Geek Girl

To start with, it's not any random story, it's not even only a book series adaption, it's based on the author's real experiences as geek discovered as model. I really love all six book installments, including the three specials, it's my favorite book series.

I only got access to Netflix to watch this adaption. It's here only based on book 1, a book I know by heart. But they also used some ideas and characters from all later installments.

It's definitely aimed for a young audience, reminding me of my favorite teen romance comedy movies, such like Monte Carlo, Never been kissed or Cinderella Story. It's definitely a Cinderella Story, a fashion fairy tale. Harriet's journey to try to make her life better, with some unexpected magic from a "fashion fairy godmother", a beautiful dress, a prince Charming, but still on a journey to discover herself and to love herself. Somehow this adaption feels in comparison to the book like the Disney Cinderella live action remake in comparison to the 1950 animated movie. There's more complexity, more drama, more romance, yet, to be honest, it's definitely not literally the book (I understand some changes, some less...). For fans, there are lovely references and it's so nice that Holly Smale, the original novel author, was co-author of this series, Certainly, the book was not easily to be turned to movie, much with inner reflection, here seen as a kind of voiceover.

Of course, it's a fairy tale and sometimes we all need fairy tales, and so you should have not wrong expectations from the show.

The Netflix series manages to be as hilarious, joyful, positive and manages to illustrate some key ideas, yet, they put a bit too much "Disney magic" and "Cinderella Story" in the "ugly duckling" transformation story, whereas the book series is more private and cozy than dazzling, more bittersweet than saccharine, more edgy than smooth, more thoughtful and quiet than spectacular, more thoughtful and hitting emotionally harder (such like a Maleficent/Scar level villian school bullyAlexa had downgraded to a wicked stepsister vibes Lexie). Such like I also feel with the mentioned Disney live action remake adaption vs original one. Somehow the book series is more quirky, with Harriet being bubbly or sometimes more grumpy etc.. Some ideas can perhaps better to grab as presented here casually on screen...but even if if feels like Einstein hired as elementary school teacher, this is a joyful, feel-good introduction, but of course, not thr full genius.

It has good message to empower but unfortunately the world shown is totally unrealistic. It's a feel good show and as one, is making it's purpose.

But also it's giving young people totally unrealistic views: that world turns around them and people in work will make sacrifices for you and wait for your better moods and chase you, etc. Also modelling world, which is ruthless, here is shown as cotton and candies. Problems shown here are nothing in comparison to real world. Also word Geek stopped being stygmatized for a long time now and most young people want to be called like that. It's a pride thing. It means that you're smarter than others.

Characters are likeable, production is pretty, but there are too many cliches for 2024. It's like a bad Cinderella story.

Also, everything is much too improbable, it's too far from real life. I don't think this is doing teenagers any good.

Also, they throw in some jokes but they're not funny enough to laugh about. So it's a little cringe (and I know that saying "cringe" is cringe haha).

It's better to see Heartstopper also on Netflix where a popular guy and a geek boy fall in love, same story but the difference is that the latter is good.

So for me this show is unfortunately a miss.

6 out of 10 just because England is beautiful.

Wow! I've read a few of the low rating reviews, and wow! One I'd like to reflect on, was a comment about Hollywood is the benchmark and this that came out of Britain (though I believe a lot of Canadian support) is falling so far behind, is that; recently Hollywood has been failing massively at the box office and on a lot of streaming sites (the House of Mouse especially). Thankfully this was quite a bit removed from Hollywood.

This was more like a fun, harmless, with some positive messaging not forced down your throat or smacked over your head. It was innocent, yes done before, escape into not really much reality, but that's why I watch things like this. Not for "reality" because I live that, and it sucks greatly. I watch things like this to escape and just have some moments of innocent fun.

Sure there are moments that aren't real, except for the bullying in school of academic superiority over popularity, the vacuous moronicness of the obsession over famous people and the whole social media culture, and the bullying of people who seem to do better than you, because you are too self obsessed and portentous. Sure, it is very perfect daydreamy, but that's why it's fun and an escape.

I loved all the characters, and they were all well acted. Some took longer to warm to, but the 3 of Harriet, Tobes, and Nat were excellent, as were the parents. Wilbur, Betty, Nick, and Yuji took longer to warm to, as did those who were out to get Harriet, but hey, we aren't meant to like them (and I truly have a deep hatred of bullies)

Some have said there is no way anyone nowadays would be as social awkward as Harriet, I'd disagree. Some have said anyone who looked like her at high school would have guys buzzing around her. I disagree, if she is known as a complete, total, clumsy, hopeless, "geek" then yeah, most vacuous moronic self-obsessed high school boys would avoid her like the plague, no matter how she looks. "Geekness" and "nerdness" is catching and if you hang around it, you are tainted by the same view. I wish I was stronger and stood with those kinds of people sooner in my high school life (I may not have wasted 2 years of my life trying to fit in with vacuous morons.) I also saw a low review commenting on how she isn't a "geek" but a "nerd"! Who cares?! If you are so desperate to ram a wedge between those two groups, my god society is doomed and we are so far down the rabbit hole I don't know if I can even comprehend existence anymore!

Another said that it seems like they want to make Harriet out to be "on the spectrum" but never really defined it.....seriously! Everyone is somewhere on one of the many "spectrums" that are now tossed about, and I personally loved the fact that that aspect wasn't pushed, because not everyone goes around ticking as many boxes as they can to "define themselves", a lot of people live their lives, with quirks and hang ups without "boxing" themselves. It's ok to have quirks and hang ups, they don't define you! Having it more open, especially with Harriet and Toby, as well as to a degree Wilbur, Nick, Betty, and even Yuji, means that more people can relate in some ways and so it reaches and touches them more. So much more than sticking characters in boxes! As that limits relating to them only if you see yourself in that "box"! I hate how life in the West has become a DnD character sheet (though worse) with all the boxes to define who you are. I'm just me. Quirks and hang ups and all, and this show tells me "that's ok".

I've now written too much, and no one will ever read this because it's too long.

I give it 9 which about 15 years ago may only have been a 7, because I'm tired of the modern forced messages that are so common in most modern screenings (especially those from Hollywood!)

Geeky clumsy shy english teen's unexpected journey onto the catwalk and adulthood.

A well produced, neatly scripted, well cast, 10 part TV series, paced to keep you engaged, not over complicated or unexpected, done with heart and charm. Few characters and most villains are slightly charicatured under developed, but that keeps the focus on a few nicer central people. It borrows the Bridget Jones technique of internal monologue but does it gently, for a PG12 audience.

Simple, nice, fun; the angst and self doubt is done kindly, the necessary flirting done gently.

I enjoyed this, was not sure I would, and can comfortably RECOMMEND.