Backlist Briefs – Mini Reviews for I STOP SOMEWHERE and GEEKERELLA

Backlist Briefs – Mini Reviews for I STOP SOMEWHERE and GEEKERELLAI Stop Somewhere by T.E. Carter
five-stars
Published by Feiwel & Friends on February 27, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Ellie Frias disappeared long before she vanished.

Tormented throughout middle school, Ellie begins her freshman year with a new look: she doesn't need to be popular; she just needs to blend in with the wallpaper.

But when the unthinkable happens, Ellie finds herself trapped after a brutal assault. She wasn't the first victim, and now she watches it happen again and again. She tries to hold on to her happier memories in order to get past the cold days, waiting for someone to find her.

The problem is, no one searches for a girl they never noticed in the first place.

Review:

T.E. Carter’s I Stop Somewhere is a stark, raw, and heart wrenching story about a teenager named Ellie Frias, who finds herself trapped after a brutal assault.  Not only is Ellie unable to escape, she is forced to watch many other girls be victimized as she was because her attackers are serial rapists.  As she waits for someone to find her, Ellie resorts to using her memories as a way to cope with not only what she has gone through, but what she is forced to witness each time her attackers find a new victim.

What I found so interesting about this book is that even though there’s clearly a crime, there’s no mystery here to solve.  Because we’re seeing everything unfold through the eyes of the victim, we know exactly who the perpetrators are.  The only questions here are will they be punished for their crimes and will the victims get justice, which is where the crux of Carter’s narrative lies.  I Stop Somewhere points out some ugly truths about rape culture and misogyny, victim blaming in particular, and it also exposes how wealth and privilege mean more to some than making sure justice is served.

The most powerful aspect of I Stop Somewhere, however, is actually not its exploration of these dark themes.  Instead, it’s the look inside of Ellie’s mind that we are given.  As we watch the events of the present unfold through Ellie’s eyes, we also take an intimate look at her life as she reflects on all of her hopes and dreams, regrets, as well as any and all choices that she has made throughout her life that have led to her current situation.  I found myself in tears a few times while reading Ellie’s thoughts because all she wanted was to be loved. It’s a heartbreaking look at just how fragile and vulnerable a teenage girl’s esteem can be and how there are monsters out there who prey on that vulnerability.

I Stop Somewhere is, by no means, an easy book to read. There were times when I had to set it aside because it just had me too upset to continue. I went back and forth between being heartbroken about everything that happened to Ellie and being absolutely furious about how law enforcement and the justice system were treating the victims.  It’s an emotional draining read at times, but one that I would highly recommend.  5 STARS

 

 

Backlist Briefs – Mini Reviews for I STOP SOMEWHERE and GEEKERELLAGeekerella by Ashley Poston
four-stars
Series: Starfield #1
Published by Quirk Books on April 4, 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 320
Source: Library
Amazon
Goodreads

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad's old costume, Elle's determined to win - unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons - before he was famous. Now they're nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he has ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake - until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part-romance, part-love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

Review:

As you can probably surmise from the title, Ashley Poston’s Geekerella is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairytale.  What I loved most about this story is that although it clearly retained lots of awesome shout-outs to the original tale –  the evil stepmother and stepsisters, the pumpkin coach, the dance, the slipper, and so much more – it was still a completely unique, fun, and quirky contemporary tale in its own right.

I liked the spin the author put on the Cinderella tale here because not only do we get Cinderella’s side of the story, as we would expect, but Poston also delivers Prince Charming’s side of the story as well.  Our Cinderella in this story is a teenager named Elle.  Her parents are dead so she is living with her stepmother and stepsisters.  Elle is a geek at heart and a diehard fan of the cult classic sci-fi show Starfield.  When she learns there is going to be a cosplay contest as part of a promotion for a new Starfield movie, Elle can’t resist entering, especially since the prize is a trip to the fan convention, ExcelsiCon (that her father founded).  Our Prince Charming in Geekerella is Darien, a popular actor who has been cast to play the lead in the new Starfield movie.  We learn that even though he’s a teen heartthrob and has fangirls practically throwing themselves at his feet, he’s also a super geek and diehard Starfield fan as well.  Playing the lead in this film is a dream come true for him.

Even though I’m not a big romance reader, I thought the budding romance in Geekerella was super cute. I thought it was hilarious that Elle absolutely hated Darien’s guts in the beginning and thought he was the worst possible choice to play the lead in the movie.  Darien kind of brings this on himself because he has kept his fanboy life a secret, but it’s great fun watching their relationship unfold and develop from that initial misunderstanding.

