Five Star Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Reviewer Purchase
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Released: September 10, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Literary Fiction
Length: 445 pages
Synopsis
In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, 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? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Review by Lissa
At first I didn't like Cath. She didn't like being around people, she didn't like meeting new people, she didn't want to go anywhere. She would be perfectly happy in her little cocoon of fan fiction. But Cath grew on me. The moment she started to really live.
Her sister Wren in a sense ditched her. They are twins and Cath is use to them being together. But in a way I'm glad Wren did that. It forced her into the world.
In some ways, she can remind me of myself. I'm not much for meeting new people, it's awkward. Like what do you say, what do you do? I would stand in a corner at a party. Totally just not in it.
Levi is someone she doesn't expect. Someone to care about her. Cath over analyze's everything but I think a lot of us women do.
"It's okay if you're crazy." He said softly.
"You don't even know"
"I don't have to know," he said. "I'm rooting for you."
I think it was clever to weave in Caths fan fiction, the world she loves so much.
I really debated on how I would rate this. At first I thought a four because I wanted more! I wanted more Levi and Cath. I wanted to see what happens in their next year of college. But I actually loved this story for many reasons. Cath grows so much. Wren becomes likable again and you understand why Cath is, the way she is. I gave it a five because I loved it. It's a good story, it's different and very creative.