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Geek Girl
"Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even -ugh!- bowling. To truly belong with him -and with her new foster family- she must first come to terms with her violent past.
306 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2010
About the author
Cindy C. Bennett
22 books1,143 followersCindy C Bennett was born and raised in beautiful Salt Lake City, growing up in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains. She lives with two daughters, and three dogs. She also has two sons and two daughters-in-law. She volunteers her time working with teen girls between the ages of 12-18, all of whom she finds to be beautiful, fascinating creatures. When she’s not writing, reading or answering emails she can often times be found riding her Harley through the beautiful canyons near her home (yes, she rides a Harley and no, you'd never know it to look at her!).
Please visit the author’s website at
www.cindycbennett.com
Please visit the author’s website at
www.cindycbennett.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews
January 23, 2012
There four stars are all for the goofy smile I had on my face while I read this book. It's a light, quick read and not particularly original or ground breaking, but I'm ranking this based on my enjoyment as I read. I read it in one sitting and couldn't stop thinking about the chemistry between Jen and Trevor for the next two days.
I started reading the first 10 chapters for free on the author's website after reading Erica's review, and about 12 pages in, I knew I was going to need to find a copy. This work was originally self-published. The author recently got a publishing deal for the book, making it difficult to find a copy of this since it's going to be republished. (Goodreads still offers it as an ebook, thankfully!)
Geek Girl does have some thoughtful messages, mostly a "discover who you are and then love yourself" and "don't be afraid to change, but change for yourself and not for someone else" message. As Jen tries to bring Trevor to the dark side, she begins to change, but she doesn't do it for him--she does it because she's discovering who she wants to be and that she's let the terrible circumstances of her life mold her too much. With the love and support of Trevor and her foster family, she becomes someone new. I loved seeing the transformation, even though it was painful and heart-wrenching at times.
Trevor's perfect for much of the book, but he does reveal his big flaw for the last fourth of the book--that boy can hold a grudge! I had to fight to keep liking his character for the last few chapters, but he did redeem himself at the end.
The author does a make-my-heart-flutter job of letting the love simmer and build, creating realistic timing for the attraction and chemistry between the two main characters. They actually spent time together and *gasp* had conversations before falling love. Bennett's pacing kept me coming back for more and more, until I was so captivated by this book that I couldn't put it down without knowing the conclusion.
Yes, Geek Girl's a little cliche and predictable, but if you're looking for a light, make-you-laugh-and-smile book, check out the first 10 chapters on the author's website and see if this book is for you.
I started reading the first 10 chapters for free on the author's website after reading Erica's review, and about 12 pages in, I knew I was going to need to find a copy. This work was originally self-published. The author recently got a publishing deal for the book, making it difficult to find a copy of this since it's going to be republished. (Goodreads still offers it as an ebook, thankfully!)
Geek Girl does have some thoughtful messages, mostly a "discover who you are and then love yourself" and "don't be afraid to change, but change for yourself and not for someone else" message. As Jen tries to bring Trevor to the dark side, she begins to change, but she doesn't do it for him--she does it because she's discovering who she wants to be and that she's let the terrible circumstances of her life mold her too much. With the love and support of Trevor and her foster family, she becomes someone new. I loved seeing the transformation, even though it was painful and heart-wrenching at times.
Trevor's perfect for much of the book, but he does reveal his big flaw for the last fourth of the book--that boy can hold a grudge! I had to fight to keep liking his character for the last few chapters, but he did redeem himself at the end.
The author does a make-my-heart-flutter job of letting the love simmer and build, creating realistic timing for the attraction and chemistry between the two main characters. They actually spent time together and *gasp* had conversations before falling love. Bennett's pacing kept me coming back for more and more, until I was so captivated by this book that I couldn't put it down without knowing the conclusion.
Yes, Geek Girl's a little cliche and predictable, but if you're looking for a light, make-you-laugh-and-smile book, check out the first 10 chapters on the author's website and see if this book is for you.
April 18, 2011
Just to get this part over with, I'm gonna mention what I didn't like;
While the writing has some great potential, the flow and pacing to this book is way off. It felt fast and rushy in some spots while not enough punch to others. There just wasn't enough room provided in between scene which made it harder to follow and it felt predictable and not very original....but! this book made me smile. A lot!
While the story has it's flaws, I still very much enjoyed reading Geek Girl.
It starts off with a bet. Jen bets her friends that she can turn geek-boy, Trevor, into being bad by seducing him to the dark side.
Her reward; a lip ring that will hopefully be a token that will turn a disapproving eye from her foster parents and the awe and respect she gets from her friends when she wins, of course.
The only problem is, who would have thought that ever so polite-well mannered-do-gooder-geek-boy, Trevor could actually be capable of turning her world upside down and right side up!
Jen and Trevor's relationship totally owns this book right from the start. They have a very sweet natural chemistry that sparks with every moment there together and even still, when apart.
Jen has a very hard devastating past growing up. With out knowing how to belong to someone, anyone, let alone knows how to even belong to herself. Enter Trevor! Trevor is the kind of character that I couldn't help love. I'm not sure what the true definition of a geek is, but it's not Trevor. He's a totally sweetheart. Sweet but isn't a push over. He's the kind of guy that will sit there and listen and be there for you, but wont push you from your comfort zone and he has all these adorable qualities that makes him out to be such an irresistible character. You can actually see Jen's transformation as the story unfolds. Out with the tough freak girl and in with the one that actually believes she's worth it. I was slightly upset that Trevor didn't blow up in Jen's face when he found out what this was really about, but in true Trevor-fashion, didn't make a scene and left quietly. That actually made it much worse and I cringed right along with Jen. I seriously wanted her to beg for his forgiveness right there and then, after all, he's worth it too.
But I like the way it ended, it has a healthy amount of angst and anticipation, and reminds me of what it was like back in high school. The jealousy, the tension, the games and then the realization of what first love can actually feel like.
Overall, this book isn't perfect, but it's fast and light and fun and funny and plainly-sweetly entertaining and just makes me smile at the thought and ease of these two compelling characters.
Jen and Trevor's story, The Geek and The Freak, are definitely worth a read!
While the writing has some great potential, the flow and pacing to this book is way off. It felt fast and rushy in some spots while not enough punch to others. There just wasn't enough room provided in between scene which made it harder to follow and it felt predictable and not very original....but! this book made me smile. A lot!
While the story has it's flaws, I still very much enjoyed reading Geek Girl.
It starts off with a bet. Jen bets her friends that she can turn geek-boy, Trevor, into being bad by seducing him to the dark side.
Her reward; a lip ring that will hopefully be a token that will turn a disapproving eye from her foster parents and the awe and respect she gets from her friends when she wins, of course.
The only problem is, who would have thought that ever so polite-well mannered-do-gooder-geek-boy, Trevor could actually be capable of turning her world upside down and right side up!
Jen and Trevor's relationship totally owns this book right from the start. They have a very sweet natural chemistry that sparks with every moment there together and even still, when apart.
Jen has a very hard devastating past growing up. With out knowing how to belong to someone, anyone, let alone knows how to even belong to herself. Enter Trevor! Trevor is the kind of character that I couldn't help love. I'm not sure what the true definition of a geek is, but it's not Trevor. He's a totally sweetheart. Sweet but isn't a push over. He's the kind of guy that will sit there and listen and be there for you, but wont push you from your comfort zone and he has all these adorable qualities that makes him out to be such an irresistible character. You can actually see Jen's transformation as the story unfolds. Out with the tough freak girl and in with the one that actually believes she's worth it. I was slightly upset that Trevor didn't blow up in Jen's face when he found out what this was really about, but in true Trevor-fashion, didn't make a scene and left quietly. That actually made it much worse and I cringed right along with Jen. I seriously wanted her to beg for his forgiveness right there and then, after all, he's worth it too.
But I like the way it ended, it has a healthy amount of angst and anticipation, and reminds me of what it was like back in high school. The jealousy, the tension, the games and then the realization of what first love can actually feel like.
Overall, this book isn't perfect, but it's fast and light and fun and funny and plainly-sweetly entertaining and just makes me smile at the thought and ease of these two compelling characters.
Jen and Trevor's story, The Geek and The Freak, are definitely worth a read!
April 20, 2011
Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett was definitely a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed despite its minor flaws. The plot has been attempted many times before and the outcome was somewhat predictable, so what I feel made this story stand out were the two main characters Jen and Trevor and their transformation.
The story starts off with Jen the rebel foster kid punk making a dare with her friends that she can turn good-guy geek Trevor onto the dark side. Well as the saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone falls in love or is it gets hurt? Anywho, I enjoyed watching the slight transformation in both these characters, but surprisingly Jen happened to experience the most change in her wardrobe, attitude and outlook on life. I really came to like her in this book and her back-story was pretty sad to say the least, so she definitely earned my compassion.
I will admit that I had a hard time with the last quarter of the book. By the time the bet was revealed and everything started falling apart, I was taken by Trevor. So, I was really disappointed to see how long Trevor Ever the Polite was willing to carry a grudge and turn to the one person Jen disliked the most… The mouse. That was kind of disappointing and it got to the point that I wanted Jen to just move on and forget him. What can I say? Sometime scenes are just played out too far that it runs the risk of spoiling the magic.
I never fell for the whole Trevor the Geek characterization. From my understanding, technically a geek is someone that is obsessed with intellectual pursuits, deficient in athletic abilities, socially inept, and extremely interested in technology/computers…. Well aside from the academic strength, Trevor is none of those things. He was just an all around good guy that people liked and ultimately voted as Student Body President and later Homecoming King. Highly unlikely for a typical geek.
Lastly, I have to mention one thing that sort of bothered me… Trevor following Jen on her date. Eeek! No.no.no!! I just finished reading Stay and let’s just say that little reveal on Trevor’s part was not something I found aww-worthy. Kind of killed the moment if you know what I mean.
Overall though, I believe this is Cindy C. Bennett’s debut novel and I have to say she did a pretty good job. With time, if her writing style improves slightly and her delivery is sharpened up a bit, I can definitely see myself anticipating more releases by this author. Fun read that overall I enjoyed.
The story starts off with Jen the rebel foster kid punk making a dare with her friends that she can turn good-guy geek Trevor onto the dark side. Well as the saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone falls in love or is it gets hurt? Anywho, I enjoyed watching the slight transformation in both these characters, but surprisingly Jen happened to experience the most change in her wardrobe, attitude and outlook on life. I really came to like her in this book and her back-story was pretty sad to say the least, so she definitely earned my compassion.
I will admit that I had a hard time with the last quarter of the book. By the time the bet was revealed and everything started falling apart, I was taken by Trevor. So, I was really disappointed to see how long Trevor Ever the Polite was willing to carry a grudge and turn to the one person Jen disliked the most… The mouse. That was kind of disappointing and it got to the point that I wanted Jen to just move on and forget him. What can I say? Sometime scenes are just played out too far that it runs the risk of spoiling the magic.
