Model Misfit

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.

With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.

Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.

Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?

My opinion: I first became acquainted with the Geek Girl series and Harriet Manners a few months ago when I read the first book. Harriet became my hero at this point, and I couldn't wait to read more about her adventures!

The second book in the series, Model Misfit, does not disappoint. It's six months later and Harriet is still modelling, her stepmother is heavily pregnant and even more importantly, she is still a geek! Not much seems to have changed in Harriet's life, apart from the graffiti on her bag becoming more creative. We join Harriet on the day of her last exam. Which she manages to turn up to painted gold and wearing a shredded sweatshirt following a modelling shoot. See, totally normal!

I love that Harriet hasn't become any more refined or less clumsy despite her new status as a teen model. She is still as accident prone as ever, and when reading her adventures you are guaranteed that hilarity will ensue! And this time, Harriet's adventures take us across the world to Japan for a shoot with Yuka. She shares an apartment out there with two other models, including Japanese girl Rin, who is one of the funniest characters I have come across for a while! Rin is obsessed with all things Australian and is trying to learn English. That's when she's not dressing up her cat, Kylie Minogue, in clothes to match her own Harajuku fashions!

And we can't forget Lion Boy. He is very much a feature in this book even if it's not in the fairytale fashion I think we would all like yo read about. You will have to read the book to find out how it turns out though! Harriet's eccentric grandmother Bunty also makes an appearance in this book and I hope we see more of her in the next book in the series.

As I'm sure you can tell from all of my gushing, I really enjoyed this book. I read it in 3 sittings as I just couldn't get enough of it. It would have been fewer if I hadn't had to get up for work the next day! I believe that the Geek Girl series is due to be a trilogy, but I really hope that Holly a Smale can write us more Geek Girl stories than that. I really don't want to think that the next book might be the last!

A fantastic series from a British YA writer. And Harriet is definitely a better role model for girls than many others I can think of (*coughs*...Miley Cyrus...) and you should all go and buy it and stay up all night to read it!!

My rating: A fabulous five stars!

I received an advance copy of Model Misfit from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This copy kept me going until the paperback I had preordered arrived :-)