My absolute favorite part of the book though was the way the author writes about the Starfield fandom.  She does such an amazing job that I was practically convinced that there really was such a fandom.  And I wanted there to be such a fandom – I wanted to watch the TV show, get dressed up and go to the ExcelsiCon.  I thought she just did such a brilliant job capturing the excitement of being a part of a fandom, particularly her descriptions of the cosplaying and going to cons.  If you’re looking for a book that will bring out your own inner geek, definitely consider reading Geekerella.  It’s one of the cutest and quirkiest retellings I’ve read in a long time.  4 STARS

five-stars

About Ashley Poston

ASHLEY POSTON loves dread pirates, moving castles, and starry night skies. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in How to Kick Butt Without Even Trying (aka English), and solidified her love for storytelling. When not proclaiming her undying love for movie star studs and emotionally compromised robots, she’s in search for her next great adventure. She lives in South Carolina with her bossy cat, and they are firm believers that we’re all a bunch of weirdos looking at other weirdos, asking for their usernames.

Sometimes, you can catch her lurking around in coffee shops where she reads copious amounts of fanfic, watches way too much anime, and plays a lot of video games. Oh, and she writes books, too. Sometimes. When the stars are in position.

For rights inquiries, please contact Holly Root of Root Literary.

About T.E. Carter

TE Carter was born in New England and has lived in New England for pretty much her entire life. Throughout her career, she’s done a lot of things, although her passion has always been writing. When she’s not writing, she can generally be found reading classic literature, playing Xbox, organizing her comic collection, or binge watching baking competitions. She continues to live in New England with her husband and their two cats.

26 replies
  1. Jenea’s Book Obsession
    Jenea’s Book Obsession says:

    Wow, I Stop Somewhere sounds so emotional and reallly good too. And love the sounds of Geekerella too! Great reviews.

  2. Silvia
    Silvia says:

    I Stop Somewhere sounds like it has all the right elements to make for a dark, engaging, and heartbreaking read, and I like that. I noted it down, but I’ll also have a look at Geekerella because I love re-tellings 🙂 Thanks for reviewing them both!

  3. Di @ Book Reviews by Di
    Di @ Book Reviews by Di says:

    Funnily enough I Stop Somewhere never made it to my TBR for some reason? Your review has made me think i’ve been remiss!

    Geekarella really sounds so sweet and I want to read that one but it isn’t a priority right now. Thanks Suzanne!

  4. Angela
    Angela says:

    I Stop Somewhere sounds like an important read, but I don’t know if I could handle it. It sounds heartbreaking and also kind of infuriating, with the way the police handle it.

    Geekerella sounds very cute, I love the modern take on Cinderella.

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I Stop Somewhere was definitely a hard book to get through. I actually took a break from it and read Geekerella before going back to it because the story was upsetting me so much.

  5. Daniela Ark
    Daniela Ark says:

    I want to read “I Stop Somewhere” so badly! Especially now after your review! I really like to read about these dark themes but I like very much that is really a look inside of Ellie’s mind Sounds so heartbreaking! No wonder you were in tears!

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      It was so heart wrenching. I had to stop reading a few times just because it was so upsetting. Definitely a powerful read.

  6. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books
    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books says:

    Oh my goodness, I Stop Somewhere sounds like a truly tough, emotional read. I’d definitely have to be in the right mood for that one. I’ve seen Geekerella around a lot but have just never felt led to pick it up. It does look super cute, though. 🙂

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Oh yeah, definitely. I had to stop reading it a few times and switch to something else just because it was so upsetting at times. It’s a powerful read in that sense.

  7. Sam@WLABB
    Sam@WLABB says:

    These were both great reads for me. I Stop Somewhere was so painful. I think I felt like every emotion during that book. Geekerella is a favorite of mine. It was so cute and fun.

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I believe it. It upset me and made me so angry all at the same time. I actually stopped reading it for a while and switched over to Geekerella because I needed a light and fluffy break from it.

  8. Lauren Becker
    Lauren Becker says:

    I’m happy to hear you liked both of these! Geekerella seems super cute; good for the summer!
    I Stop Somewhere definitely seems like an intense read, but it’s an important topic – especially how victims are often blamed or not taken seriously. Thanks so much for sharing!

    -Lauren

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I agree. it’s a very important book for that reason, one that I think everyone should read as long as it’s not a trigger for them.

  9. Literary Feline
    Literary Feline says:

    I remember hearing a lot about Geekerella when it came out. I am glad to see you liked it. Your description of it as fun and quirky has me wanting to read it even more. I Stop Somewhere sounds really good too!

  10. Lindsi
    Lindsi says:

    I’m reading this now and YES. I want a Starfield fandom! It sounds so awesome and fun. It also makes me want to go to a con and do cosplay. Her stepmom and stepsister are making me crazy. I want someone to shake some sense into them. I’m glad you enjoyed this one so much! I don’t normally like retellings, but this was too awesome to pass up!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

  11. Verushka
    Verushka says:

    Wow, I stop Somewhere sounds utterly compelling with it’s commentary and heart-wrenching. I didn’t realise that this was about a serial rapist and provided such a look into Ellie’s POV. Whew Suzanne, wonderful review! Geekerella just makes me smile! So cute!

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Thanks! Yes, I Stop Somewhere is definitely heart-wrenching but such an important book. Geekerella is just fun and fluffy and fabulous.

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