Book Review: “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell

“Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

Genre: YA, Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 445 pages (hardcover edition)

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?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

This book guys. This book. I now understand why this a must read.

Fangirl is officially coined as my top favorite read for this summer. It was so amazing, fantastic, whimsical, and so many other things. Rowell is a genius! I felt that I could really resonate with Cath, the main protagonist, a lot. I’m a writer, fangirl (of many fandoms), and also think that books/stories are very magical.

At times, I sympathized with Cath because of her Simon Snow addiction and her adorkableness, but I was also super frustrated with because her deep “escape” into fantasy isolated her from everyone else. But this is what keeps the story intriguing and realistic to its audience. I even teared up at certain parts of the book.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters and Rowell’s writing style in the novel. The book was so addicting I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in two days. I think the most important thing about this novel is that it reminds us that we are always fan girls/boys at heart.

Final Verdict:

A fresh book in YA fiction that is realistic and tackles a relatable issue. I can’t wait to read more Rowell novels! Currently I own “Attachments” and “Eleanor & Park”, but I haven’t gotten a chance to read them yet. Fangirl gets 5 out of 5 stars!