Review: Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

I first heard about Geek Girl quite awhile ago. It sounded like a fun story, but my library didn't carry it and I hesitate to buy books before I've read them. I was part of the recent blog tour for Cindy C. Bennett's new book, Rapunzel Untangled, and as luck would have it, I was able to get a review eCopy of Geek Girl from the author.

I liked Jen, the main character, quite a bit. I don't really gravitate toward people who throw off a "stay away from me" vibe, but one of the great things about Geek Girl is learning what is behind Jen's standoffish/rebellious personality. She has been in the foster system for quite awhile, and although she's currently living with a great foster family, she's had many bad experiences and doesn't develop bonds with the families she lives with.

Her goal to "turn" Trevor was really interesting. Based on his reaction to her initial contact, I thought he was probably a gonner. I didn't know much about him, but he seemed like a genuinely good guy, and I was torn that Jen would be a bad influence on him.

Without spoiling everything, I'll just say that I'm happy with how things turned out. It was a rough road with ups and downs. Geek Girl deals with some serious issues, but I liked the way they were handled. The overall story wasn't a downer, and you see the importance of getting to know people and what makes them who they are. The ending wasn't extremely strong, but overall I really liked Geek Girl.