Caragh Reviews // Head Over Heels (Geek Girl #5) by Holly Smale

Published - (Expected) 7th April 2016
Publisher - HarperCollins
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - Harriet Manners knows almost every fact there is.
She knows duck-billed platypuses don’t have stomachs.
She knows that fourteen squirrels were once detained as spies.
She knows only one flag in the world features a building.
And for once, Harriet knows exactly how her life should go. She’s got it ALL planned out. So when love is in the air, Harriet is determined to Make Things Happen! If only everyone else would stick to the script…Has GEEK GIRL overstepped the mark, and is following the rules going to break hearts all over again?

Geek Girl! Harriet Manners! Holly Smale! <3
There are few things that get me as excited as the above three things. Since Day 1 I've been spreading the love for this series. It's so delightfully perfect and has the right amount of, well, everything! 

This time around, Harriet has a growing friendship group and I LOVED it. When I first started reading, I was a little bit worried that there wouldn't be enough Toby and that it would be a more widespread read rather than focused on Harriet but I was happily wrong, as always :)  Team JINTH has it's so lovingly referred to only made me love Harriet even more. I'll be the first to admit that whilst Harriet is highly intelligent, she's rather self absorbed. Harriet's rules, Harriet's plans...Harriet Harriet Harriet. But that's also one of the many reasons why I love her. In Head over Heels though, she learns a lot of lessons. She is growing up and taking responsibility for her actions....eventually anyway. 

Another of my absolutely favourite bits of the whole Geek Girl Series is of course the travelling. I'm not a big traveller, for various reasons, but in my heart I am seething with jealousy as I would love the opportunity. Through Harriet I get to experience a little bit of the world. This time it's no different and the scene is just beautiful - we get to see the real Harriet which is always a treat!

One more thing I wanted to comment on before I go, and that's Lion Boy. I really, truly, can't comment on what's going on during this book for fear of being lynched - but I will say that I am in the minority when it comes to this book! I absolutely adore him and always have. I've just got a feeling about one of the newer faces in this book and I can't say I wouldn't be happy.... ;)

Being the 5th book in the series, it's really difficult to find the words to write a lengthy review. I don't want to give anything away! Harriet has become such a big part of our lives, it would be as disastrous as a Modelling Shoot to spoil it. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to watch Harriet grow up and live her life. I'm really not sure what i'm going to do when her story has been told for good. Other than keep re-reading it of course :)

Review // Geek Girl - Holly Smale (ARC)

Published - EXPECTED 28th February 2013
Publisher - Harper Collins

Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 
As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 
And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Geek Girl by Holly Smale was exactly what I was expecting - which is a good thing. It was fresh, easy to love characters and a storyline that not only flows well but fast - hard to put down. Harriet is the kind of character that everyone can relate to in some way, whether you're also a geek, or you like fashion, whether you strive for popularity or even just to go unnoticed. It's all there.

There are plenty of morals in Geek Girl that are staring you in the face but not so much that you constantly feel like anything is being thrown at you. You take it, and move on - hopefully a little wiser! I particularly liked all of the little facts that Harriet shares as no matter what happens in the book, she is always true to the reader.

I did find the book was aimed at a younger audience than me even though I adore YA. It's the kind of book that my almost-teen nieces would devour but I *did* enjoy it all the same. More importantly, it made me realise that there is so much good YA set in Britain by British authors that I just don't come across. The fact that this is based somewhat on Smale's own experiences with geekdom and modelling adds that extra level to the novel. If you like quick, good, YA British reads then this one is for you.