Review: Fangirl

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 445
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (thank you Goodreads): 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: This was one of those books that I wasn't expecting. I wasn't anticipating loving this book or this story of Cath so much. And then I started and I couldn't stop because I just connected with her so much so instantly. Cath and Wren are twins and are going off to university together. They've got that cool twin bond and haven't really spent any time apart. Until they start school and Wren decides she wants to
experience the college life without Cath by her side every step of the way. So they get new roommates and are off on their own, separate adventures. 

Cath is shy. She's incredibly shy and loses herself in the wonderous world of books and fanfiction and characters that rip your heart out just to put the pieces back together again. She is almost completely dependent on Wren and has no idea what to expect when she starts school. She cares for her dad dearly, she just wants to protect everyone, and when she is hurt, she feels it deep within herself. Basically, she is me. I'll admit to you, and only you, that I once even wrote the fanfiction. 

Levi was a fantastic character, Cath's roommate was fantastic, and they were all so wonderfully different from one another that it made you feel like you were right there with Cath. You were a fly on her wall and watching her experience all this stuff for the first time. There were parts of this book that made me cry just because of how truthful they felt. This book was just so incredibly real. 

The only thing that stopped me from giving this a 10 was the Simon and Baz fanfiction... I know, I know, it's near and dear to Cath's heart but I found myself just skipping through the fanfiction parts barely even skimming them.

Final Thoughts: I don't care if you're just starting university, are in your final year of university, or have no intentions of going to university or college or any post secondary institution, I encourage you to pick up this book. Because I loved it. Seriously, loved it.