Geek Girl: the teen drama that tackles neurodiversity and bullying

The book is based on the real-life story of its author, Holly Smale, who says seeing her book adapted for the small screen was “an incredible experience.”

“I've had this dream for a long time, but we're always afraid that it won't quite meet our expectations,” she says.

The novel, first published in 2013, was made into a 10-part series by Netflix, although it is not yet known whether the other five books in the series will also be adapted.

Smale said it was a deliberate choice to make the series distinct from other teen dramas, as it attempts to reflect their lived experience rather than a glossy TV version of it.

“We're all flawed in many ways and for me, no matter what character I'm writing, it's really important to show people reacting in a way that they later regret or regret will say things they wish they hadn't said,” Smale said.

“It's human and it's very important for teenagers to know that they have the right to be imperfect, that they have the right to be unfriendly sometimes,” she says.

Both Smale and Carey are passionate about reclaiming the word geek and centering the series around a character who thinks learning is cool.

“I was bullied and made fun of for the same reasons as Harriet on the show, because I wanted to try hard in school and get good test scores,” Carey said.

Carey, who also stars in the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, says that now that she's an adult, she understands why teenagers treat each other the way they do.

“It was comforting and calming for my inner child to play Harriet,” she adds.

Smale also described catharsis in writing the book, describing it as a “gift to my child.”

“I managed to make peace with myself and accept myself in a way I didn’t do as a teenager,” she says.

Ultimately, the series is meant to be a feel-good story, with Harriet's struggle against school bullies and her friendships interspersed with rising celebrity and an exciting love interest.

Her close family relationship shines through, especially through her stepmother Annabel and her modeling agent and caring mentor Wilbur.

Smale says she was “intentional” in writing what she describes as a modernized version of a fairy tale, after growing up in a world that she said was dominated by Disney.

“I was playing with stereotypes – you have the fairy godmother in Wilbur and with [Harriet’s] mother-in-law, we didn't follow the evil pattern [route]I wanted her to be an incredibly inspiring, strong and compassionate woman,” she adds.

Another important aspect of the show is its representation of neurodiversity.

Smale wrote Geek Girl before being diagnosed with autism and dyspraxia, but retroactively described Harriet as suffering from both conditions equally.

She says the team behind the show was “incredibly supportive” when it came to setting the right tone.

“I didn't have to worry too much because I'm autistic, I have my own life experience so I can make that voice my own,” she added.

Carey is also autistic and says that although it was “intimidating” to confront that part of herself on screen, she “learned a lot” about herself from playing Harriet.

“I was unmasking my mask on set, and then describing that on camera was very new to me and sometimes difficult to navigate.

“But honestly, there's so much more to the character than just being autistic – Harriet represents so many amazing things,” Carey adds.