Forever Geek (Geek Girl #6) by Holly Smale
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 400
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★★
Series: All That Glitters (#4) | Head Over Heels (#5)
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is it. We’ve been waiting for a whole year, and it’s finally time to finish our beloved Geek Girl series. To say that we were overjoyed to receive this is an understatement. Geek Girl is one of the books that we’re always recommending, and the fact that we’ve re-read the whole series (some of the books multiple times) proves its staying power as one of our favourite series of all time. Forever Geek had a lot of hype to live up to and a lot of expectations to fulfil and both things we think Holly Smale did perfectly. We dare you to find a Harriet fan who isn’t going to be satisfied by all that unfolds in this final book! So, on to the review!

We knew from the end of Head Over Heels that Harriet was heading out to Australia, part of one of the only continents she was yet to visit. What made the trip so special is that, this time, she was going with her very Best Friend, Nat! It was so lovely to see the two together for such a long time, because their friendship (and unexpected common interest in fashion) is what started the series to begin with.

There’s modelling, a whacking photo shoot, and the Show to End All Shows, with favourite Fleur, and not so favourite Shola and Rose returning with Harriet to the catwalk. There’s facts, lots of them, a road trip, hilarious moments from Annabel and Richard, the return of Toby and Rin’s relationship, which is as strong as ever, and the endearing Bunty acting as chaperone. All the things you’d expect to find in a Geek Girl story, you’ve got here.

This time, there’s a little hint of sadness closing in on Harriet, and that was a new emotion for us readers. During the re-read, we’ve been generally overjoyed with everything that’s happened, but this time the emotional depth of the story is strong. Seriously, we read this whole book on a train, and were crying in public for the last 40 pages, and not just because it’s the end of an era. This is what makes Forever Geek worthy of five stars, because it unlocked that next level emotion I really wasn’t expecting from a series we know we can turn to for belly-laughs.

What we really loved about Forever Girl was that there were so many opportunities for Harriet to regress, and instead, she grew. She and Nat have a few fights over the management of her social media, but disasters are always nipped in the bud before they can become full blown catastrophes.

It wouldn’t be a Geek Girl book is Harriet didn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t, be in Queen Elizabeth I or The Perfect Model, but this time, her facts and insanely cool dance moves (read: adorably lame dance moves) work in her favour.

What we loved the most about this, though, was how it felt like every character had come full circle. Toby was still a polar bear in a rainforest, but this time he had an extremely kawaii girlfriend who loves any kind of bear. Nick was still Harriet’s biggest fan (in a completely cool, slightly aloof, endearing way). Nat knew exactly what she was getting into with Harriet’s modelling past. It feels so great to have read nine books about Harriet and co., and to feel so fulfilled and satisfied by their journeys throughout is quite a feat.

Australia, as all fans will know, is also where Nick, Harriet’s main love interest, is from. After the events of Picture Perfect, Nick and Harriet were no longer together, and in Head Over Heels, Harriet got a new potential love interest, Jasper. The question on everyone’s lips was whether Harriet had really got over her feelings for Nick, and whether the perfect couple would get back together.

Now, we promise not to spoil anything, but the romantic decisions that Harriet makes are all properly justified by her previous actions and current feelings. We think that the way Harriet deals with other people is one of the ways she’s matured the most throughout the series, and in Forever Geek, she shows real empathy for those she loves. One of the most iconic moments in the series was the Mount Fuji shoot, where Nick and Harriet are In. Love. and it was lovely to see echoes of that moment play out here.

Also important to note that Nick doesn’t actually pop up in the book until 40%, giving Harriet and Nat sufficient best-friend time. Much appreciated.

So, yes, how could Forever Geek get less than 5 stars from Harriet’s biggest fans? It’s not just our deep affection for Harriet that gives the final book this little constellation, but because the finale was everything we hoped it would be and more. We just hope that this isn’t the last we ever see of Harriet! If you haven’t read this series, then it’s there’s a hole in your life that needs to be filled with interesting facts and modelling adventures.