Geek Girl Review: Emily Carey is the perfect Harriet Manners in Netflix’s new book adaptation

‘House of the Dragon’ star plays a self-described ‘geek’ who becomes a modeling sensation in the adaptation of Holly Smale’s ‘Geek Girl’ series of novels.

Growing up reading Holly Smale’s six series ‘Geek Girl’, it was loved by me, who loves to read and by many others, and honestly forgot about it until it was announced that Emily Carey would be playing the lead role in the Netflix series. I just think she is wonderful.

Following in the footsteps of similar perceived ugly-duckling protagonists Harriet Manners is a self-described “geek,” which her frequent voiceovers define in a variety of semi-complimentary ways. She’s socially awkward and she has nerdy obsessions that make her a reliable source of trivia. She also falls down constantly, because that’s what awkward girls ‘do’. Although Harriet is picked on by the popular kids at her school, she has a devoted best friend in Rochelle Harrington’s Nat, an neighbour in the amusingly odd Toby and loving parents Richard and Annabel.

Harriet’s fashion class wins some contest to attend a London Fashion Week event and, thanks to one of her many embarrassing exploits, Harriet captures the attention of superstar modeling agent Wilbur Evans. It is as much of a surprise to her as it is to everyone else when she is scouted by an agency and finds herself becoming an increasingly successful model. Harriet’s is in some ways in a Cinderella story, comedy and romcom, once she meets fellow model Nick. The books have charm and strength and, in Harriet, a genuinely ideal female protagonist.

Smale and fellow novelist Jessica Ruston’s screen version has retained the joyful essence of the books and – with a deeply admiring nod to the casting directors here – have in Emily Carey a Harriet who delivers everything they need. Carey plays Harriet in a satisfying way that brings her to life just how she should be. She puts her difficulties and her coping strategies on an equal plane, especially when it comes to her close interactions with her friends and family, which give the entire story a sweetness that builds to several effective emotional climaxes in the closing episodes.

The episodes are kept to a tight half hour or less and the energy never falls, it is the exact amount of time to tell the story in the 10 episodes we are given. Within 90 minutes Harriet’s geek bona fides have been well established, her class sent on a jaunt to London during fashion week, her discovery made by scouts Wilbur and Betty. Harriet meets the lovely fellow model Nick (“A name I can see being scribbled in many journals over the coming days”) and her father and stepmother are pulled into helping her pursue a new dream.

Harriet’s enthusiasms/obsessive passions for subjects, her wearing of headphones in the classroom and her internal feelings (described in voiceovers) when presented with environments that are too loud, busy or colourful, show us her personality and who she really is. She never fails to show emotion and love and give us who she is.

It is fresh, lively and funny and hope to bring happiness to all Geek Girl’s fans, just non-stop fun and excitement.