Publisher: Macmillan
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Rating: 4/5
Cover Impressions: Adorable. This cover was the first thing that drew me in. I love the simplicity of Rainbow Rowell's covers and the fact that Cath is ignoring the boy for her fictional characters speaks volumes about her without saying a word. This was clearly a girl I needed to get to know.
The Gist: Cath and her twin sister Wren are embarking on their first year of college. While Wren is taking the campus by storm, Cath is left behind struggling to deal with the unfamiliarity of a new environment and her often crippling fear of socializing with strangers. In real life, that is. In the world of facfiction, Cath is a star. She is incredibly popular for writing stories in which two of the literary world's most beloved characters are actually in love with one another. Along with the pressures of surviving her first year of classes and finishing her own "Simon and Baz" story before the author finishes the series and puts them to rest, Cath faces family troubles, boy troubles and her own internal debate about what she wants in life, and what she can actually have.
Review:
I loved Cath from the minute I saw the cover of Fangirl. The character inside the pages does not disappoint either. She is fun, sweet and quirky. Just weird enough to be interesting. Her whole experience the first few weeks dealing with living with strangers and not knowing where anything is or how it works reminded me why I NEVER wanted to live in dorm. It is incredibly easy to feel and empathize with Cath's anxiety at being in a new place and dealing with new people. Cath also gets to have this experience while watching her twin sister appear to thrive in their new environment in a way Cath could never even dream of. But don't get me wrong, this is not your typical "girl learns to stand on her own two feet" story. Cath is also dealing with the fact that her mother abandoned the girls when they were still children and their father who has issues of his own.
On top of her familial and scholarly obligations. Cath is dedicated to her fans, of which she has A LOT. She is huge in the fanfiction community with her stories about the Simon Snow Series. The fictional set of books is about a boy who finds out he is a wizard, attends a magical school and makes an enemy in the form of his roommate, Baz. The story pretty closely mirrors that of Harry Potter, but Cath turns it on its head by making the two enemies into love interests. Her dedication to the characters is something to which I am sure any reader can relate and her compulsive need to finish her take on the series before the final book is released adds a sense of urgency. It also, compels the teacher in me to scream in frustration at Cath for neglecting her ACTUAL schoolwork for her personal project. But, I loved her enough to forgive her .... eventually. The story of Fangirl is also sprinkled with excerpts from both the official Simon Snow books and Cath's fanfiction, Carry On. These breaks aid the pacing and give interesting insight into the world that Cath has made her own.
Rainbow Rowell really knows her characters. Cath is not the only one that I loved. Regan and Levi are both awesome in the own right. Regan got some of the best lines and Levi was just so damn loveable that no one could resist his charm. I also really liked being able to see the dicotomy between Cath and Wren. So often, twins are written as complete opposites: one shy, one outgoing, one nerdy, one popular - to the point where it becomes cliche. But here we have a much more realistic portrayal. The girls have clear differences, but they have a lot in common as well. They compete with one another, but they also complement. The love interest was also adorable and so genuine. It really showcased Cath's insecurities about herself, her experience level and being the less popular twin. I also love that even though this book features college age characters, the sexual activity is kept to a minimum and doesn't overtake the story.
Having read Eleanor & Park and now Fangirl, I am officially signing on for anything and everything that Rainbow Rowell will write in the future!
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: Both
Gender: 15 and up
Sex: Kissing, Discussion of sex between teens
Violence: Fist Fighting
Inappropriate Language: Fuck, Jesus Christ, Asshole, Bitch, Shit, Dick
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking
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