I never fell for the whole Trevor the Geek characterization. From my understanding, technically a geek is someone that is obsessed with intellectual pursuits, deficient in athletic abilities, socially inept, and extremely interested in technology/computers…. Well aside from the academic strength, Trevor is none of those things. He was just an all around good guy that people liked and ultimately voted as Student Body President and later Homecoming King. Highly unlikely for a typical geek.
Lastly, I have to mention one thing that sort of bothered me… Trevor following Jen on her date. Eeek! No.no.no!! I just finished reading Stay and let’s just say that little reveal on Trevor’s part was not something I found aww-worthy. Kind of killed the moment if you know what I mean.
Overall though, I believe this is Cindy C. Bennett’s debut novel and I have to say she did a pretty good job. With time, if her writing style improves slightly and her delivery is sharpened up a bit, I can definitely see myself anticipating more releases by this author. Fun read that overall I enjoyed.
December 19, 2011
Jen is your typical bad girl; she hangs out with a group of friends known for their reputation for partying hard, drinking, drugs and smoking. She has a typical Goth look going on that her foster family don’t really approve of; tight black clothes, red and black hair and lots of heavy make-up. She hasn’t really had a stable family relationship, her relationship with her parents was difficult and so she’s moved around quite a lot from one foster family to another. Having got stuck with a foster family who are “un-cool”; they have a no piercing on the face rule, insist on spending Fridays together as family time, where they play family games and hang out and her foster mum likes to go on evening walks wearing a ridiculous straw hat! Jen’s completely bored and so to liven things up a bit decides to bet her friends Beth and Ella that she can turn one of the school geeks Trevor bad. This is an interesting challenge for Jen as Trevor isn’t your typical geek, yes he’s a straight A student and a goody two shoes, but he’s sort of a cool geek. If Jen wins the bet her friends agree to pay for Jen to get her lip re-pierced. But Jen ends up getting more than she bargained for, having initially seeing Trevor as a complete geek; with his debates about sci-fi films with his other geeky friends,
It was fun watching Jen trying to convert Trevor over to the bad side, his awkwardness at Jen continually approaching him and hanging out with him and not understanding why. The whole getting to know Trevor was a whole new experience for Jen, she’d already been through so much and so
Cindy Bennett did a great job with Geek Girl; I felt at times the story could be predictable and because of the predictability of the story I could only give Geek Girl three stars. But her writing is cleverly done; she inter-weaves serious aspects to a generally comically fun book really well.
If you’re looking for a quick, fun easy going read then Geek Girl’s for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
It was fun watching Jen trying to convert Trevor over to the bad side, his awkwardness at Jen continually approaching him and hanging out with him and not understanding why. The whole getting to know Trevor was a whole new experience for Jen, she’d already been through so much and so
Cindy Bennett did a great job with Geek Girl; I felt at times the story could be predictable and because of the predictability of the story I could only give Geek Girl three stars. But her writing is cleverly done; she inter-weaves serious aspects to a generally comically fun book really well.
If you’re looking for a quick, fun easy going read then Geek Girl’s for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
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April 29, 2012
5 Stars
I anxiously awaited this eBook after reading this authors "Heart on a Chain". This story was a bit of a slower grab for me, but once it did - WOW!
This is a heart-wrenching story about a foster child; Jen Jones. Jen [Jennifer] is a 17 year old girl who has been in the foster system for years. She has developed coping mechanisms for herself which are very narcissistic and self-destructive with a low self-esteem. She wants her upper lip re-pierced and makes a "bet" to get the money to have it done. A gamble that changes her life. She tells her friends she can get the "geek" boy to be like her; dark with self-destructive tendencies. Bring a "good" boy over to the dark side; parties, skipping school, etc. What happens is the opposite. Trevor [Trev] is the geek. He is a "nice" boy. He has a loving family, a brother with Downs, he volunteers at a senior center, he plays piano and guitar, he is "perfect". Trevor touches something in Jen through his goodness and ready acceptance of her for all she is. He is able to reach down inside of her and show her just how beautiful she is, how worthy she is. She, in turn, wants to be this "better" person for him. All rolls along nicely, then he finds out about the bet and is terribly angry and hurt. Will they get to the other side of this event that brought them together .. together?
This story portrays the life of this girl as she finds herself and becomes part of a lasting family. She works hard to come to terms with her past -- learning to understand she was a victim, but this doesn't have to define who she will be forever. The adults take a positive caring role in this story and are integral to who this young lady becomes. They care for her and welcome her into their family with open arms.
This story touched something deep in me. I wanted the very best for Jen because she was working so hard for it and was so fragile. I wanted Trevor to come to terms with the hurt pride he had because of the bet. Without the bet, they would never have been together. A single moment in time, a single choice, impacted these two people and their families forever.
A really lovely story. In the end you wanted to just jump out of your seat and throw your arms in the air and yell "YES!!!".
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
no nook 01/27/2012
Nook :: noticed on 04/26/2012 and only $5! Yeah ..!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I anxiously awaited this eBook after reading this authors "Heart on a Chain". This story was a bit of a slower grab for me, but once it did - WOW!
This is a heart-wrenching story about a foster child; Jen Jones. Jen [Jennifer] is a 17 year old girl who has been in the foster system for years. She has developed coping mechanisms for herself which are very narcissistic and self-destructive with a low self-esteem. She wants her upper lip re-pierced and makes a "bet" to get the money to have it done. A gamble that changes her life. She tells her friends she can get the "geek" boy to be like her; dark with self-destructive tendencies. Bring a "good" boy over to the dark side; parties, skipping school, etc. What happens is the opposite. Trevor [Trev] is the geek. He is a "nice" boy. He has a loving family, a brother with Downs, he volunteers at a senior center, he plays piano and guitar, he is "perfect". Trevor touches something in Jen through his goodness and ready acceptance of her for all she is. He is able to reach down inside of her and show her just how beautiful she is, how worthy she is. She, in turn, wants to be this "better" person for him. All rolls along nicely, then he finds out about the bet and is terribly angry and hurt. Will they get to the other side of this event that brought them together .. together?
This story portrays the life of this girl as she finds herself and becomes part of a lasting family. She works hard to come to terms with her past -- learning to understand she was a victim, but this doesn't have to define who she will be forever. The adults take a positive caring role in this story and are integral to who this young lady becomes. They care for her and welcome her into their family with open arms.
This story touched something deep in me. I wanted the very best for Jen because she was working so hard for it and was so fragile. I wanted Trevor to come to terms with the hurt pride he had because of the bet. Without the bet, they would never have been together. A single moment in time, a single choice, impacted these two people and their families forever.
A really lovely story. In the end you wanted to just jump out of your seat and throw your arms in the air and yell "YES!!!".
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
no nook 01/27/2012
Nook :: noticed on 04/26/2012 and only $5! Yeah ..!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
August 19, 2016
Okay, I’m giving this book four stars because it made me laugh…a lot. And smile. If it didn’t have those sweet, funny moments, it would be three stars for it’s unoriginality. Now I did like it. I liked the story and the characters, I enjoyed reading it. It’s just nothing praise worthy. It isn’t a brilliant, beautifully written, extremely well executed, thought provoking novel. Rather it’s a sweet, funny, ah, clichéd story.
Bad girl Jen, bets her friends that she could turn a geek bad. She sets her sights on Trevor, a nerdy, cute guy who is ever so polite, buttons his shirts to the top button, is extremely organized. Then she gets to know him. The incredibly nice, sweet, good boy he is. And she starts to like him. Instead of her turning him bad, he’s rubbing off on her. The star trek movies, trampoline jumping, bowling, ’geek’ stuff, starts to appeal to her. And then SHE starts to change. She tones down her Goth, dark appearance, doesn’t party. And they start to fall in love, awhh! After a time though, with this nagging guilt of lying to Trevor, he finds out about the bet, and he is beyond angry. He doesn’t want anything to do with her, and she’s crushed. Cue the zombie.
She feels that she won’t survive without him, she loses her appetite, becomes pale, depressed looking, and everyone knows and sees it. But she does survive! Yeah, there’s those kind of aggravating moments when she’s depressed, pinning, bemoaning her loss (nothing new there), but she pulls out of it. She realizes that she can survive without him and be happy, even if her heart will always have a crack there, that only he can mend. This hurt, angered stage lasts a while, with no reconciliation. I wish Trevor hadn’t held onto his anger for so long. Yeah, she did something hurtful, but that was when she was bad, he knew what she was like before, and he knew the person that she started to become after they started dating. He should have been able to look past that, and forgive her, because she was truly sorry, and honestly just because of his kind, polite character.
Jen’s transformation wasn’t drastic. As the reader, we don’t really see a great change, besides her looks changing from Goth to normal, and being told about her previous partying and bad actions. We never really got to see her ‘bad side’ before she started changing. She does start to look at life differently, and really does want to change, to become someone else, someone who deserves her foster family, who deserves Trevor. I liked seeing how her attitude on life changed, I guess I just wish that we could have seen some of her bad moments, like her at a party drunk or something before she decided to bet after Trevor. Then maybe the transformation would have been more meaningful.
Alright, nitpicky points aside, I really did enjoy this book. Nearly every page had me laughing out loud, or smiling. This book is really a just for fun novel with a sweet romance and a swoon worthy guy (up until he refuses to forgive or do anything with Jen that is, that kind of killed my crush for him there, even though I still liked him at the end). There are some messages in it that were done nice, but they’re not really deep. And I will say that the romance wasn't insta-love. It was brought on slowly, a very nice change from the immediate attraction/true love that happens in practically every young adult novel. If you read Geek Girl don’t expect something incredible, or an amazing story with superb characters. Expect a light, cute story, some cliché, some sappiness, and maybe some smiles and laughs if you’re like me.
Bad girl Jen, bets her friends that she could turn a geek bad. She sets her sights on Trevor, a nerdy, cute guy who is ever so polite, buttons his shirts to the top button, is extremely organized. Then she gets to know him. The incredibly nice, sweet, good boy he is. And she starts to like him. Instead of her turning him bad, he’s rubbing off on her. The star trek movies, trampoline jumping, bowling, ’geek’ stuff, starts to appeal to her. And then SHE starts to change. She tones down her Goth, dark appearance, doesn’t party. And they start to fall in love, awhh! After a time though, with this nagging guilt of lying to Trevor, he finds out about the bet, and he is beyond angry. He doesn’t want anything to do with her, and she’s crushed. Cue the zombie.
