YA Book Club Review: Geektastic

For every book we read during the book club, we’ll write a review so that anyone who couldn’t be there can still join in with the fun! Saskia den Ouden is our YA book club reviewer, judging all the books we read.

Deep inside everyone there’s a geek that’s waiting to come out. Many think geeks are people who like sci-fi, videogames, comics etc., but geekdom extends far beyond these limited interests. Are you absolutely gaga about old movies? Then you’re an old movie-geek. Fashion? You’re a fashion geek. Every topic you can come up with, there is a geek out there who is over enthusiastic about it. Geektastic is a short story anthology that attempts to celebrate all kinds of geekiness; from the Klingons to the baton twirlers.

Even though it tries to be so inclusive, a lot the stories are still stereotypically geeky. Many of them are about the outcasts that like the traditional science fiction, comics, science and what not, even though there are so many different geeks out there.

The addition of the stories ‘One of Us’ (Tracy Lynn) and ‘It’s Just A Jump To The Left’ (Libby Bray), featuring a cheerleader who really likes old movies and a girl who really likes Rocky Horror Picture Show, were a good call, because it diversifies the type of geek just a little.

That being said, the collection is a fun read. Although they’re covering geekiness, how the authors chose to portray this, is very different. The themes are very diverse, characters are varied and I really felt the authors tried to give their own twist to the theme.

I can say for sure there will be at least one story you’ll like or find interesting enough to read to the end. Which one it is, depends entirely on what type of geek you are.

If you enjoyed Geektastic, you might want to check our recommendations for books like it.