Fifteen year old Harriet Manners is a self-confessed geek. She knows lots of facts, which she brings out on all occasions, and in consequence, isn't very popular at school. In fact, arch enemy Alexis makes sure that she is unpopular, and it is only Harriet's best friend Nat and her faithful fellow-geek and stalker Toby who like her. In a complicated and riotously funny set of circumstances, Harriet gets chosen as a super model, making Nat (who wants to be a super model) cross. The working out of this maze of problems includes some wonderful characters: Wilbur, the remarkably camp nutcase who 'discovers' Harriet, the famous dress designer, Yuka Ito, a tough cookie determined to make Harriet famous, Harriet's father, a somewhat ditzy character, and her stepmother, a lawyer, who keeps everyone on their toes. There is also the totally handsome fellow super model Nick, with whom Harriet falls madly in love at first sight - under a table where she has crawled to get out of the way of all the things that are happening to her. With a character list like this, it isn't too hard to believe all the lies and subterfuges that go on, and while this is an extremely laugh-out-loud funny book, it also has a serious purpose. Harriet has to learn to be herself, and that she is lovable just as she is. It is her stepmother who, in the end, makes everything okay by showing Harriet where she has gone wrong, and her self-esteem is further strengthened by her first kiss with Nick! This is chick-lit for teens, but that doesn't mean it is any the less worthwhile for those suffering because they feel different. Harriet's feelings are very real, and if they are handled in a light-hearted way, that can be a positive thing. Girls will love this book! There is a second book in the series: Geek Girl: Model Misfit (9780007489466).