Review Post: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title:  Fangirl
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin 
Pages: 434
Format:  Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating:  4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  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.

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?

We as book lovers get attached to characters, worlds, plots, authors, and essentially every other aspect of a book.  These people and places become a comfort to us and a part of our lives just like their non-fiction entities.  Who didn't hope for their very own letter to Hogwarts, to be able to shoot an arrow like our favorite fearless heroine, or dare I say it...want a sparkling boyfriend of our own at one time or another?  We get completely immersed in the story and it becomes part of who we are. 

The same is true for Cath.  She is not only a Simon Snow fan, but she is THE fan.  You know the one who has fans of their own.  Not only does she live for the books, movies, world, and characters but she is also one of the most famous fanfiction writers out there with a massive following of her own.  She's a bit obsessed to say the least and it is taking over her life.  

I really loved Cath as a character.  She was a bit naive and sheltered but she also didn't bend to peoples will or change who she is.  However, Cath was just one of the outstanding characters in this novel.  Wren was eccentric and a bit wild.  She knew what she wanted from life and went after it.  Levi was completely and utterly adorable.  Where was he when I went to college?  And my favorite character had to be Reagan.  I loved her and her surly attitude.  I thought she was a riot.    

College is a tough transition and I think that Rainbow Rowell did an amazing job at capturing two of the different ends of the spectrum with Cath and her sister.  Both of these girls were going through some traumatic experiences and tough times, then on top of that they move away to college.  They handled things very differently, though truth be told also very typically.  Looking back on my undergrad days I can definitely see myself in both of these girls and their actions (is that a good thing?)

Fangirl was a different take on YA/New Adult and I think I quite liked it. For me at least, it seems a bit more relate-able than other NA books, yet it still had most of the elements + it was hilarious.  There were so many times I laughed out loud when reading this novel.  (side note:  This novel seems to bridge both YA and NA, though in an interview Rainbow Rowell states she feels it is more YA.)

Fangirl is definitely worth the hype.  I think I'm going to stock up on a couple of these books, as they will make great graduation gifts.