Book Review - Fangirl

Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell 

Standalone

Genres: Contemporary | Young Adult

Release Date: 10th September 2013
Publishers: St. Martin's Press

No. Pages: 445

Source: Borrowed

Rating: 

Buy From: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes and Noble | Waterstones

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?

So let me just start of by saying that as my first review in like nearly a year, I’m very happy that it’s Fangirl. This book was one of the most surprisingly beautiful books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. This review will probably not be a long one as my little girl has a cold so I’m not sure how long I’m going to get to write, also as its my first one in a long time, I think I need time to get back into the swings or things and I want to get it done tonight or I’ll put it off for another week.

This book is based around twins, Cath & Wren (although it is mainly focused on Cath) and their journey from high school to college. Only problem is Cath isn't so sure she is ready to leave her world of Simon Snow behind. Wren and Cath were avid fans, Cath still is, spending every waking moment writing Simon Snow fanfiction, and doesn't take it very well when her sister decides to grow up and move on. 

Wren and Cath are going to the same college, but having been at each other’s side since birth, Wren wants to explore college by herself, starting with the living arrangements. Cath isn’t too happy to be alone, but after much convincing on her dads part, gives college a chance one step at a time. Cue Reagan, Cath’s not so happy go lucky roommate and Levi, Reagan’s too smiley ‘boyfriend’. Despite desperately trying to finish her fanfiction story she has been working on for two years before the new and last Simon Snow book comes out, Reagan and Levi eventually get her to open up more and start leaving the comfort of her room.

Cath is trying to juggle her classes, which she is flunking, her manic dad, her mother that has reappeared after upping and leaving 10 years before and her on the verge of being an alcoholic sister who she has hardly spent anytime with since starting school. On top of all that she is trying to come to terms with liking who she likes and wanting more than Simon Snow, something she thought would never happen.

There is a lot about this story I could tell you , I could tell you how there were parts of it that had me smiling from ear to ear. There was some parts that had me laughing and part of me that had me on the edge or anger for Cath, but what I will say is never in a long time have a connected with a book as I did with Fangirl. When I was younger I would read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction (also, I may be a bit biased seen as the fictional Simon Snow novels are an homage to Harry Potter but ah well), and although I may have never wrote any, I felt myself connecting with Cath a lot more than any other character in a book I’ve read in a long long time. Without going into detail because it would bore you, I really did love this book and I think that you will too if you just give it a chance. Please please please don’t be put off by my ‘review’ I had to stop halfway through to deal with my daughter and I’m too busy thinking about my boyfriend out in the pouring rain and having to deal with drunks all night to write a decant review. I just wanted to write something.