She feels that she won’t survive without him, she loses her appetite, becomes pale, depressed looking, and everyone knows and sees it. But she does survive! Yeah, there’s those kind of aggravating moments when she’s depressed, pinning, bemoaning her loss (nothing new there), but she pulls out of it. She realizes that she can survive without him and be happy, even if her heart will always have a crack there, that only he can mend. This hurt, angered stage lasts a while, with no reconciliation. I wish Trevor hadn’t held onto his anger for so long. Yeah, she did something hurtful, but that was when she was bad, he knew what she was like before, and he knew the person that she started to become after they started dating. He should have been able to look past that, and forgive her, because she was truly sorry, and honestly just because of his kind, polite character.
Jen’s transformation wasn’t drastic. As the reader, we don’t really see a great change, besides her looks changing from Goth to normal, and being told about her previous partying and bad actions. We never really got to see her ‘bad side’ before she started changing. She does start to look at life differently, and really does want to change, to become someone else, someone who deserves her foster family, who deserves Trevor. I liked seeing how her attitude on life changed, I guess I just wish that we could have seen some of her bad moments, like her at a party drunk or something before she decided to bet after Trevor. Then maybe the transformation would have been more meaningful.
Alright, nitpicky points aside, I really did enjoy this book. Nearly every page had me laughing out loud, or smiling. This book is really a just for fun novel with a sweet romance and a swoon worthy guy (up until he refuses to forgive or do anything with Jen that is, that kind of killed my crush for him there, even though I still liked him at the end). There are some messages in it that were done nice, but they’re not really deep. And I will say that the romance wasn't insta-love. It was brought on slowly, a very nice change from the immediate attraction/true love that happens in practically every young adult novel. If you read Geek Girl don’t expect something incredible, or an amazing story with superb characters. Expect a light, cute story, some cliché, some sappiness, and maybe some smiles and laughs if you’re like me.
December 13, 2012
5 STARS!
I'm a hopeful romantic at heart, and a total sucker for YA romance. Enough said!
But I guess it doesn't hurt to elaborate...
So, the story starts off kind of cliche, girl plays the game but the game ends up playing her; basic, simple story line. Typical, but oh so delightfully fun.
At first, Jen is your stereotypical foster-girl, bad girl "freak" goth chick. She hangs with the "bad" kids, partying, dabbling with some minor drug usage, alcohol, oh you know - typical "goth" like behavior.
Then there's Trevor. Trevor is your typical "Nerd" with a 4.0 GPA, Student Body President, volunteering at the Senior Center, plays the piano, watches a string of sci-fi flicks with his friends on the weekends, and so forth. You get the picture.
Pretty typical, cliche, predictable, and.. stereotypical thus far, right?
Well, it gets better.
Turns out, maybe being a "geek" isn't so bad; maybe "geek" is just another stupid label that doesn't really define a person. The story plays with the notion of stereotypes and the labels. And ultimately, the layers are carefully peeled away, exposed; and you see Trev and Jen for who they really are. REAL TEENAGE KIDS, with real human emotions, real problems, and maybe even real love. The facade of geek v. goth, game v. reality, fear v. hope, are exposed, examined, blended and showcased in this relatively short gem of a read.
Trev really isn't so geeky after all, and Jen isn't so "bad" either. Maybe it doesn't matter which clique you belong to, and labels don't matter after all.
I loved Jen; I loved her side-story about her being a foster kid, her finding a real home, her "cheerleader" sis, and even the subtle, yet deep and symbolic message behind her winning Homecoming Queen. :)
It's a pretty light read, but if you look deeper, it's so much more than that. It challenges normative, stereotypical type-casting and cliques in HS.
It's a simple story of a girl, who, by fate, luck or chance, chooses her next target - this seemingly plain, geek boy to "make him bad" - he was supposed to be nothing more than a joke, a mockery; yet she ultimately discovers herself in the process.
And of course, we all know, sometimes the games we play end up playing us. The PLAN backfires on her and she finds herself more vulnerable than she let on. Maybe she DOESN'T have all the control after all? Maybe there was a reason why she chose Trevor. Maybe he ISN'T just a plain geek boy. Maybe he's SO MUCH MORE and she is too.
It's a coming-of-age story, it's a story of survival, it's a cautionary tale of the stupid games we play, while shattering preconceived notions of high school cliques; but it's also a story that illuminates bouts of hope, and inspires readers to look beyond the facade, layers and labels.
Honestly, it's a book for all ages. No sexual content included, rather, it's wholesome, heartwarming and endearing. A definite "feel-good" YA romance. I can't recommend this enough!
I'm a hopeful romantic at heart, and a total sucker for YA romance. Enough said!
But I guess it doesn't hurt to elaborate...
So, the story starts off kind of cliche, girl plays the game but the game ends up playing her; basic, simple story line. Typical, but oh so delightfully fun.
At first, Jen is your stereotypical foster-girl, bad girl "freak" goth chick. She hangs with the "bad" kids, partying, dabbling with some minor drug usage, alcohol, oh you know - typical "goth" like behavior.
Then there's Trevor. Trevor is your typical "Nerd" with a 4.0 GPA, Student Body President, volunteering at the Senior Center, plays the piano, watches a string of sci-fi flicks with his friends on the weekends, and so forth. You get the picture.
Pretty typical, cliche, predictable, and.. stereotypical thus far, right?
Well, it gets better.
Turns out, maybe being a "geek" isn't so bad; maybe "geek" is just another stupid label that doesn't really define a person. The story plays with the notion of stereotypes and the labels. And ultimately, the layers are carefully peeled away, exposed; and you see Trev and Jen for who they really are. REAL TEENAGE KIDS, with real human emotions, real problems, and maybe even real love. The facade of geek v. goth, game v. reality, fear v. hope, are exposed, examined, blended and showcased in this relatively short gem of a read.
Trev really isn't so geeky after all, and Jen isn't so "bad" either. Maybe it doesn't matter which clique you belong to, and labels don't matter after all.
I loved Jen; I loved her side-story about her being a foster kid, her finding a real home, her "cheerleader" sis, and even the subtle, yet deep and symbolic message behind her winning Homecoming Queen. :)
It's a pretty light read, but if you look deeper, it's so much more than that. It challenges normative, stereotypical type-casting and cliques in HS.
It's a simple story of a girl, who, by fate, luck or chance, chooses her next target - this seemingly plain, geek boy to "make him bad" - he was supposed to be nothing more than a joke, a mockery; yet she ultimately discovers herself in the process.
And of course, we all know, sometimes the games we play end up playing us. The PLAN backfires on her and she finds herself more vulnerable than she let on. Maybe she DOESN'T have all the control after all? Maybe there was a reason why she chose Trevor. Maybe he ISN'T just a plain geek boy. Maybe he's SO MUCH MORE and she is too.
It's a coming-of-age story, it's a story of survival, it's a cautionary tale of the stupid games we play, while shattering preconceived notions of high school cliques; but it's also a story that illuminates bouts of hope, and inspires readers to look beyond the facade, layers and labels.
Honestly, it's a book for all ages. No sexual content included, rather, it's wholesome, heartwarming and endearing. A definite "feel-good" YA romance. I can't recommend this enough!
September 15, 2011
3.5 stars. What a cute little gem this was. At first, I thought there wasn't going to be much more to the book than the summary - rebel girl takes a bet where she not only has to hook a geek guy, but also has to get him to "come to the dark side."
Before even reading the first page, my mind went to half a dozen movie plots. This story couldn't be hard to figure out, after all. I knew that the girl would fake liking the guy, until at some point, she saw what a great catch he really was. After all, haven't we learned by now that all nerdy people are in fact hot underneath, and all you have to do is change their clothes to figure this out? At least, that's what the movies tell us.
I also had it figured out (no spoiler warnings necessary, as you will have figured this out as well before you even open the book) that the girl would, in fact, avoid telling the guy about the bet, and that he would find out through another party. Then after finding out, he would be upset and avoid the girl, of course.
About halfway into the book, all of my predictions had come true. I was also semi-amused that our anti-heroine did indeed have a troubled and sad past. Because of course, all kids who are "bad" must have a major and shocking reason for being the way they are (insert sarcasm here).
So, you ask, if the book was somewhat predictable, what kept me reading? Well, for starters, the author did have a unique voice. The book was an easy read and I became invested in the characters, which doesn't happen too often for me. I also appreciated that somewhere around midway into the book, things changed for the characters and we got to see what life was like after the revelation of the bet. I liked that some of Jen's major life changes started happening about halfway into the book and because of this, she had the strength and support to continue on, whether she got her true happy ending or not (I'm not telling!).
The first half was a pleasant enough read, but the second half of this book is where the author really hit her stride. I was pleased that the things came together in a few unexpected ways, and that there were still at least a few little tidbits left to surprise me when it was all said and done.
I'd be interested in checking out more books by this author after finding myself pleasantly surprised with Geek Girl.
Before even reading the first page, my mind went to half a dozen movie plots. This story couldn't be hard to figure out, after all. I knew that the girl would fake liking the guy, until at some point, she saw what a great catch he really was. After all, haven't we learned by now that all nerdy people are in fact hot underneath, and all you have to do is change their clothes to figure this out? At least, that's what the movies tell us.
I also had it figured out (no spoiler warnings necessary, as you will have figured this out as well before you even open the book) that the girl would, in fact, avoid telling the guy about the bet, and that he would find out through another party. Then after finding out, he would be upset and avoid the girl, of course.
About halfway into the book, all of my predictions had come true. I was also semi-amused that our anti-heroine did indeed have a troubled and sad past. Because of course, all kids who are "bad" must have a major and shocking reason for being the way they are (insert sarcasm here).
So, you ask, if the book was somewhat predictable, what kept me reading? Well, for starters, the author did have a unique voice. The book was an easy read and I became invested in the characters, which doesn't happen too often for me. I also appreciated that somewhere around midway into the book, things changed for the characters and we got to see what life was like after the revelation of the bet. I liked that some of Jen's major life changes started happening about halfway into the book and because of this, she had the strength and support to continue on, whether she got her true happy ending or not (I'm not telling!).
The first half was a pleasant enough read, but the second half of this book is where the author really hit her stride. I was pleased that the things came together in a few unexpected ways, and that there were still at least a few little tidbits left to surprise me when it was all said and done.
I'd be interested in checking out more books by this author after finding myself pleasantly surprised with Geek Girl.
April 1, 2013
Two insy-weeny-teeny requests : have a swarm of that high school feel good book butterflies eat at my insides .... And please be 3.99999 stars or better :) Please and thank you !!
* oh yeah this book delivered ! It took me by surprise and It was refreshing and an easy read !
~ 4 giddy girl goofy giggle welcome to geekdom stars !!!
* oh yeah this book delivered ! It took me by surprise and It was refreshing and an easy read !
~ 4 giddy girl goofy giggle welcome to geekdom stars !!!
March 20, 2012
Think I could turn that boy bad?
