Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 10 September 2013
Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Format:hardcover, via library
Status: Standalone
Summary:
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?
My thoughts:
Oh, hello summer before and my freshman year of college at MTSU. Nice to see you again! Fangirl was such a spectacular read! I related so much with Cath. It wasn’t a perfect look back, but it was eerily close at times!
The summer I graduated from high school. the final Harry Potter book came out. I felt like it was the final door slamming on my childhood. Harry Potter helped me through my parents’ divorce much like Simon helped Cath and Wren through their mom leaving. I threw myself into the books reading them over and over that summer. I’ll admit it. I wrote and read a ton of fan fiction, too. A freaking ton. I never had a following like Cath, but I totally had my favourite authors I followed like no other!
My freshman year was a mix between Cath and Wren. My first semester was very much like Cath – obsessed with classes and fan fiction with a bit of Wren partying thrown in. The drinking myself into oblivion DID NOT happen. The going to parties with my friends happened. Sorry, Wren, but I was much smarter than that! I did have fun with my friends while I was out though!
Oh, sweet Levi. He was so adorable! I wanted things to spark between him and Cath from the get go. He’s such a great friend! Completely adorable when Cath reads The Outsiders to him. I thought I would melt while I was reading that part! *swoons*
Nick was such a sleazeball. I didn’t like him. At all. Yuck. Taking advantage of self conscious smart girls is a huge no-no. Taking advantage of ANYONE is a no-no. I would love to see more of his story JUST to see him get his full comeuppance!
Wren felt like a typical away from home for the first time party girl. Rainbow did a great job doing the character layout. I’ve had friends who were varying degrees of Wren and Cath.
I loved the girls’ dad. He reminds me a bit of my mom. She can be a bit scatterbrained too. No trips to the psych ward though.
Fangirl is definitely a new favourite that I plan to purchase and reread often! If you’re going into college, in college, or looking for a good contemporary read, PLEASE pick this one up! You won’t regret it!
The Whimsical Mama 