REVIEW: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

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?

Cather Avery is about to begin her first year of college and if she wasn't already nervous enough, her twin sister Wren has decided she doesn't want to share a room with her. Cath is used to being the shadow of her sister, who has always been the cool and outgoing one. Whereas Cath's life revolves around the Simon Snow series and creating her own fan fiction stories based on the novels that changed her life. But she wasn't expecting Wren's sudden lust for independence. Cath's normal routine involved looking after her mentally ill father, tagging along with Wren, posting her fanfic 'Carry On' and picking up the pieces her mother left when she abandoned them in third grade. But with her sister drifting further away and a new roommate, new room and new start, will Cath make the most of it or will college be as miserable as she presumes.

Cather was such an incredibly relatable character and I could draw so many similarities between myself and her. If I was to pick a character most like me she would be it. Not to say her anxiety didn't annoy me at times but I found it so easy to connect with her as a person. She was so flawed and that made her all the more realistic and admirable. She managed to develop as a character yet still stay true to herself and that was a beautiful thing to read. In real life I would happily be best friends with this girl. That's the thing with Rainbow Rowell, her characterisation is perfect!

Cath's life literally is all about being a fan of The Simon Snow series. Although Wren has pretty much grown out of helping Cath with her fan fiction, 'Carry On' is constantly being viewed by thousands of online viewers. It's one of the most popular Simon Snow fan-fiction novels on the web. I must admit that I did find the various 'Carry On' snippets that were shown throughout the novel a bit boring and I may have done a bit of skimming. Though as a fangirl myself it is my duty to know what fan fiction is and as someone who has never wrote or read any, Fangirl definitely helped me gain greater understanding of how important fan-fiction can be to a fandom.

Rainbow Rowell is a legend at writing beautiful and somewhat awkward romances and there was no questioning that after Eleanor and Park and Fangirl. I found the romance in this book so adorable and I don't want to ruin one single perfect moment for you. Let's just say that I was so strongly rooting for this romance to happen that when one incident happened, I was so nervous for them I had to put the book down and prepare myself. Eleanor and Park has a huge focus on the romance so I guess I would have liked to see more of the romance side of things in Fangirl because I loved that side so much.

“I just want to know—are you rooting for me? Are you hoping I pull this off?"

Cath's eyes settled on his, tentatively, like they'd fly away if he moved.

She nodded her head.

The right side of his mouth pulled up.

The secondary characters were also written very well. I for some reason couldn't really get to love Wren because sometimes it felt like she was a bit irresponsible and unsisterly, but I liked reading about their bond as sisters. Her father was a tad ridiculous but very sweet and although the Avery family certainly did have their issues, they obviously loved each other. Reagan and Cath also had a friendship that I found hilarious and strangely refreshing. They were polar opposites yet they really understood each other. Levi was so sweet and so darn cute, I loved the guy. But I can't help think that he was almost too perfect?

Fangirl isn't just a pretty cover it's a story that aside from the romance also deals with mature topics such as growing up, self-confidence, alcohol abuse and mental illness. From page one I was entertained and captivated. There's just something about the writing style of Rainbow Rowell that makes everything so easy flowing - making Fangirl such a fun, heart-warming and addictive read. I can honestly say I'll read anything by her because her writing is comforting, magical, and oh so real!

My only main concern with Fangirl was much like my problem with E&P and that was the ending. I feel as though it wasn't nesacarily unresolved but in some ways it wasn't resolved. It wrapped things up nicely but it also sort of just happened. I didn't think I was turning the last page until I turned it, if you know what I mean. I feel as though it was satisfying but also maybe missing something. What? I couldn't exactly pin-point. Overall aside from that missing something, I really enjoyed this read. It's such a fun, real and quirky contemporary that people have loved and I am sure will continue to.