is full of quirks, quips, and tiffs to make you laugh out loud and the characters are perfectly formed and believable, right down to the resident bully Alexa and her minions.
Admittedly, I didn’t pick up this book because the cover put me off but reading it has possibly been the best decision i’ve made so far this year! And stands to reason why you definitely shouldn't judge a book by its cover!
Model Misfit
With her personal life swimming in pregnancy talk and odd food combinations, Harriet finds herself wanting an adventure. With her summer plans abruptly trashed she is offered a modelling job in Japan and things start to look up again.
Ultimately this book is all about Harriet stepping out on her own and trying to be grown up and a few weird shoots, a weird aunt , and some more weird models later, things start ripping at the seams, and Harriet wakes up from the dream world she’s created. People turn on her, shoots are sabotaged, and her job is on the line but she soon discovers that even when she’s feeling completely alone, there are always people there looking out for her.
The snippets we get of Japan, made me seriously want to go to Japan – the culture, the lights, the everything! It is a true snapshot of Japan and done in a tongue in cheek way whilst beautifying their culture. One particular scene will see you wanting to visit Mount Fuji and swim in the lake like a water nymph.
The story is a roller coaster of events and emotions and happens to be my favorite out of the series.
Picture Perfect
Things are finally looking up for Harriet, she has quit modelling, she has a wonderful boyfriend and new baby sister, and she’s moving to New York with her family in pursuit of the American Dream.
Dad has got a promising job and Harriet is surprisingly excited for the adventure until they arrive. Their new home is hours away from New York and they are based in a ghost town, with few people and nothing to do.
Now she’s feeling more alone than ever before, torn between mind and her heart, Is she really cut out to be ‘somebody’ in the fashion world, or will she always be a ‘nobody’ in the real one?
Ever since Harriet quit, her life has returned to the ordinary, except this time, Nat and Toby are thousands of miles away. A tad more over dramatic than in past books, Harriet grabs hold of the metaphorical bull and dives back into modelling alone, again.
Back in the world of fashion, there are no stops to the drama, the bitch fights and the absurd clothing choices, which are guaranteed to keep you smiling and laughing.
Harriet and Nick’s relationship becomes strained, and things start to get a bit bumpy, a new love interest briefly upsets the works, a difficult heart to heart on a bridge but in the end, we can see the love shared between Harriet and Nick, even though Harriet might sometimes be blind to it.
This story was heart warming and cute mainly due to Harriet’s and Nick’s relationship with plenty of ups and downs but I think the story started to lack a little bit here, but it was no less entertaining and enjoyable.
All That Glitters
I’ll admit, this is the only book out the series that didn’t live up to my expectations. The story was a dragged out version of the social awkwardness that Harriet deals with in every book. Harriet is starting sixth form and its her opportunity to ditch everything that’s happened in previous years and start all over again, reborn like a phoenix in a world where no one knows her past and she has a shot of making actual friends.
Unfortunately she blows it on the first day and the insults and bullying continues. That is until the next day when suddenly everyone wants to be her friend. Wilbur has worked his fairy magic and the local area is coated in pictures and posters of a girl that Harriet doesn’t recognize as herself, pimped, crimped and photo-shopped to the max. With her new found popularity, Harriet decides to throw a party, and the whole book leads up to the main event which unfortunately had a predictable outcome.
I find it hard to believe that Harriet still cant see whats going on around her at sixth form age, and it ruined the premise of the story for me. Human nature is predictable, and Harriet being as smart as she is should be able to understand that her ‘friends’ only wanted to cash in on the fame that they thought she had. As soon as that flame of hope goes out, the party clears out and Harriet is left on her own again.
Nat and Toby are frustrating in this book too, they leave Harriet alone to the point of out right ignoring her in order for her to step outside her comfort zone, although this seems backwards to me, I can understand their reasons but I missed their presence throughout the book.
Which brings me on to the huge missing person case in this book.
Where the hell is Nick.
In the past books, I lived for every scene where Nick was present, he showed a different side to Harriet, was funny and sweet and was a nice change of pace/scenery. The flashbacks in this book just don’t cut it. Not only have we read half the memories before, its just not the same as having him actively involved in the book’s events, and considering Nat and Toby were incognito too for most of the book, it just didn’t work and I think that’s why this book just didn’t rub right with me.
Geek Girl : Geek Drama
A delightfully short read that definitely doesn’t hold back on drama. Here we see Harriet at the very beginning of her modelling career, missing a casting due to being locked in a cupboard by the other models. Nick, our exotic savior rescues her and ships her off to Nat with whom she promised to attend Drama try outs. Nat in her wisdom has decided that she much find another career path, and that path is acting!
After a few disastrous monologues, and drop-outs; as contrary to popular belief, the play does not exclude students from homework, Harriet and Nat make the play, but Macbeth has not left the building unscathed. Cut down to under and hour, and much of the characters merged into one and many actors playing several parts, Nat is just happy to be playing Yorick, and merely having to lie down still, but even that has its difficulties.
Alexa is given the crown of sound and lighting technician and naturally being the witch she is, has greater things in store for the school production.
After weeks of rehearsals – if you can call them that – it seems that they could pull it off. On the big night, with everyone in their costumes, things look promising, and everyone plays their part perfectly until the big ‘moment’ where Alexa utilizes her power and crushes Harriet’s confidence with the flick of a switch during her big scene,
But Toby surprisingly saves the day, and Harriet in all her glory, throws caution to the wind and locks Alexa in a cupboard.
Yes, you read that right. She locks Alexa in a cupboard.
Some awkward scene changes, forgetful moments, and an impromptu actor change later, the play is considered a borderline success, and the parents and cast members go home happy to never have to act again.
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