Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | Book Review

(Stand-Alone)

Published: September 10th 2013

Synopsis:

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

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?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

“Touching and utterly real.” —  Publisher’s Weekly

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My Rating:  5/5 (Outstanding)

Book Information

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Genre(s): YA Contemporary, Coming-of-age

Page Count: 433

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 1250030951

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Used for the Popsugar challenge: A Funny Book

Hey there! I was planning on posting this book review yesterday but since I was so tired I didn’t get the chance.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I just flew through the pages, and I even teared up a few times, which is pretty rare for me (although that could be attributed to my sore throat… 😉 )! This book just gave me the feels! I loved the plot, the characters, and the writing style. It’s outstanding, and completely deserving of my 5 star rating!

Quick summary

Twin sisters Cather (who goes by Cath) and Wren are entering their freshman year in college. With Wren becoming more and more distant, bonding more with her new roommate, Courtney, Cath faces college alone, preferring writing her fanfiction on Simon Snow over people. The book is written from Cath’s perspective as she copes with her sister growing apart from her, worrying about her dad, dealing with school, the fanfiction she writes (that has thousands of fans) along with a budding romance.

Plot

Unlike the other books I’ve been reading lately (take the Hush Hush Saga books or The Dark Elements series for example), Fangirl‘s plot wasn’t something heavy; no action, no adrenaline-filled moments. Nope, Fangirl has the kind of plot that makes you smile, laugh, and sympathize; the go-to book for a cheering up and light read. There’s not really a moment where there’s this huge climax and we have all hell break loose and everything, but that’s not what Fangirl‘s for. It’s simply a relatable story about fangirling and the transition a girl goes through in life from high school to college.

Characters

I loved the characters! They were created beautifully, and just so real I couldn’t help but love them as if I’ve known them my whole life! Especially Cath. Her fangirling, her love of writing, her dislike of change, every little thing she likes, every emotion I felt it all, and she seemed just so completely real to me. I don’t think I’ve ever connected so much with a character, and I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about her that set her apart, but something did and simply for the characters Fangirl left a lasting impression. There was also an awesome cast of secondary characters; the brutally honest roommate, the want-to-be-independant sister with the deceitful friend, the happy-go-lucky guy who’s there for people, and so much more. Each character had so much depth to them as well, and I cared for them as much as I did Cath.

Writing Style

What really made my love Fangirl reach 5 stars is the writing style. Yes, I loved the plot, and yes I especially loved the characters but the writing style is what made all of it matter to me. Rainbow Rowell’s writing style was amazing. The story was written in such a way that drama or a complex plot was absolutely unnecessary. The dialogue was realistic, and felt effortlessly witty and funny. It was smooth and natural, making every part of the story interesting and relateable. *I also really liked her additons of Simon Snow/Simon Snow fanfics by Cath at the beginning of each chapter. Speaking of, Rainbow Rowell will be publishing the fanfic Cath had been working on; Carry On. So excited!*

On a completely unrelated to plot, characters or writing style note, Simon Snow is kind of replacing/is like Harry Potter, except better, apparently. (Notice the use of ‘apparently’. Nothing can beat Harry Potter. Not even something Cath is obsessed with. Sorry, Cath.) Although Harry Potter is actually mentioned, I suppose Simon Snow is not replacing, it’s better than…? Ugh I can’t even explain it. Either way, case in point: Simon Snow is to Cath what Harry Potter is to us. 🙂

Overall, Fangirl was outstanding. The plot, while simple, was kept interesting with little bumps in the road we see in life. The characters were all amazing, full of depth and personality. The writing style was spectacular, in the classic style of Rainbow Rowell; funny, smooth, relatable. Fangirl will make you laugh, or at least smile and may even bring out the tears because while it isn’t sad, there are a few moments that seemed so real to me that I felt as if were happening to me at the same time.

All in all though, Fangirl is a fun read, and fans of Rainbow Rowell’s other books such as Eleanor & Park or Attachments will definitely enjoy this.

Before I end this review, check out the book trailer below!

And for a little snippet of what Fangirl is about:

I am so glad I chose to read this for the Popsugar Challenge since it might’ve taken me a longer time to get to this if I hadn’t. 🙂 Have you read Fangirl? If you have, comment your thoughts below! If you haven’t, also comment your thoughts below! Interested? Not interested? I’d love to hear from you.

Have you fangirled over this meal yet? If not, come with me! We can eat it up and Fangirl. 😉

-A