Geek Girl - Model Misfit : Book Review

Book Review: Geek Girl: Model Misfit by Holly Smale

The one book so far that didn’t hit the mark!

Recently, I’ve gone on this fun and chaotic journey of judging books purely by its covers… no synopsis, no reviews, just vibes. I haul them by the kilo from our local used book seller, and surprisingly, I’ve been loving most of my picks. It’s been a little over a month and I’ve finished seven books already! But among those, Model Misfits was the first that didn’t quite impress me.

Now, in its defense, I didn’t realize this was a book for early teens. Had I known, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. Harriet, the main character, is clumsy, awkward and full of inner monologue - which I think a lot of young readers would relate to, especially during that beautifully weird in-between phase of adolescence.

But as a 40-year-old reader, I just couldn’t get past certain things. First, I had a hard time accepting how Harriet’s grandma Bunty and Wilbur (with a bur) could allow a 15-year-old to navigate an unfamiliar country and take a major modeling gig with zero support. Not to mention Toby’s stalking behavior.

That said, I will say this: it was fast-paced and an easy read. If life hadn’t been so hectic lately, I could’ve finished it in a single sitting.

Would I recommend it? Yes.. but only to its intended audience. Perfect for tweens and early teens looking for something light, funny and relatable. But for grown-up readers like me? Not quite.