Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: September 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Contemporary/New Adult
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Synopsis can be found here.
I received a copy of this book free of charge from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
Cath and her twin sister Wren go off to the same college. And while Cath thought they would room together, Wren has other plans. Both Simon Snow fans, Wren is ready to explore the world in college, while Cath still loves to write fan fiction of Simon Snow. But as college, and new experiences, are around every corner, will Cath be able to change and explore her new world, and herself?
Well, Ms. Rowell, you’ve done it again. I loved Eleanor & Park so I did have high expectations for this new book of yours Fangirl. And it did not disappoint. The story takes place during freshman year at college. Wren and Cath are so used to being together that Cath is totally shocked when Wren doesn’t want to room with her and wants to explore new friends and new experiences. Cath rooms with Reagan, a harsh yet loyal friend who gently coaxes Cath out of her shell. Throw in her is he or isn’t he semi-boyfriend Levi, and Cath can’t get away from college life, and all of the new things thrust at her.
I loved Cath. I loved her nerdy personality, her shy and socially awkward behavior, and her love of Simon Snow. I love that the book is YA and New Adult, taking place during that time when everything is happening and it can sometimes just be too much. A lot of New Adult out there are big, heavy, complicated romance stories with a lot of sex, which is all well and fine. But I really liked how gentle and sweet this story is, the slow unfolding of an awkward teenager and her first love. It’s a best friend story, an identity story, a fan/nerd story. Cath has this wonderfully organic journey through the book and explores new things, but never does she compromise herself.
Levi is a funny guy. It was really easy to picture him, with his hands running through his hair. (Though, yes, I get it. He runs his hands through his hair. A lot. The one thing that irked me was how many times it was described.) His patience and sense of humor make him shine and he’s not without fault.
Reagan is a great roommate and friend. I liked her personality in compared to Cath’s. She’s blunt, honest and opinionated without being a bully or mean. I love how different they are but how they become friends. It’s reminds me of my college experiences.
And Wren, the twin, who is dealing with everything the best way she knows how. I’m not going to spoil anything but I liked Wren’s journey through the book too.
I also really loved their relationship with their Dad. Dad can be a little off balance sometimes, and there are some really warm and beautiful moments between Cath and her Dad that stand out in the book. While their mom is no longer in the picture, at least as far as Cath is concerned, it’s really refreshing to see a loving relationship between parent and child.
Overall, Fangirl is a wonderfully tender tale of finding yourself in college and the first experiences along the way.
Rating 8 Cookie Worthy
I am currently listening to this book and I am loving it. I think I will read just about anything from this author. Great review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hey Jenn! Glad you’re enjoying it!
I’ve been dying to read this, but I need to catch up on a few other things before I open it up! I’m loving reading all the reviews on it, because they generally seem to be really positive! I love how you mentioned that he ran his hand through his hair a lot though… that always drives me nuts! I notice many writers have their “thing” they assign to a character and sometimes they overkill with it soooo hard!
Liza! Totally! I kinda wanted to slap his hand away by the end! ha! But I think she’s one of my new favorite authors at the moment. Eleanor and Park was outstanding as well. Hope you like it!