Fangirl
by Rainbow Rowell
- Title: Fangirl
- Author: Rainbow Rowell
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
- Publication Date: September 2013
- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
- How I got this book: Bought
- Why I chose this book: I really liked the synopsis of this book, that’s what ultimately drew me in. And I’m not going to lie, I was excited to find out more about the boy who “loved words.”
Book Synopsis
Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life–and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
Review
After I bought this book, and right before I started reading, I realized that this book was by the same author as that of Eleanor and Park. Even though it’s an unpopular opinion in the YA world, I wasn’t that impressed with the E&P. Because of that, I was a little hesitant to start reading this book. I was worried it would be very similar.
I’m happy to say that I was presently surprised. This book really had everything. This was one of those books that made you feel all warm and fuzzy, but also isn’t a flippant book about love and friendship. It’s about a girl, struggling to make her way without her best friend and sister by her side. Her mom is gone. She worries about her dad. And then she moves three hours away to start school in a new place with completely new people. It’s completely understandable how these things can cause some major stress. Very relatable.
Besides the story itself, I just thought the characters were so well done. They all had these great personalities, and the farther you read, the deeper they became. You started realizing that things may not always be what they seem.
I think this novel would be a great read for just about anyone. Want a little romance? This book has it. Want some great humor? This book has it. Want some deep emotional issues? This book has it. I really loved this book. Out of five stars, I would probably have to give this book 4.5. It just seemed flawless–except for one thing: between each chapter is a “fictional” chapter from the Simon Snow series. At first I was okay with reading this, but after a while I just found them boring and wanted to get them out of the way. I think the story about Cath herself was more important than the Simon Snow action going on.
