Friday 27 September 2013

Geek Girl: Model Misfit - Holly Smale


Pages: 387
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: 26th September 2013
Edition: UK paperback, review copy

Other Titles in this Series: Geek Girl

Harriet Manners knows a lot of facts.

- Humans have 700, 000 thoughts per day.

- Caterpillars have 4,000 muscles.

- The average person eats a ton of food per year.

- Being a Geek + Model = a whole new set of graffiti on your belongings.

But clearly she knows nothing about boys. And on a whirlwind modelling trip to Tokyo, Harriet would trade in everything she’s ever learnt for just the faintest idea of what she’s supposed to do next...

Oh, I do love this series. And Harriet. And the whole Manners family. And Toby. I just loved Model Misfit, okay!

I fell in love with Harriet’s geeky tendencies once again; they’re just what appeals to me in a person. Bullet-point lists, obscure facts, social anxiety, clumsiness and a magnet for trouble: Harriet has it all. I love her. There were a few moments early on in the novel where her childish-ness niggled me slightly, but I soon got over it because everything else about her is just so endearing and relatable. I completely understood her feelings of being pushed out and replaced by the impending arrival of the new baby, her crazy reactions to Nick and her struggle to make friends.

Model Misfit took Harriet to Tokyo and a flat with two other models. I immediately feel in love with Rin. Her mangled interpretation of English, her physical impersonation of a Manga character and her strange approach to friendship; she’s adorable. Her love for Australia is also a nice, unusual addition; England or America is usually the obsession!I think she’s someone that Harriet desperately needs in her life and I really, really hope she makes further appearances in future books in the series. Poppy, however, nope. The modelling world really doesn’t seem that great. Constantly being surrounded by achingly beautiful girls would be very bad for my health...

Holly Smale sent my emotions all over the place.  I lost count of the number of times I snorted with laughter and repeated particularly funny things to my cat (shh, you do it too). My heart ached for Harriet when things when wrong, I got angry on her behalf and then I finished Model Misfit with smiley heart.

Harriet and her madcap adventures have captured my heart and I’m already excited for book three. Holly Smale has a winner on her hands here.


Thanks to Harper Collins for the review copy!

Sophie

2 comments:

  1. I love Harriet so much! She is so funny and annoying and so very sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So glad you enjoyed it, Sophie! I'm reading it at the moment and have fallen in love with the world- and Harriet- all over again. There's just something so magical about it.

    Great review!

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