If you’re on instagram like me, I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde floating around. It’s been listed on many ‘most anticipate’ and ‘must have’ lists from both readers and publishers. So, of course I had to pick it up when I was at Barnes and Noble the other day. All I knew about it was that it was supposed to be very diverse and very fangirl. I read it in less than three hours. It’s not a long book, but still. That’s quick. I loved it! And here’s why!
Characters-
Charlie
Charlie is so cute. She’s Chinese Australian and has pink hair. What’s not to love? She’s also a youtube sensation and a budding actress. Charlie is an extrovert to the max, but she’s also been burned. She entered the film industry naive and excited, and ended up in a nasty breakup with a costar. She comes to the convention excited to meet new people and have fun.
Jamie
Jamie is such a sweetie. He’s nerdy in a slightly different way. Jamie is more interested in comics than the girls, but he still enjoys books and shows. He also has an adorable crush on Taylor. I also liked how supportive he was of Taylor. He couldn’t read her mind, but he was caring and supportive of her, especially when he could tell she was having an anxiety attack or even just feeling stressed.
Taylor
Taylor was the character I most connected with in Queens of Geek. She has a few mental struggles, including depression and anxiety. I loved reading her sections because she felt so real. Like when Jamie suggests that she enter a cosplay contest, she’s absolutely terrified. She initially says no, but eventually is able to do it. She doesn’t win, she has a panic attack but I loved it! Because I could relate to locking yourself in a bathroom stall trying to breath at the idea of going out on stage. She also has a huge crush on Jamie, but is worried about what it could do to their friendship, which also felt so real.
Setting-
Queens of Geek is set at the con and the hotel and that’s pretty much it. Having the whole book set at a con was fun. I appreciated the reality of it. Early in the book Jamie and Taylor are in line for something for five hours. I remember going to SLC comic con and being in line for photos with Matt Smith, Billie Piper, and Karen Gillan for 2 1/2 hours and I knew people who’d waited in line longer for the Harry Potter group. I also liked that she mentioned things like them going to a diner for cheaper food, and crashing at the hotel after dinner because they’re exhausted. She accurately described the crowds and booths as well, which made for a setting I could easily picture.
Plot-
The plot was a little fantastical, but not in a bad way. Queens of Geek is what people dream of when going to a convention. Most people aren’t going to find true love at a convention, but the idea of it is just so romantic! So, I didn’t mind that part being a bit unrealistic. Jen Wilde kept her characters very realistic, which made it easy to just accept the plot, even for it’s fantastic elements.
Writing-
This was the one place the book fell a bit short. The writing felt a bit immature, but I’m not sure if that was intentional on the part of the author to make it sound more like the characters are actually doing the talking? I’m not sure. It wasn’t bad enough to bother me or distract me, but it wasn’t fantastic.
Overall-
This book is amazing. I definitely recommend it to any type of fangirl or fanboy. The three main characters are so different in their nerdiness that it’s easy to relate to at least one of them. Plus, its got a lot of feel good moments. So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!
Have you read it yet? What did you think??