I think the rule of thumb with make-him/her-fall-for-me bets is first to always ask yourself, 'Am I in a novel?'. If the answer is 'Yes', then you DO NOT MAKE THE BET because you will fall hard for this person and eventually, YOU WILL BE FOUND OUT. The fallout will not be pretty.
When 17-year-old Jen makes a bet that she can bring 'cool geek' Trevor over to the dark side, she instead finds herself sucked into Trevor's world of family bowling, charity work and sci-fi movies.
Actually, she quite likes it there.
And she really, really likes Trevor.
Trevor also really, really likes Jen. Happy days!
Not so fast though- there's still that pesky bet, a great shadow looming over Jens head. Well, easily solved Jen. Confess all, explain to the boy where you were coming from. Of course, she never does.
“Plain?” Trevor scoffs. “I don’t think plain is an adjective that could ever be used to describe you, Jen. You’re the most beautiful—”
“Don’t, Trev,” I cut him off. “We’re nothing if not always honest with each other, right?”
Even as I say the words, the familiar sting of guilt pierces me at the big thing—the big lie, if I’m being honest—I haven’t yet told him.
“Exactly,” he says, giving me a squeeze, “which is why I’m not lying when I tell you how beautiful you are. Best looking girl here.”
I shake my head at him. And I shake my head at you, Jen.
Trevor was such a little lamb, bless him. With Jen, I had mixed feelings. I really dislike the sort of deception she had going with Trevor. At the same time though, I wanted to protect Jen from herself even more than I wanted to protect Trevor from Jen.
Jen's had a hard life, one which I won't actually get into. Suffice to say, her father is dead, her mother's in prison, she's constantly being shuffled around from one foster family to another, and none of that is the worst of it. All of this has left Jen, understandably, fragile. She's just this vulnerable little baby bird, fallen away from the nest/abandoned one to many times, injured and unable to fly.
However- and I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you this- there's happy ending.
Of course there is.
'Geek Girl' was nothing spectacular, but I did smile my way through pretty much the entire thing. It definitely deserves it's three stars and anyone looking for a light, fun read- that also tugs at the odd heartstring- you have it here.
I think the rule of thumb with make-him/her-fall-for-me bets is first to always ask yourself, 'Am I in a novel?'. If the answer is 'Yes', then you DO NOT MAKE THE BET because you will fall hard for this person and eventually, YOU WILL BE FOUND OUT. The fallout will not be pretty.
When 17-year-old Jen makes a bet that she can bring 'cool geek' Trevor over to the dark side, she instead finds herself sucked into Trevor's world of family bowling, charity work and sci-fi movies.
Actually, she quite likes it there.
And she really, really likes Trevor.
Trevor also really, really likes Jen. Happy days!
Not so fast though- there's still that pesky bet, a great shadow looming over Jens head. Well, easily solved Jen. Confess all, explain to the boy where you were coming from. Of course, she never does.
“Plain?” Trevor scoffs. “I don’t think plain is an adjective that could ever be used to describe you, Jen. You’re the most beautiful—”
“Don’t, Trev,” I cut him off. “We’re nothing if not always honest with each other, right?”
Even as I say the words, the familiar sting of guilt pierces me at the big thing—the big lie, if I’m being honest—I haven’t yet told him.
“Exactly,” he says, giving me a squeeze, “which is why I’m not lying when I tell you how beautiful you are. Best looking girl here.”
I shake my head at him. And I shake my head at you, Jen.
Trevor was such a little lamb, bless him. With Jen, I had mixed feelings. I really dislike the sort of deception she had going with Trevor. At the same time though, I wanted to protect Jen from herself even more than I wanted to protect Trevor from Jen.
Jen's had a hard life, one which I won't actually get into. Suffice to say, her father is dead, her mother's in prison, she's constantly being shuffled around from one foster family to another, and none of that is the worst of it. All of this has left Jen, understandably, fragile. She's just this vulnerable little baby bird, fallen away from the nest/abandoned one to many times, injured and unable to fly.
However- and I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you this- there's happy ending.
Of course there is.
'Geek Girl' was nothing spectacular, but I did smile my way through pretty much the entire thing. It definitely deserves it's three stars and anyone looking for a light, fun read- that also tugs at the odd heartstring- you have it here.
April 24, 2015
4,5
Hay ciertos tipos de libros que me hacen ver lo tonta que soy. ¿Por qué? Por juzgar antes de leer. Me he topado un montón de veces con Geek Girl, pero la listilla dentro de mí pasaba de largo sólo con su portada. ¿Y qué es lo que me he encontrado en su interior? Una historia maravillosa.
Me tenía atrapada desde la página 1 y no he podido soltarlo hasta que lo he terminado. Y debo decir que he quedado completamente encantada. Justo ayer pensé "Dios, ¿por qué todos los libros son iguales: chico "malo" que luego resulta no ser tan malo (o sí lo es) y chica tonta que se enamora de él pero él no "puede amar" por un pasado demasiado trágico? Estoy hartaaaaaa!" Y me topé con este libro, que es totalmente lo contrario a eso.
Jen es una chica que para mis ojos es bastante incomprendida y que siempre da por hecho que la gente busca algo más cuando se comportan bien, que solo la quieren por dinero, que cuando todo van bien algo vendrá y lo estropeará (en esto estoy de acuerdo)... Pero la verdad es que su personaje me ha gustado mucho. Sí es verdad que tiene un pasado trágico que la hace ser como es en parte: se viste con ropa negra y ajustada, el pelo lo lleva negro con mechas rojas y usa un maquillaje demasiado pesado. Pero evoluciona. Ve que la vida que lleva no es para nada la mejor, así que cambia. Progresivamente, pero lo hace.
Trevor, oh, Trevor. ¿Podría tener uno para mí, por favor? Es todo lo contrario (o que no es muy abundante de leer) a los libros que leo últimamente. Ha sido como un soplo de aire freso. Es algo tímido, no está acostumbrado a que las chicas le presten atención, le encanta la ciencia ficción, es atento, cariñoso...
La relación entre ambos empieza un poco extraña, pero ¡es tan adorable! Dios, qué mal lo he pasado cuando él se entera de la verdad. ¡El último capítulo! He muerto de felicidad, sklfhsaklflsa. Ojalá un epílogo o algo, pero buen.
Los demás personajes, bueno. Creo que la autora debería haber introducido a Jane mucho antes, porque creo que Jen la necesitaba desde mucho antes porque vamos, se veía que Beth y Ella no eran trigo limpio. No hay un personaje malo malo, lo que he agradecido profundamente. Si acaso Mary Ellen, pero al final se disculpa así que nada. Y ¡Todd! El hermano de Trevor, ohhhh, me hubiese encantado que su personaje tuviera más protagonismo slkfha. Es raro que diga esto, pero ¡no he odiado a nadie! Eso dice mucho jaja, siempre se cuela una mejor amiga a la que odio, o un pretendiente que no viene al caso que se gana mi odio.
Así que síp, totalmente recomendable si quieres una historia ligera, tierna, dulce, sin drama... Dios, debería haber más libros así.
Hay ciertos tipos de libros que me hacen ver lo tonta que soy. ¿Por qué? Por juzgar antes de leer. Me he topado un montón de veces con Geek Girl, pero la listilla dentro de mí pasaba de largo sólo con su portada. ¿Y qué es lo que me he encontrado en su interior? Una historia maravillosa.
Me tenía atrapada desde la página 1 y no he podido soltarlo hasta que lo he terminado. Y debo decir que he quedado completamente encantada. Justo ayer pensé "Dios, ¿por qué todos los libros son iguales: chico "malo" que luego resulta no ser tan malo (o sí lo es) y chica tonta que se enamora de él pero él no "puede amar" por un pasado demasiado trágico? Estoy hartaaaaaa!" Y me topé con este libro, que es totalmente lo contrario a eso.
Jen es una chica que para mis ojos es bastante incomprendida y que siempre da por hecho que la gente busca algo más cuando se comportan bien, que solo la quieren por dinero, que cuando todo van bien algo vendrá y lo estropeará (en esto estoy de acuerdo)... Pero la verdad es que su personaje me ha gustado mucho. Sí es verdad que tiene un pasado trágico que la hace ser como es en parte: se viste con ropa negra y ajustada, el pelo lo lleva negro con mechas rojas y usa un maquillaje demasiado pesado. Pero evoluciona. Ve que la vida que lleva no es para nada la mejor, así que cambia. Progresivamente, pero lo hace.
Trevor, oh, Trevor. ¿Podría tener uno para mí, por favor? Es todo lo contrario (o que no es muy abundante de leer) a los libros que leo últimamente. Ha sido como un soplo de aire freso. Es algo tímido, no está acostumbrado a que las chicas le presten atención, le encanta la ciencia ficción, es atento, cariñoso...
La relación entre ambos empieza un poco extraña, pero ¡es tan adorable! Dios, qué mal lo he pasado cuando él se entera de la verdad. ¡El último capítulo! He muerto de felicidad, sklfhsaklflsa. Ojalá un epílogo o algo, pero buen.
Los demás personajes, bueno. Creo que la autora debería haber introducido a Jane mucho antes, porque creo que Jen la necesitaba desde mucho antes porque vamos, se veía que Beth y Ella no eran trigo limpio. No hay un personaje malo malo, lo que he agradecido profundamente. Si acaso Mary Ellen, pero al final se disculpa así que nada. Y ¡Todd! El hermano de Trevor, ohhhh, me hubiese encantado que su personaje tuviera más protagonismo slkfha. Es raro que diga esto, pero ¡no he odiado a nadie! Eso dice mucho jaja, siempre se cuela una mejor amiga a la que odio, o un pretendiente que no viene al caso que se gana mi odio.
Así que síp, totalmente recomendable si quieres una historia ligera, tierna, dulce, sin drama... Dios, debería haber más libros así.
October 10, 2011
Cindy C. Bennett's "Geek Girl" is a story of love in several dimensions - learning to love oneself, learning to love within a family and learning to love a significant other. I love reading stories where young adult characters come to terms with the reality around them, form relationships, and learn from their mistakes. It certainly helps that Jen is an identifiable leading young woman within the perspective of the novel, one whose voice is clearly distinct, fun in spurts, and emotionally honest when the more difficult parts of the story come to light.
