Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 435
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Year Published: 2013
Format: Hardcover (Own It)
First Line: "There was a boy in her room."

"From the author of New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park. 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 want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?"


My Rating: 4/5

So just to clarify this is the first book that I've read a physical copy of by Rainbow Rowell and overall, I really enjoyed it. I had listened to Eleanor and Park last year and it was far more heart-wrenching in some aspects. That being said I really enjoy this story overall. The characters and the setting (in some ways) reminded me of some of my college experiences. As someone who has anxiety, some of this representation hit pretty close to home when going to college and having a big life change. I also enjoyed the fandom aspect of this series, and look forward to reading Carry On. 
The only reason this wasn't a 5/5 for me was that it seemed to drag near the end, but at the same time, it seemed to end abruptly. I'm not sure how to explain my feelings other than this. I didn't realize I'd reached the end until I read the last page and was looking for a bit more.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny