Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release date: September 10th, 2013

Synopsis

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?

“It’s just … everything. There are too many people. And I don’t fit in. I don’t know how to be. Nothing that I’m good at is the sort of thing that matters there. Being smart doesn’t matter—and being good with words. And when those things do matter, it’s only because people want something from me. Not because they want me.”

I finished re-reading Fangirl a few days ago, and found it just as amazing and intriguing as the first time I read it! I absolutely love that story! This was my first Rainbow Rowell read, and I'd have to say that it didn't disappoint me at all. It was definitely worth a re-read.

The story revolves around a teenage girl, Cath, who is starting college at the University of Nebraska. She's introvert and socially awkward, and would much rather prefer to stay in her dorm room writing fan-fiction than get drunk at parties. She's always depended on her twin sister, Wren, for her social life. But, Wren wants to have a great college experience -- which includes socializing and going to parties -- and has refused to room with Cath. So Cath gets stuck with Reagan, a grumpy character slightly older than her. Cath has a hard time staying with her in the beginning, but, things do get better later in the story.

Cath is a such a wonderful and relatable character. She is both confident in her writing, yet shy in real life. She is happy with her life, her fan-fiction writing, and her sister; and doesn't want any changes in life. She also doesn't go out of the way for anyone, unlike Levi, her roommate's "so called" boyfriend. Such things made me relate to her a lot. Even I'm one of those girls who'd rather spend her time reading at home, than go out and socialize.

She was a really strong character, and I saw a lot of character development in her throughout the entire story. She went from a really shy girl who didn't want to try new things and face different experiences to a lovable girl who cared for others, even if she had to miss her finals for that. I really liked that in her.

Levi was such a swoon worthy character! Aah! His character description was so well done. He's been added to my book boyfriends' list. After all, who doesn't like a all-time-smiling guy?!
I shared a couple of laughters whenever both of them had a conversation. Those moments were really cute. I absolutely adored them as a couple! They were made for each other. Thank God for that ending! :)

The other characters were realistic, too. Though, I felt like Wren's character development could have been better in a few ways. I didn't like how she treated Cath in the beginning of the story.

But overall, most of the characters were compassionate and totally believable, and I loved them.

This book is written in such a captivating way that it got me hooked from the beginning. I love Rowell's writing style. It's so compelling. It didn't feel like I was just reading a pointless, fluffy contemporary novel. It captured a range of emotions in light sentences, which made me appreciate her writing even more. It’s impossible not to smile and want to share snippets with friends while reading this novel.

The romance in this book is very sweet and beautiful, with characters who are a good fit for each other. It isn't love at first sight, and doesn't feel forced. It takes you on a journey of all of the emotions that come with falling in love for the first time. There are other kinds of relations depicted in this novel that has made it one of the best books I've read in 2015 so far. Cath's attachment to her father, her love for Wren, and even her relation with her roommate, Reagan, makes this book touch every single part of your soul.

Overall, it's a fun coming of age story of an experience I have never seen fictionalized before. I'd recommend it to anyone out there who has been socially awkward in school/college, or sees that in the near future.

Rating: 5/5 shining stars!