"Geek Girl" begins with a familiar premise of two teens from separate social circles, with one (Jen) wanting to change the other (Trevor) as a part of an experiment with her friends. I've seen teen novels do this before in such books like Jenny O'Connell's "The Book of Luke", but I think Bennett takes the familiar premise one step further and with a level of depth that I didn't expect coming into the novel. Jen, on the surface, seems secure and has a protective shell that involves her not allowing others to incorporate her in their lives - determined to blow off her foster family and change Trevor into someone who's "like her" - which implies a bad influence among other things. However, as Trevor's relationship with Jen grows, and she learns more about how true he stays to himself and his collective relationships, she learns to come to terms with herself on so many levels. She not only faces up to her abusive past, but also learns how much she's valued by the people who surround her, including her foster family. Watching Jen's progressive metamorphosis is endearing, sweet, and one that made me want to root for her as her relationships deepened. Of course, it doesn't come without significant weights and collision courses based on the decisions Jen's made, but it feels real. I would say the only thing about the novel that I could constructively critique is that the latter half of the novel ran a bit long, but it did feel realistic in terms of the emotions that both Jen and Trevor have to come to terms with following the reveal of the central conflict of the novel. In the end, I enjoyed the journey, and I think teens will find Jen a great character to follow, and be able to identify with her struggles as well as her triumphs. A wonderful novel that I would certainly recommend.
Overall score: 4/5
"Geek Girl" begins with a familiar premise of two teens from separate social circles, with one (Jen) wanting to change the other (Trevor) as a part of an experiment with her friends. I've seen teen novels do this before in such books like Jenny O'Connell's "The Book of Luke", but I think Bennett takes the familiar premise one step further and with a level of depth that I didn't expect coming into the novel. Jen, on the surface, seems secure and has a protective shell that involves her not allowing others to incorporate her in their lives - determined to blow off her foster family and change Trevor into someone who's "like her" - which implies a bad influence among other things. However, as Trevor's relationship with Jen grows, and she learns more about how true he stays to himself and his collective relationships, she learns to come to terms with herself on so many levels. She not only faces up to her abusive past, but also learns how much she's valued by the people who surround her, including her foster family. Watching Jen's progressive metamorphosis is endearing, sweet, and one that made me want to root for her as her relationships deepened. Of course, it doesn't come without significant weights and collision courses based on the decisions Jen's made, but it feels real. I would say the only thing about the novel that I could constructively critique is that the latter half of the novel ran a bit long, but it did feel realistic in terms of the emotions that both Jen and Trevor have to come to terms with following the reveal of the central conflict of the novel. In the end, I enjoyed the journey, and I think teens will find Jen a great character to follow, and be able to identify with her struggles as well as her triumphs. A wonderful novel that I would certainly recommend.
Overall score: 4/5
June 21, 2014
I am surprised how much I loved this. It is not my usual genre. I prefer PNR because they tend to be more intense. And this is everything I have come to expect from contemporary romance, sweet and slow and realistic, but in all the right ways.
The book wastes no time and jumps right into the bet. The first line of the book is, "Think I could turn that boy bad?" Jen then proceeds to flirt with Trevor shamelessly within the first chapter, and Trevor gets all flustered and adorable. The first few chapters are cuteness overload! And she pretty much likes him from the beginning. She thinks he is a dork for inviting her to volunteer with him at the senior's center, or to go bowling with his family, but she cant deny that she actually enjoys the time she spends with him, and that he is cute and funny.
Jen and Trevor make an absolutely perfect couple, I just love them! And I have always loved geeks myself. I usually like my book boyfriends a little more intense, but in real life Trevor would have been exactly my kind of guy. And I loved the geek talk about all the sci-fi movies. I didnt get all the references, but most of them. I wish I had a guy to talk about sci-fi with.
Jen and Trevor kissed often, but it never got heavy. Thats not what this book is about at all. It was about being true to yourself and finding love with family, friends, and the boy of your dreams. It was full of sweetness, and there was one particular scene when Jen and Trevor both let it all out about their feelings and become very vulnerable to each other. It was a great scene. But I had hoped it would solidify them to each other. I didnt want to see any more bumps in their road after that. But I knew I would. There was still the bet looming over them, and in this type of story, it always comes back to bite them in the butt.
When Trevor finally found out, it was a bit painful for me to watch, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Although they were both upset they were still caring, and it was sweet in an innocent sort of way, like it was in the beginning. But this time, no one was pretending. And it solidified them to each other even better. They made it through the fire and came out stronger, and made the ending all the more satisfying. I now feel like they are forever.
The book wastes no time and jumps right into the bet. The first line of the book is, "Think I could turn that boy bad?" Jen then proceeds to flirt with Trevor shamelessly within the first chapter, and Trevor gets all flustered and adorable. The first few chapters are cuteness overload! And she pretty much likes him from the beginning. She thinks he is a dork for inviting her to volunteer with him at the senior's center, or to go bowling with his family, but she cant deny that she actually enjoys the time she spends with him, and that he is cute and funny.
Jen and Trevor make an absolutely perfect couple, I just love them! And I have always loved geeks myself. I usually like my book boyfriends a little more intense, but in real life Trevor would have been exactly my kind of guy. And I loved the geek talk about all the sci-fi movies. I didnt get all the references, but most of them. I wish I had a guy to talk about sci-fi with.
Jen and Trevor kissed often, but it never got heavy. Thats not what this book is about at all. It was about being true to yourself and finding love with family, friends, and the boy of your dreams. It was full of sweetness, and there was one particular scene when Jen and Trevor both let it all out about their feelings and become very vulnerable to each other. It was a great scene. But I had hoped it would solidify them to each other. I didnt want to see any more bumps in their road after that. But I knew I would. There was still the bet looming over them, and in this type of story, it always comes back to bite them in the butt.
When Trevor finally found out, it was a bit painful for me to watch, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Although they were both upset they were still caring, and it was sweet in an innocent sort of way, like it was in the beginning. But this time, no one was pretending. And it solidified them to each other even better. They made it through the fire and came out stronger, and made the ending all the more satisfying. I now feel like they are forever.
September 9, 2014
Rating: 3.75*
You know those Disney-like movies with the unhappy, white American teenager, forbidden love, cheesy script, overused plot and good-looking actors that can't act and are too old for the part they're playing? I love those movies. They just make me feel good, even if slightly nauseating when the main couple express their eternal love for each other. I used to think it was stupid, but now I've come to appreciate the safe haven they provide. It's just so unrealistically corny and overdone, and yet they have gotten me through some of my worst days. This book was kind of like those movies. Yes, the dialogues aren't as bad or the characters as overly stereotypical, but the basics are there.
I think that what I really liked about the book was that I am a mix of Jen, the emo girl, and Trev, the geeky love interest. I could kind of truly relate to parts of their lives. Even though I wish I had a group of nerd friends to discuss Battlestar Galactica. And I wouldn't look nearly as hot after a make-over.
And, Trevor, I'll be the Trinity to your Neo anytime.
You know those Disney-like movies with the unhappy, white American teenager, forbidden love, cheesy script, overused plot and good-looking actors that can't act and are too old for the part they're playing? I love those movies. They just make me feel good, even if slightly nauseating when the main couple express their eternal love for each other. I used to think it was stupid, but now I've come to appreciate the safe haven they provide. It's just so unrealistically corny and overdone, and yet they have gotten me through some of my worst days. This book was kind of like those movies. Yes, the dialogues aren't as bad or the characters as overly stereotypical, but the basics are there.
I think that what I really liked about the book was that I am a mix of Jen, the emo girl, and Trev, the geeky love interest. I could kind of truly relate to parts of their lives. Even though I wish I had a group of nerd friends to discuss Battlestar Galactica. And I wouldn't look nearly as hot after a make-over.
And, Trevor, I'll be the Trinity to your Neo anytime.
January 16, 2021
Excelente.
Tiene algunos detallitos, pero me encantó.
Tiene algunos detallitos, pero me encantó.
May 19, 2012
Originally reviewed at http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...
A big WOOHOO goes out to Ms. Bennett for ending my book slump. Geek Girl was everything I needed in a book and more. I was in love with Cindy Bennett's Heart on a Chain and was curious to see if she could deliver again. The answer...heck to the yea!!!!
What astounded me the most was the vivid transformations taking place throughout the entire story. It's not just Jen's transformation that is so beautifully written, but the way she "sees" Trevor. It made my heart smile when his inward goodness transformed his physical appearance. You can actuallywatch read how he changes right before Jen's very eyes. However, did Trevor really change at all? The truth is that Jen's own personal transformation allowed her to finally see what was right in front of her the whole time. She is the one who really has changed.
I would never give a book 4 stars if it didn't have toe curling romance. All I can say is swoon (for you younger readers google the word swoon then you'll understand). I absolutely adore Trevor. I believe when writing this book Cindy Bennett must have looked up "perfect guy" in the dictionary and then used what she found there to create Trevor. He teaches Jen how to be loved, tearing down the walls that her tortured past has caused her to put up. Their relationship kept me up all night devouring the book in one sitting.
This book contains so much raw emotion filled with passion, love, and a little heartache. It contains issues dealing with abuse, drugs, and mild sexual situations. In the end, love overcomes all hurt; good triumphs. Isn't that the way it's always suppose to be though? I'll take my happy ending any day!
A big WOOHOO goes out to Ms. Bennett for ending my book slump. Geek Girl was everything I needed in a book and more. I was in love with Cindy Bennett's Heart on a Chain and was curious to see if she could deliver again. The answer...heck to the yea!!!!
What astounded me the most was the vivid transformations taking place throughout the entire story. It's not just Jen's transformation that is so beautifully written, but the way she "sees" Trevor. It made my heart smile when his inward goodness transformed his physical appearance. You can actually
I would never give a book 4 stars if it didn't have toe curling romance. All I can say is swoon (for you younger readers google the word swoon then you'll understand). I absolutely adore Trevor. I believe when writing this book Cindy Bennett must have looked up "perfect guy" in the dictionary and then used what she found there to create Trevor. He teaches Jen how to be loved, tearing down the walls that her tortured past has caused her to put up. Their relationship kept me up all night devouring the book in one sitting.
This book contains so much raw emotion filled with passion, love, and a little heartache. It contains issues dealing with abuse, drugs, and mild sexual situations. In the end, love overcomes all hurt; good triumphs. Isn't that the way it's always suppose to be though? I'll take my happy ending any day!
March 2, 2011
Absolutely loved this book. Loved it so much I read it in one day and stayed up until 4 AM finishing it. It was a beautiful, teenage love story and it was wonderful. I was transported back to highschool and had me giggling, excited and giddy reliving first loves. It also made me cry. But this book wasn't just straight romance, it was about love and learning how to love, to be loved, how to get through heartbreak.
Jen learns to be loved and love back through the simple pure love Trevor, her foster family and her new friend have for her.
I loved how snarky and sarcastic and "goth" Jen was in the beginning and how "geek" Trevor see's past her looks and melts the layers away to reveal who Jen really is. I also liked that as a young adult book it dealt very serious problems but in a way that wasn't to grotesque or too much for a younger reader. They also keep the physical relationship between Jen and Trevor sweet and never go beyond kissing. I would definitely recomment that not only a teenager read this but anyone looking for a beautiful love story!
