Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell


I finally got my hands on this book from the library.  I actually had it once but didn't read it before it was due back.  I had to read this... I mean Fangirl???  I am totally a Fangirl.  Here is the goodreads description:

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?  

I have read Eleanor and Park and enjoyed it.  I didn't love it.. but I did enjoy it.  It just wasn't my style I am not a contemporary reader as you can probably tell by the books I read.  I did think though it was well written and I was sucked into the world.  So when I saw Fangirl last year I was intrigued.  First off I do consider myself a geek.  I love comics books, I camp out for movies, I play video games, I go to Comic Con San Diego.  I don't actually read Fan Fiction though.  I know what it is and know it exists, I think the only Fan Fiction I have read is this Lord of the Rings fan fiction where Frodo and Sam are partners.

So when I first started reading this book I liked that there was a side story other then the main characters (Cath and Levi). The side story was a little Fan Fiction that is similar to Harry Potter about two characters Simon and Baz.  I just loved it.  I loved Fangirl.  I mean... the story is well written you just feel in their world. It made me feel a little bit like I was a freshmen in college again.  My mom and dad moving me into the dorms... meeting new people.  Having roommate nightmares (I've had a few). I felt exactly how Cath felt.  Having no idea where to go or what to do.   Cath does end up hitting it off with her roommate after some time.  Lucky girl. She also just so happens to get to be able to date her roommate's old fling Levi.  That was a little odd and I am not sure how that would work out in real life but it was still a believable relationship in the book.

I hear this book is considered New Adult.  Well I guess this is my first New Adult book!  I really liked it.  It does make me curious then to read more books in this genre.   What I like about Rowell's books is that her stories are no crazy over the top plots.  They are just stories about life and you join in this life by reading along.  I loved that there was a theme of mental illness in families and how it can make things change.  This is a real thing and a lot of people deal with it.  Just really a great book and I am glad I squeezed it in.   I am going to for sure read her other books.  One that's coming out this year Landlines and I am also going to read the Attachments.

My review of Eleanor and Park.

The crystal ball says:


Sun is shinning!!!  Great day to go outside and read this book.


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17 comments:

  1. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this book. I am not a big contemporary reader either, and I loved it.

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  2. "Well I guess this is my first New Adult book! I really liked it. It does make me curious then to read more books in this genre."



    Unfortunately, most New Adult that I've seen is not like this... which is a shame, because this is what I was hoping for when I first heard "New Adult" was a thing. Most NA seems to be much heavier on the romance.


    For more books like this I'd recommend Rowell's Attachments or Someday, Someday, Maybe, by Lauren Graham.

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  3. I'm not a big contemporary reader either and I loved Fangirl! I think the story really appealed to me personally which is why I didn't mind it was contemporary. I'm kinda afraid to read Rainbow's other books because they don't appeal to me as much. Except for Landlines - I'm really looking forward to that!


    Great review! I didn't realize this was in the New Adult category - and I agree with you, this seems light NA which I like. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one!

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  4. Not your typical NA book and I should know as I've read a lot of them now. I prefer the ones like this though as they are more realistic and less clichéd. I loved the characters in this one but the fan fiction bored me, I still gave it a big thumbs up though. And like you I was delighted to see mental illness dealt with in a thoughtful, 'real' way.

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  5. Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) Haha yes, the Levi thing was a little weird. I just thought Levi would have made more sense with the roommate, but Cath was the MC, so yeah...
    And the ending was a bit odd too (imo)... the way it just ended. I felt like we're building up to something huge, but nope, it just ended.... Still, it was a pretty great book that I'm definitely glad I picked it up.

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  6. I don't care much for romance either. I don't mind it in books like this, where it's just a part of what's going on for the characters, rather than the entire story. But I never sit down with a book thinking, I really want to read a love story. (Probably why I get annoyed with romance popping up in books that would have been better off without it.)

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  7. I think Rainbow Rowell weaves a special type of magic. I almost cringe to see her work classified in genres. The only genre she should be considered is Rainbow Rowell. :)

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  8. Such a good idea!! Her books are so unique.. I just love her writing soooo much.

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  9. That's great you loved this one. I really want to check it out soon. I'm definitely a fangirl, and I used to read fan fiction all the time. lol
    Lauren from www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com

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  10. I just spotted this one at the bookstore yesterday and almost bought it but ended up getting a Star Wars book instead (well not really it was Lightsaber Thumb Wrestling, so honestly the coolest thing ever). I might have to add it to my list though.

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  11. So glad you liked it, I loved it! One of my faves!

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  12. I know... I thought maybe the ending would have Cath going to Levi's house or something. I didn't mind the ending too much but I guess I wish we could've seen a little more... but I suppose the book was long enough.

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  13. I didn't read fan fiction but I also think it might be because I didn't really know about it. I don't think I knew about till a few years ago. Really the first time I heard about it was when people didn't want to read Cassandra Clare books because they said she was a fan fiction writer. Which I don't know why there is anything wrong with that.

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  14. OK... Star Wars... Fangirl... Star Wars... Fangirl. Star Wars always wins. I am so excited for the new movies coming out... talk about being a Fangirl!!

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  15. my thoughts exactly! Unfortunately Hubby is not a Star Wars fan (horrible I know) so I have to find time without Munchkin and watch them by myself.

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  16. YAY Glad you liked it!! Don't expect other New Adult books to be like this one though bc they just aren't... at all. I wish they were though!! I loved that this book brought out all sorts of freshman year memories for me too!! A very fun part of this amazing book :)

    Michelle at Pink Polka Dot Book Blog

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