THE MAIN SCOOP Queens of Geek is a cute, quick, relatable read with a nerdy flair. It deals with diverse characters and serious topics - including relationship issues, mental health, and the impacts of media. WHAT’S IT ABOUT The YA novel is narrated by two characters - Charlie and Taylor (both girls, despite the gender-neutral names). Charlie is an actress and popular Youtube star, who is attending SupaCon to promote her new zombie film The Rising. The exciting part of this? She gets to go with her two best friends - Taylor and Jamie - and potentially meet her famous idol and long-time crush, Alyssa Huntington. The downside? Charlie just went through a very public breakup with her The Rising co-star, Reese Ryan. Despite their hugely unhealthy relationship, the fans are still shipping Charlie and Reese together. Taylor is a girl afraid of change. She runs a Tumblr blog dedicated to her favorite book series, starring Queen Firestone, and is hoping that SupaCon will give her the chance to meet the author - before Taylor and her friends leave Australia to move to L.A. for college. This is a huge deal for Taylor, who has social anxiety and a lot of insecurities, but her hopes for the con and the support of her friends get her through it… Though, when it comes to Jamie, she might see him as more than a friend... THE PERKS Queens of Geek has great diversity. Charlie is an Asian Australian bisexual girl, who is dealing with the after effects of getting out of an abusive/unhealthy relationship. Taylor is a body-positive girl with autism, who gets panic attacks. As someone who’s had experiences - and known people who have had experiences - in some of those areas, how the author dealt with these topics felt realistic and relatable. There also is a unique theme of media present throughout the novel. From Taylor’s Tumblr account, to fandoms, to the importance of representation in media, to Charlie’s public breakup and what it’s like to have everyone criticizing your life… It brings up great food for thought. THE CONS Parts of the story felt awkward and rushed. You don’t get to know certain characters - such as Alyssa - as well as I think is necessary for the story to have it’s full impact. The ending also felt a bit too perfect, to me. FINAL THOUGHTS Queens of Geek is a nice little novel for people looking for a quick read. If you relate to some of the representation in this book, it could be worth a read. If you like nerdy fun and happy endings, it could be worth a read (though I’d recommend Ready Player One over this, for a nerdy read). If you want a book to pass some time, it could be worth a read. It was enjoyable - but not hugely memorable. There’s only so much to be done with a novel set over the course of only a weekend though.