Jen learns to be loved and love back through the simple pure love Trevor, her foster family and her new friend have for her.
I loved how snarky and sarcastic and "goth" Jen was in the beginning and how "geek" Trevor see's past her looks and melts the layers away to reveal who Jen really is. I also liked that as a young adult book it dealt very serious problems but in a way that wasn't to grotesque or too much for a younger reader. They also keep the physical relationship between Jen and Trevor sweet and never go beyond kissing. I would definitely recomment that not only a teenager read this but anyone looking for a beautiful love story!
September 3, 2017
Lindo y sencillo. Quizás debería tener menos paginas pero igual me gusto.
June 2, 2012
What an under-appreciated book this is. By a show of hands (or comments), who has heard of this book? It doesn’t have half the attention it deserves on Goodreads and oh, does that make me even happier to share it with you guys.
Jen dresses to stand out in a crowd – tight, black clothing, ruby red lips lined with black lip liner, dark hair with red chunky streaks. She’s a girl who is not easy to overlook. Imagine Trevor’s shock when she sets her eyes on him and starts popping up everywhere he is. Little does he know that he’s a bet. If Jen can pull him over to the dark side, her friends will pay to have her lip re-pierced (her current foster family made her remove the last piercing). I wonder if Jen would have made the bet if she had known in her (fake) pursuit of Trevor, she would spend so much time skipping parties with her friends so she could watch sci-fi movies with his geeky crowd, or that they would be spending every third Saturday hanging with semi-senile old people in a nursing home.
Jen gets sucked up in Trevor’s world. I don’t know what girl could resist this boy. He’s kind and funny and so honorable. For a boy who wore button-up shirts buttoned all the way to his throat, he was always so kind and polite to Jen despite her in your-face-appearance. He looked past her exterior and saw that maybe that wasn’t all there was to her. Their love was a slow progression; Jen felt so conflicted – how could she fall in love with a boy that she’d be leaving when she went to the next foster home? What would her friends say about her failing so miserably at the bet – wasn’t he supposed to be the one turning bad… not the other way around?
Most importantly, what happens when this good boy finds out why they started hanging out in the first place?
Trevor and Jen’s story is one about falling in love, making it through hard times, deception, and ignoring the haters who don’t believe in you. It’s about a couple, who by appearances, should not be together. Jen’s background is gritty and disappointing; there’s a lot about her past that has caused her to be standoffish and distanced. She has never allowed herself to fall in love before and has a hard time believing someone would actually want her. (I loved her background and life story just as much as her relationship with Trevor. The foster care aspect, what happened with her biological parents, and the current status of her life in the Grant’s home was incredibly thorough and gripping.) Forgiveness is a huge, huge theme throughout this book. I could continue listing so many highlights and strengths of Geek Girl, but I need to allow you to experience this on your own.
I suppose I’ll leave you with this. Sometimes I feel like I’m reading through a 318-page book and it’s gone too fast or details of the story were lacking. I completely, wholeheartedly feel like I know everything there was to know about Trevor and Jen. I loved falling in love with them and hoping against hope that their relationship would make it. I’m so, so glad I took the time to read Bennett’s Geek Girl because I don’t think I could have possibly enjoyed it more than I did.
Now, let’s start a trend on Goodreads and give Geek Girl the love it deserves. Read it, will ya?
Jen dresses to stand out in a crowd – tight, black clothing, ruby red lips lined with black lip liner, dark hair with red chunky streaks. She’s a girl who is not easy to overlook. Imagine Trevor’s shock when she sets her eyes on him and starts popping up everywhere he is. Little does he know that he’s a bet. If Jen can pull him over to the dark side, her friends will pay to have her lip re-pierced (her current foster family made her remove the last piercing). I wonder if Jen would have made the bet if she had known in her (fake) pursuit of Trevor, she would spend so much time skipping parties with her friends so she could watch sci-fi movies with his geeky crowd, or that they would be spending every third Saturday hanging with semi-senile old people in a nursing home.
Jen gets sucked up in Trevor’s world. I don’t know what girl could resist this boy. He’s kind and funny and so honorable. For a boy who wore button-up shirts buttoned all the way to his throat, he was always so kind and polite to Jen despite her in your-face-appearance. He looked past her exterior and saw that maybe that wasn’t all there was to her. Their love was a slow progression; Jen felt so conflicted – how could she fall in love with a boy that she’d be leaving when she went to the next foster home? What would her friends say about her failing so miserably at the bet – wasn’t he supposed to be the one turning bad… not the other way around?
Most importantly, what happens when this good boy finds out why they started hanging out in the first place?
Trevor and Jen’s story is one about falling in love, making it through hard times, deception, and ignoring the haters who don’t believe in you. It’s about a couple, who by appearances, should not be together. Jen’s background is gritty and disappointing; there’s a lot about her past that has caused her to be standoffish and distanced. She has never allowed herself to fall in love before and has a hard time believing someone would actually want her. (I loved her background and life story just as much as her relationship with Trevor. The foster care aspect, what happened with her biological parents, and the current status of her life in the Grant’s home was incredibly thorough and gripping.) Forgiveness is a huge, huge theme throughout this book. I could continue listing so many highlights and strengths of Geek Girl, but I need to allow you to experience this on your own.
I suppose I’ll leave you with this. Sometimes I feel like I’m reading through a 318-page book and it’s gone too fast or details of the story were lacking. I completely, wholeheartedly feel like I know everything there was to know about Trevor and Jen. I loved falling in love with them and hoping against hope that their relationship would make it. I’m so, so glad I took the time to read Bennett’s Geek Girl because I don’t think I could have possibly enjoyed it more than I did.
Now, let’s start a trend on Goodreads and give Geek Girl the love it deserves. Read it, will ya?
February 13, 2012
If i can live a fictional life, i would like to be Jen.
First off... i'm a big, larger-than-life HUGE like really friggin huge fan of Heart on a Chain so reading another work of Ms. Bennett has been one of my missions ever since. Geek Girl did not fail me. I was so afraid that it won't live up to my expectations after HOAC, but wow.. it blew me away. I actually love it!
The story isn't just bad girl meets geek guy. It was about how a girl found her self by trying to be as bad as she can be. Hmm.. was that confusing? well.. Jen was kind of.. a badass. She did what she want and went by her own rules. When she tried to reform Trev-or and make him go to the dark side (haha star wars geek here), she was the one who was reeled in by the force instead. That made this story totally cute. Of course things isn't all just warm fuzzies. When things got rough, she already had a support center and that's what i'm happy about. This girl who tried her best to look bad at first gained friends and a whole family. I like it. If Jen was a real person, i'll definitely congratulate her for her luck in life. This is also the reason why i want to be her in a fictional life.haha!
I love how Trevor's character came to be. He is most definitely a geek and yet, he's somehow cool and based on the book. . .has really nice dimples. So i guess he's cute right? I love it that he is soooo nice, respectful and really paid attention to Jen. I also like it that he didn't make it easy for Jen when things blew up. I like it that he gave Jen the anger she deserved and she in turn learned a lot from it. Not to be mean of course, but you know.. we learn to value things when we lose it..and that's usually when we realize stuffs. The whole getting back together was soooo good.. it made me really squeal/laugh/jump up and down.
Anyway...
This story tells us that no matter how bad the world was to us, there's always hope. It's one thing that we can never lose especially if we still wake up each morning. Anyway... my feelings after this novel? *happy sigh* i think i can sleep now and dream of hearts and flowers.
PERFECT!!! ^_^
P.S.: You ever imagine Jen 10 years after? i think she will be such a cool mom, being part geek and part reformed party girl..added to the fact that she cooks.. That would be a riot! =)
First off... i'm a big, larger-than-life HUGE like really friggin huge fan of Heart on a Chain so reading another work of Ms. Bennett has been one of my missions ever since. Geek Girl did not fail me. I was so afraid that it won't live up to my expectations after HOAC, but wow.. it blew me away. I actually love it!
The story isn't just bad girl meets geek guy. It was about how a girl found her self by trying to be as bad as she can be. Hmm.. was that confusing? well.. Jen was kind of.. a badass. She did what she want and went by her own rules. When she tried to reform Trev-or and make him go to the dark side (haha star wars geek here), she was the one who was reeled in by the force instead. That made this story totally cute. Of course things isn't all just warm fuzzies. When things got rough, she already had a support center and that's what i'm happy about. This girl who tried her best to look bad at first gained friends and a whole family. I like it. If Jen was a real person, i'll definitely congratulate her for her luck in life. This is also the reason why i want to be her in a fictional life.haha!
I love how Trevor's character came to be. He is most definitely a geek and yet, he's somehow cool and based on the book. . .has really nice dimples. So i guess he's cute right? I love it that he is soooo nice, respectful and really paid attention to Jen. I also like it that he didn't make it easy for Jen when things blew up. I like it that he gave Jen the anger she deserved and she in turn learned a lot from it. Not to be mean of course, but you know.. we learn to value things when we lose it..and that's usually when we realize stuffs. The whole getting back together was soooo good.. it made me really squeal/laugh/jump up and down.
Anyway...
This story tells us that no matter how bad the world was to us, there's always hope. It's one thing that we can never lose especially if we still wake up each morning. Anyway... my feelings after this novel? *happy sigh* i think i can sleep now and dream of hearts and flowers.
PERFECT!!! ^_^
P.S.: You ever imagine Jen 10 years after? i think she will be such a cool mom, being part geek and part reformed party girl..added to the fact that she cooks.. That would be a riot! =)
October 4, 2014
I couldn't give this book a rating of below 4.
When I was younger, I have identified five qualities I'm looking from a guy for me to like him. One, he should be smart because I really admire those guys who excel academically. For me,that means he really values education more than anything else. Two, he should should know how to play a guitar and can also sing a tune so that he'll be able to serenade me, or maybe write a song for me. Three, he must have a sense of humor and this a must because I am generally a cheerful and happy person. Four, he must be athletic or at least he know how to play basketball. Lastly, he must love reading like I do. Of course it is a must that we share the same interests and passion, right?.
Yeah, I know you're thinking that explains why I'm still single even at this age. Anyway, that was before and I'm not going to say more about my kind of guy. I was just reminded of this thought because of this book and I'm thinking, maybe my kind of guys is actually a geek.
Moving on to my review, the plot may not be extraordinary and unique but somehow, I find it new and fresh. Maybe because it's the first book I've read with this kind of plot. I also love the characters, Jen and Trevor, for they are both strong and the story was well-developed that I became so engrossed and finished it overnight. What really makes me love this book was the way the author revealed piece by piece the reason behind Jen's character and how she was able to deal with her issues.
