GEEK GIRL by Cindy C. Bennett

Confession time: I don't know if you've noticed, but as much as I like reading about kick-a** heroines and rough, take-no-prisoners type heroes, I'm kinda…well…a geek.  Yeah, I said it.  Ninjas are people, too, and if it wasn't obvious by the manga-style avatar, well I'm saying it straight up.

I AM A GEEK.

Phew, glad I got that out of the way.  I've only read one other book provided by NetGalley, but that one was fantastic, so I decided to request my second book.  Part of the reason I was drawn to Geek Girl by Cindy Bennett was the title.  The other part was the plot, which I simply couldn't resist.

A Goth, a geek, and a bet to turn a good boy "bad."  What could possibly go wrong?

Jen's clothes are too tight, her skirts too short, her heavy make-up just this side of slutty.  Life's gotten stale for the tough-talking Goth, and she's in desperate need of a challenge.  Trevor may not be hot, but he's okay…for a geek.   When she makes a bet with her friends to turn the good boy "bad," Jen has no doubts about her ability to bring him over to the dark side.  But the more she hangs out with the geek, the more she likes him.  And falling for Trevor and his spazzy ways was definitely not part of the plan.

I couldn't help but like Jen.  In the beginning, she's a total manipulator, intent on seducing Trevor for fun, laughing about it with her friends, throwing herself at him at every opportunity.  But instead of coming off as cruel or hard-hearted, she simply seemed flawed.  After being tossed from family to family, Jen made a choice: Leave them before they can leave her.  Her snarky attitude and bad behavior were her way of taking control of her life.  Despite her appearance, Jen wears her Goth clothes like armor.  If she doesn't let herself get attached, then she can't get hurt.

But despite her best efforts, Trevor makes his way past her defenses and into her heart.  There was no way Jen couldn't fall for Trevor.  His honesty and fearlessness to be his SciFi-loving self were refreshing.  There's no way any fan of YA romance will be able to resist Trevor and Jen's unconventional yet beautiful relationship.  The pairing of the Geek and the Goth was fun and heartbreaking at times, but it was completely unique.

I loved how the two characters rubbed off on each other.  I loved how both Jen and Trevor were brave in different ways.  They gave each other permission to be themselves.  The focus not just on romance but on family and character development reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Scott's writing, and that is one of the highest compliments I can give.

I'm so glad to see Geek Girl is being re-released in paperback (with this freaking amazing cover) b/c although I got the galley, I'd really like to own the book.  If you like Elizabeth Scott, you are sure to love this book.  Geek Girl went beyond my expectations, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for Bennett's next one J

Happy reading all,

Ninja Girl