Fangirl: A Novel
With a New Introduction!
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?
A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2013
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Community Reviews
more like 2.5 stars
You know what I first thought after finishing Fangirl?!
WHY THE HYPE?
Was it awful? No. Was is great? Ehhh, no. Honestly, for parts of the book I was rather bored, but morning talks shows on the radio are boring too.. So, pick your poison.
Maybe it's because I am not a huge Fan Fiction.. er, fan? You would think that this wouldn't be a huge issue, but I could not connect to Cath's love and dedication to these fictional characters/world that she was writing about. Yes, I have been slightly obsessed with characters in a book, but she brings it to another level. For real. In the same token, it was something that she shared with her sister when they were YOUNG TEENS, and Cath is sentimental at heart. So, slack given there.
Another aspect of the book that was rather irritating was how much of Cath's fanfic we get to "read" and parts of the series that she was writing HER stories off of. I just didn't care.
I did enjoy Cath's character growth though, and her interesting, sweet and complicated relationship with her dad, twin sister and roommate. And Levi, of course. Loved Levi.
One thing that I have come to like about Rowell is that she writes unique and REAL families. They are flawed, full of emotion and chalk full of drama.
Overall? Not a big fan. I do think the narrator really hit the nail here for me, and probably one of the other reasons I finished the book.
You know what I first thought after finishing Fangirl?!
WHY THE HYPE?
Was it awful? No. Was is great? Ehhh, no. Honestly, for parts of the book I was rather bored, but morning talks shows on the radio are boring too.. So, pick your poison.
Maybe it's because I am not a huge Fan Fiction.. er, fan? You would think that this wouldn't be a huge issue, but I could not connect to Cath's love and dedication to these fictional characters/world that she was writing about. Yes, I have been slightly obsessed with characters in a book, but she brings it to another level. For real. In the same token, it was something that she shared with her sister when they were YOUNG TEENS, and Cath is sentimental at heart. So, slack given there.
Another aspect of the book that was rather irritating was how much of Cath's fanfic we get to "read" and parts of the series that she was writing HER stories off of. I just didn't care.
I did enjoy Cath's character growth though, and her interesting, sweet and complicated relationship with her dad, twin sister and roommate. And Levi, of course. Loved Levi.
One thing that I have come to like about Rowell is that she writes unique and REAL families. They are flawed, full of emotion and chalk full of drama.
Overall? Not a big fan. I do think the narrator really hit the nail here for me, and probably one of the other reasons I finished the book.
If I could order my stars by halves alternatively, I would give this book an honest 3.5 out of 5. I enjoyed the read, but it doesn't happen to be a newest favorite. I was amused by the inside jokes between reader and author in gentle reference to Harry Potter, but the overall plot I was not the keenest on. I appreciate the vitality of the characters nonetheless. Cath is a beautiful and breathing imagining, as are her friends and family.
This being said, something I can't quite distinguish about the representation of fandoms and their fan(girl)s bothered me. Second to this, I suppose my biggest grievance while reading was the length/writing style of the Simon Snow excerpts. They were easy to get sidetracked during, as they jumped into scenarios outside of the plot with unfamiliar characters. These pieces also felt similar in style to the rest of the book--detracting from the idea that this fictional series is somehow magically set apart from all others... Although it is hard to compare with J.K. Rowling. ;)
Of most importance: thank you to Rainbow Rowell for the fun and the fangirling.
This being said, something I can't quite distinguish about the representation of fandoms and their fan(girl)s bothered me. Second to this, I suppose my biggest grievance while reading was the length/writing style of the Simon Snow excerpts. They were easy to get sidetracked during, as they jumped into scenarios outside of the plot with unfamiliar characters. These pieces also felt similar in style to the rest of the book--detracting from the idea that this fictional series is somehow magically set apart from all others... Although it is hard to compare with J.K. Rowling. ;)
Of most importance: thank you to Rainbow Rowell for the fun and the fangirling.
I loved this book, it was one of the first books that really hooked me in and ignited my obsession with reading. After this I loved the author and moved on to elanor and Park
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