I may have given this five stars if not for some cheesy lines in the middle so I have settle at four. :)
When I was younger, I have identified five qualities I'm looking from a guy for me to like him. One, he should be smart because I really admire those guys who excel academically. For me,that means he really values education more than anything else. Two, he should should know how to play a guitar and can also sing a tune so that he'll be able to serenade me, or maybe write a song for me. Three, he must have a sense of humor and this a must because I am generally a cheerful and happy person. Four, he must be athletic or at least he know how to play basketball. Lastly, he must love reading like I do. Of course it is a must that we share the same interests and passion, right?.
Yeah, I know you're thinking that explains why I'm still single even at this age. Anyway, that was before and I'm not going to say more about my kind of guy. I was just reminded of this thought because of this book and I'm thinking, maybe my kind of guys is actually a geek.
Moving on to my review, the plot may not be extraordinary and unique but somehow, I find it new and fresh. Maybe because it's the first book I've read with this kind of plot. I also love the characters, Jen and Trevor, for they are both strong and the story was well-developed that I became so engrossed and finished it overnight. What really makes me love this book was the way the author revealed piece by piece the reason behind Jen's character and how she was able to deal with her issues.
I may have given this five stars if not for some cheesy lines in the middle so I have settle at four. :)
November 7, 2016
"Think I can turn that boy bad?"
That opening line was the start of a bet that turned the world of Jennifer and Trevor upsidedown. And of course, as what I always read when a bet is involved in a story, it always backfires to whoever did it. So I guess there's nothing new about the plot huh? Jen, thought of an idea one day, out of her boredom, while looking at the geek group and seeing Trevor. The badass girl wants to turn a good boy into a bad one.
There isn't really anything surprising about the plot. But the way it was written, the way the characters were introduced, the way the story narrates makes it triple times enjoyable than it should have been. Plus the fact that there were awesome friends along the way that I see myself loving it more and more. Plus Trevor isn't the geek that Jen was expecting. Turns out that he's too good and too perfect to be swayed into the 'dark side' - he's good at bowling, he climbs, he sings and plays piano and guitar, the sci-fi movies he loves isn't that bad, his friends are cool, and the list goes on. And Jen finds herself being the one who's swayed at the end.
Cliche or not, I enjoyed this book and savor every bit of it. No extreme dramas present, too cheesy at times but I can't complain, it's just how I liked it. It's one of those few books that I wanted to reread right after finishing it. And that's what I did actually - I reread all the moments I loved, which was about 85% finishing at 3am. If you love an entertaining, light, and fun read, you should try this one.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
October 25, 2011
There’s nothing new here, but GEEK GIRL’S easy style and quick pace are what’s gotten me out of my reading funk. *THANK GOSH!* While the story is predictable in that there’s a good guy, a not-so-good girl and an ill-conceived dare of turning one of them otherwise, it wasn’t boring.
As said, she is not so good. The ‘why’ of that is a sad story all on its own. HOWEVER, I could never completely connect with her because it all just felt a tad neat, forced. Like someone saying there had to be a reason behind her antics. I felt that had she been bad just because without delving into her history, I might have bought her tough girl façade more. As is, she read more like someone who reacted. So while I did understand her choices, she just didn’t click for me. It was all a bit “because this was the way it was for me before, then I’m this way now.” egh
Now, to the so called geek. He totally isn’t! He is musically inclined, has very good grades, was apparently into sports, and is a really good brother. He sounds like any other boy. Add the fact that he's voted into several positions that are not geek at all.
So, perhaps this is the main thing that had me wondering about their story; the labels she put on herself (and on others) was so limiting. That she considers herself imperfect, and him geeky-good, and others cheerleaders or jocks and what not, was not accurate… but that was the point I guess.
OK…
THANKS NETGALLEY!
3/5
As said, she is not so good. The ‘why’ of that is a sad story all on its own. HOWEVER, I could never completely connect with her because it all just felt a tad neat, forced. Like someone saying there had to be a reason behind her antics. I felt that had she been bad just because without delving into her history, I might have bought her tough girl façade more. As is, she read more like someone who reacted. So while I did understand her choices, she just didn’t click for me. It was all a bit “because this was the way it was for me before, then I’m this way now.” egh
Now, to the so called geek. He totally isn’t! He is musically inclined, has very good grades, was apparently into sports, and is a really good brother. He sounds like any other boy. Add the fact that he's voted into several positions that are not geek at all.
So, perhaps this is the main thing that had me wondering about their story; the labels she put on herself (and on others) was so limiting. That she considers herself imperfect, and him geeky-good, and others cheerleaders or jocks and what not, was not accurate… but that was the point I guess.
OK…
THANKS NETGALLEY!
3/5
September 13, 2016
Cedar Fort acquired a real indie gem with Geek Girl. I first read Geek Girl back in March when it was self-published, and I burned through it in a matter of hours. Talk about flow...Cindy C. Bennett's writing is addictive and all-consuming and emotionally gripping. And she ALWAYS makes me cry.
I initially gave Geek Girl four stars, but as I re-read it now that it's been published, I'm upping it to five. Out of everything I've read this year, this is one of those stories that has just stayed with me. I can't tell you how many times this year that I've stared at all the books on my iPad and opened Geek Girl back up to read some favorite passages again. These isn't anything too earth shattering here, but I've had a hard time saying goodbye to these characters. Cindy's characters always breathe. Her heroines are fierce yet symphatic. They speak of the attrocities of their lives with such raw honesty that you can't help but cheer for them to get their happy ending. And let me tell you, Cindy knows how to write the White Knight.
This book has only gotten better with time. I can't wait to see more from Cindy C. Bennett. Her book Heart on a Chain is another indie gem, and I'd love for it to see publication (hint, hint!).
I initially gave Geek Girl four stars, but as I re-read it now that it's been published, I'm upping it to five. Out of everything I've read this year, this is one of those stories that has just stayed with me. I can't tell you how many times this year that I've stared at all the books on my iPad and opened Geek Girl back up to read some favorite passages again. These isn't anything too earth shattering here, but I've had a hard time saying goodbye to these characters. Cindy's characters always breathe. Her heroines are fierce yet symphatic. They speak of the attrocities of their lives with such raw honesty that you can't help but cheer for them to get their happy ending. And let me tell you, Cindy knows how to write the White Knight.
This book has only gotten better with time. I can't wait to see more from Cindy C. Bennett. Her book Heart on a Chain is another indie gem, and I'd love for it to see publication (hint, hint!).
February 6, 2017
Una de mis mejores lecturas en lo que va del año.
Estoy muy sorprendida de que este libro haya sido así de bueno, no le tenía mucha fe.
Lo empecé porque Cindy Bennett no me había decepcionado con Heart On A Chain, entonces decidí confiar en la autora una vez más, por más que la sinopsis de Geek Girl no me parecía tan interesante. Y finalmente, Bennett no me decepciono.
Real que es una historia muy hermosa. A medida que pasan las páginas el libro mejora y mejora, en ningún momento empeora o se pone aburrido o lo que sea. Los personajes son geniales, cada uno de ellos. Me encariñé con la mayoría. Todos muestran una evolución personal a lo largo de la historia que es muy lindo ver cómo va sucediendo, es lindo comparar cómo empezaron siendo los personajes y cómo terminan, todos cambian para bien, todo en la historia cambia para bien. El cambio más rotundo se da en nuestra protagonista, Jen. Es un personaje re inusual, teniendo en cuenta la mayoría de los libros Young Adult, y es súper interesante (lean el libro y me van a entender, yo no quiero adelantar nada jajaj).
No tengo demasiado para decir... Geek Girl es un libro hermoso, con una linda trama, lindos personajes, una autora genial. Leanlo, les prometo que no se van a arrepentir.
Estoy muy sorprendida de que este libro haya sido así de bueno, no le tenía mucha fe.
Lo empecé porque Cindy Bennett no me había decepcionado con Heart On A Chain, entonces decidí confiar en la autora una vez más, por más que la sinopsis de Geek Girl no me parecía tan interesante. Y finalmente, Bennett no me decepciono.
Real que es una historia muy hermosa. A medida que pasan las páginas el libro mejora y mejora, en ningún momento empeora o se pone aburrido o lo que sea. Los personajes son geniales, cada uno de ellos. Me encariñé con la mayoría. Todos muestran una evolución personal a lo largo de la historia que es muy lindo ver cómo va sucediendo, es lindo comparar cómo empezaron siendo los personajes y cómo terminan, todos cambian para bien, todo en la historia cambia para bien. El cambio más rotundo se da en nuestra protagonista, Jen. Es un personaje re inusual, teniendo en cuenta la mayoría de los libros Young Adult, y es súper interesante (lean el libro y me van a entender, yo no quiero adelantar nada jajaj).
No tengo demasiado para decir... Geek Girl es un libro hermoso, con una linda trama, lindos personajes, una autora genial. Leanlo, les prometo que no se van a arrepentir.
April 15, 2015
I was quite skeptical when I started this book, unsure if I was going to like it. Turns out...LOVED IT.
August 19, 2016
Bet you will like this book!
Jen, Goth girl, bets her fellow Goth'ers she can turn straight-laced, nerdy boy Trevor…I mean Trev, bad. The prize for winning? A lip piercing paid for by her buddies.
Trev is surprised by Jen's new found fascination of him. He has reservations about her motive, but he is just too nerdy to think this Goth girl has dishonorable intentions.
And so the fun begins.
Ms. Bennett has a gift. Geek Girl is fun, witty, enchanting, and wonderful. I laughed, nodded in agreement, and cried as I devoured each page. When it was done, I felt sad, as if I'd lost a friend. I will definitely be rereading it…Oh wait, I already did! Yes, it is that good.
Ms. Bennett's clever use of nicknames moves the story along and provides a visual without endless pages of description some authors put you though. Example: One character is dubbed: "Mrs. Brady/ Cleaver," by Ms. Bennett, and you know EXACTLY what this woman is like by those three little words. Love it. There's The Dorks, The Mouse, The Fosters (her foster parents…I'll talk about that in a minute), and many more.
Each character is well developed and interesting. No frivolous characters or fillers here, just pure story. I fell in love with Trev. He is sweet, funny and completely nerdy; who doesn't love a good nerd.
And Jen, with her attitude, and Goth hair and makeup. My heart bled for this poor girl. Thanks to her nefarious father and equally horrible mother, Jen is forced into foster care. It doesn't take long for her to become jaded by the broken government system. What I really appreciate about Geek Girl is that the author didn't take pot-shots at foster parents. As a former foster parent myself, there are a lot of wonderful people trying to make a difference in the lives of these kids that are labeled as "Throw away." It is refreshing to see the good side of foster care exposed.
I loved being inside the head of Jen. Her sarcasm is hilarious. Despite her resistance, we watch Jen rise to the top like cream as love invades her soul and as she begins to see the world in a new light.
My favorite part is when The Fosters… Hmm, maybe I should let you discover that for yourself!
