Geek Girl Summary - eNotes.com

Introduction

Geek Girl by British author Holly Smale first appeared on the book scene in 2013. This young adult novel, geared toward pre-teens and teens, has since been followed by an entire series centering around the story’s protagonist, Harriet Manners, a self-proclaimed geek, surprised supermodel, and teenager trying to discover her true self. The novel takes place in modern suburban England, where Harriet lives with her father and stepmother, attends school, and struggles with bullying.

The author, who had her own experiences as a teen model, explains in the novel’s acknowledgments that her own “Alexa,” the story’s bully character, “gave me a reason to write Geek Girl, and I will always be grateful.” Smale uses her personal insights to explore themes of identity, friendship, bullying, self-confidence, and truthfulness. In doing so, she seeks to help young people realize they are not alone in their struggles. With the right attitude, she explains, they can even turn those struggles into triumphs.

Plot Summary

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am a geek.” Fifteen-year-old Harriet has spent much of her life reading, hiding, and coping with her fellow geek “stalker” Toby Pilgrim—all while trying to stay out of the way of the school bully, Alexa Roberts. 

But things change dramatically when Harriet goes to a fashion expo with her best friend, Nat Grey, and is “spotted” by Wilbur, a modeling agent from Infinity Models. Embarrassed and horrified (especially since Nat is the one who has always dreamed of becoming a model), Harriet dives under a table to hide and meets the gorgeous Nick Hidaka, whom she thinks of as “Lion Boy.”

In spite of her stepmother Annabel’s opposition, Harriet decides to take a high-profile modeling job for designer Yuka Ito’s Baylee campaign. Harriet, Wilbur, and her father, Richard, travel to Moscow for a photo shoot. 

There, Harriet gets her first taste of being the new female face of Baylee. She also discovers that Nick is the male face of Baylee. Modeling is far from easy, which Harriet learns as she undergoes a full makeover and haircut. Even still, she has fun with Nick at the shoot. Harriet shows her true identity at a fashion show when another girl falls, and she sits down beside the fallen model on the catwalk.

Harriet’s difficulties are far from over when she returns to England. She and Richard have lied to Annabel and Nat to cover their tracks on their Moscow trip, as Annabel has already said a firm “no” to Harriet’s modeling career. Similarly, Harriet is ashamed of stealing Nat’s dream. However, the pair are poor liars, so their lie does not last long. It does not help that when a newspaper article reveals all, Alexa sends a copy to Nat, who is furious and says she no longer wants to be friends with Harriet.

Annabel moves out of the family home, leaving a note telling Harriet that she is pregnant. Completely confused and unsure what to do, Harriet visits Annabel at her office and learns that Annabel knew about the modeling all along and has been in close touch with Wilbur. Richard creatively expresses his love for Annabel, who moves back home. Harriet and Toby reach out to Nat, who agrees to go with them to stand up to Alexa. The friendship between the three teens grows as they gain confidence, surprising Alexa with their newfound strength. 

At Wilbur and Nat’s insistence, Harriet agrees to go on television to promote Baylee. Nick is also involved in the interview. At first, Yuka speaks to Harriet through an earphone, telling her what to say. But...