Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 405
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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?

My Thoughts:
I swear this is the perfect story. I just loved everything about it, most specifically the wonderful characters and the emotions it brought out in me. 'Fangirl' is a must read for anyone who has taken part in fandom, especially the Harry Potter fandom. More specifically, anyone who has ever written or read fanfic obsessively will relate to this book. You can tell that Rainbow Rowell really gets fandom and fanfic, that she's been a part of it and respects what it is. She understands fan devotion and how big a part of your life it can be.

Our main character, Cath... I just loved her. Not always, but so many times, I felt like she was me. I could relate so much to how she felt, with being socially awkward and wanting to stay home instead of going to a party. I mean, Cath takes being anti-social to a level that not even I could relate to, but things like not going to the dining hall for so long because she was afraid of looking dumb? This was completely me, my first year of university. Cath feels things so deeply, like feeling betrayed by people moving on, or not believing or understanding when a guy likes her, and I could completely empathize with her.

I don’t think it’s too spoilery to say that the book contains a slow moving relationship between Cath and Levi, and I completely adored them. I ship them like woah, and considering the topic of the book I just want someone to write fics of them, especially kissing ones. 'Fangirl' is also a book about family. Cath is drifting apart from her twin sister, Wren, at a time when Cath really needs her. They have a Dad who's a bit messed up, and a mother who was absent for too long. I loved how effortlessly these different aspects were woven into the story, because 'Fangirl' really is a story about stories. It’s about the structure of them, about how we write, and where we get inspiration.

I really can’t praise this book enough. It’s rare for me to remember specific details and feel the emotions of the story months after I’ve read the book, but as I write this review I feel excited about the book all over again. I can’t wait to re-read 'Fangirl' and experience the story all over again.

The Cover:
So cute!!

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.