I do have ONE COMPLAINT about Geek Girl: Why did it have to end?
I was given an advanced read copy by the publisher in return for a fair, honest review. It did not impede my judgment in any way. Please, my integrity is worth far more than a free copy of a paperback book. Now, if chocolate were to be offered, all bets are off ;}}
Author Cindy Bennett's Website: www.cindycbennett.com
Cindy's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorcind...
Jen, Goth girl, bets her fellow Goth'ers she can turn straight-laced, nerdy boy Trevor…I mean Trev, bad. The prize for winning? A lip piercing paid for by her buddies.
Trev is surprised by Jen's new found fascination of him. He has reservations about her motive, but he is just too nerdy to think this Goth girl has dishonorable intentions.
And so the fun begins.
Ms. Bennett has a gift. Geek Girl is fun, witty, enchanting, and wonderful. I laughed, nodded in agreement, and cried as I devoured each page. When it was done, I felt sad, as if I'd lost a friend. I will definitely be rereading it…Oh wait, I already did! Yes, it is that good.
Ms. Bennett's clever use of nicknames moves the story along and provides a visual without endless pages of description some authors put you though. Example: One character is dubbed: "Mrs. Brady/ Cleaver," by Ms. Bennett, and you know EXACTLY what this woman is like by those three little words. Love it. There's The Dorks, The Mouse, The Fosters (her foster parents…I'll talk about that in a minute), and many more.
Each character is well developed and interesting. No frivolous characters or fillers here, just pure story. I fell in love with Trev. He is sweet, funny and completely nerdy; who doesn't love a good nerd.
And Jen, with her attitude, and Goth hair and makeup. My heart bled for this poor girl. Thanks to her nefarious father and equally horrible mother, Jen is forced into foster care. It doesn't take long for her to become jaded by the broken government system. What I really appreciate about Geek Girl is that the author didn't take pot-shots at foster parents. As a former foster parent myself, there are a lot of wonderful people trying to make a difference in the lives of these kids that are labeled as "Throw away." It is refreshing to see the good side of foster care exposed.
I loved being inside the head of Jen. Her sarcasm is hilarious. Despite her resistance, we watch Jen rise to the top like cream as love invades her soul and as she begins to see the world in a new light.
My favorite part is when The Fosters… Hmm, maybe I should let you discover that for yourself!
I do have ONE COMPLAINT about Geek Girl: Why did it have to end?
I was given an advanced read copy by the publisher in return for a fair, honest review. It did not impede my judgment in any way. Please, my integrity is worth far more than a free copy of a paperback book. Now, if chocolate were to be offered, all bets are off ;}}
Author Cindy Bennett's Website: www.cindycbennett.com
Cindy's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorcind...
April 9, 2017
No estoy segura de cómo me siento en este instante... Creo que ¿decepcionada? ¿Desilusionada? Pero no por el libro sino porque terminó!!!!
Estoy desilusionada porque es TAN CORTO! Hubiera querido poder leerlo para siempre!
Lo amé y todo el mundo TIENE QUE leerlo! (sí, puede que esté exagerado un poco, pero poquito).
Es uno de los libros MÁS TIERNOS QUE LEÍ EN MI VIDA! No es empalagoso sin embargo pero es que los dos son tan, TAN queribles.
No hay forma de no encariñarse con ellos. Los adoré desde el primer momento.
Tervor es simplemente DEMASIADO BUENO, pero no demasiado bueno como "ay sí, soy re perfecto y hago todo bien y tengo la respuesta a todos los problemas de la humanidad" NO, él es simplemente bueno porque es así, sin darse cuenta, es inocentemente bueno y eso hace que sea imposible no AMARLO.
Jen por otro lado es... complicada. Pero toda su vida fue tan horrible que también es imposible no comprenderla y estar de su lado siempre porque NO es mala, en realidad es buena solo que ella misma no quiere aceptarlo y es súper tierno ver como va evolucionando y redescubriéndose a sí misma.
Las familias de ellos tambien me gustaron y las relaciones que se mantienen con ellos y con sus amigos... Hasta con los que resultan no serlo porque me parecieron totalmente comprensibles y nada forzadas y simplemente geniales y amo todo.
Lo siento si estoy un poco (demasiado) emocionada con esto y no puedo verle nada que criticarle como negativo (supongo que pudo haber algo en algún momento, además del hecho de que quería que nunca termine y terminó, bueno) pero no lo recuerdo o no existe. Lo cierto es que NO NE IMPORTA Y LO AMO.
Es una historia súper tierna, con protagonistas que es imposible no AMAR (y eso que mi corazón es una caja de cartón vacía) y con personajes secundarios muy, muy agradables (la mayoría al menos).
No puedo más que recomendarlo porque a estas alturas es obvio que padezco algo así como un fuerte enamoramiento con este libro y para mí es un 10/5 y le daría más también porque me emocioné, me angustié y sufrí con la protagonista y en serio NO podía NO ESTAR de su lado todo el tiempo a pesar de que no hizo las cosas del todo bien al principio.
En fin, léanlo si quieren conocer la TERNURA en forma de libro (jaja sí ya se que exagero un poco, pero igual, es lo que siento y ¿Quién soy yo para ir contra el AMOR?)
Estoy desilusionada porque es TAN CORTO! Hubiera querido poder leerlo para siempre!
Lo amé y todo el mundo TIENE QUE leerlo! (sí, puede que esté exagerado un poco, pero poquito).
Es uno de los libros MÁS TIERNOS QUE LEÍ EN MI VIDA! No es empalagoso sin embargo pero es que los dos son tan, TAN queribles.
No hay forma de no encariñarse con ellos. Los adoré desde el primer momento.
Tervor es simplemente DEMASIADO BUENO, pero no demasiado bueno como "ay sí, soy re perfecto y hago todo bien y tengo la respuesta a todos los problemas de la humanidad" NO, él es simplemente bueno porque es así, sin darse cuenta, es inocentemente bueno y eso hace que sea imposible no AMARLO.
Jen por otro lado es... complicada. Pero toda su vida fue tan horrible que también es imposible no comprenderla y estar de su lado siempre porque NO es mala, en realidad es buena solo que ella misma no quiere aceptarlo y es súper tierno ver como va evolucionando y redescubriéndose a sí misma.
Las familias de ellos tambien me gustaron y las relaciones que se mantienen con ellos y con sus amigos... Hasta con los que resultan no serlo porque me parecieron totalmente comprensibles y nada forzadas y simplemente geniales y amo todo.
Lo siento si estoy un poco (demasiado) emocionada con esto y no puedo verle nada que criticarle como negativo (supongo que pudo haber algo en algún momento, además del hecho de que quería que nunca termine y terminó, bueno) pero no lo recuerdo o no existe. Lo cierto es que NO NE IMPORTA Y LO AMO.
Es una historia súper tierna, con protagonistas que es imposible no AMAR (y eso que mi corazón es una caja de cartón vacía) y con personajes secundarios muy, muy agradables (la mayoría al menos).
No puedo más que recomendarlo porque a estas alturas es obvio que padezco algo así como un fuerte enamoramiento con este libro y para mí es un 10/5 y le daría más también porque me emocioné, me angustié y sufrí con la protagonista y en serio NO podía NO ESTAR de su lado todo el tiempo a pesar de que no hizo las cosas del todo bien al principio.
En fin, léanlo si quieren conocer la TERNURA en forma de libro (jaja sí ya se que exagero un poco, pero igual, es lo que siento y ¿Quién soy yo para ir contra el AMOR?)
August 16, 2012
I highly recommend Geek Girl.
*****
Well, this was unexpected, me super liking Geek Girl. I didn't care if it was predictable. All that mattered to me was that i'm two chapters in, and i am swooning with delight over Jen and Trevor! All throughout the book, i was smiling and gushing. *happy sigh* Kinda nice to read a book with little sexual innuendos and more gush factor, yes? I'm swept away. :)
The bet was no more than something to past the time for Jen before she busts her way out (again) from her current foster family. Little by little, she spends more of her time with Trevor and his family and friends. She's unconsciously blowing her friends off to spend weekends with Trev - to bowl, to watch geeky sci-fi movies, or to just plain jump on the trampoline in Trev's backyard.
Jen was alright, but Trevor... wow. The unflinching honesty and unnecessary kindness he had toward Jen were adorable. And my, he was sweet! Swoon from a nerd like Trevor? Never! But i'm eating my words, because even I, like Jen, couldn't help myself from loving Trevor.
I really like Brian. And Jane. and Jen's foster family. You might think everything turned out perfectly for Jen in the end. But i say, why not? She deserves a happy ending after the cruelty of her past.
*beams* Geek Girl is a cute, sweet, and swoon-inducing book! One that made me stay awake in the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. :)
Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort for granting my galley request.
*****
Well, this was unexpected, me super liking Geek Girl. I didn't care if it was predictable. All that mattered to me was that i'm two chapters in, and i am swooning with delight over Jen and Trevor! All throughout the book, i was smiling and gushing. *happy sigh* Kinda nice to read a book with little sexual innuendos and more gush factor, yes? I'm swept away. :)
The bet was no more than something to past the time for Jen before she busts her way out (again) from her current foster family. Little by little, she spends more of her time with Trevor and his family and friends. She's unconsciously blowing her friends off to spend weekends with Trev - to bowl, to watch geeky sci-fi movies, or to just plain jump on the trampoline in Trev's backyard.
Jen was alright, but Trevor... wow. The unflinching honesty and unnecessary kindness he had toward Jen were adorable. And my, he was sweet! Swoon from a nerd like Trevor? Never! But i'm eating my words, because even I, like Jen, couldn't help myself from loving Trevor.
I really like Brian. And Jane. and Jen's foster family. You might think everything turned out perfectly for Jen in the end. But i say, why not? She deserves a happy ending after the cruelty of her past.
*beams* Geek Girl is a cute, sweet, and swoon-inducing book! One that made me stay awake in the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. :)
Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort for granting my galley request.
October 10, 2011
This is one of those books that I liked until about 2/3rd through. Bad girl Jen makes a bet that she can turn good boy Trevor bad. Her reward: she'll get her lip re-pierced which she assumes will be the last straw for her current foster parents. The seduction of Trevor is predictable - he does fall for her, and she falls for him, but the time taken with their developing relationship is well spent. There's a particularly memorable camping scene. It fell apart for me when Jen had changed so much to accommodate him, and he was not required to do as much in return. The division between "good" and "bad" was just too stark. Aside from changing his clothing style from completely buttoned up shirts to t-shirts and Henleys (?), he doesn't have to go as far as she does. Then there's the annoying bit about destiny and Trevor being "The One" for Jen. Then there's the talk at the end about their eventual marriage and children. Come on . . . they're teenagers after all!
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