― Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl
Goodreads Rating: 4.22 Stars
From the author of the 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 even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
So this novel… After reading Outlander, I wanted a small something to devour. And devour I did. I read this book from 9 am to 3 pm in one sitting, which is why you may have missed it on the Currently Reading part of my blog. I even read while I was cooking lunch… Leading to burnt pizza. Worth it. It is a cute story of a nerdy, isolated girl who is just trying to adapt to the new college way of life.
A few things I really liked about the novel. First, I really loved her English teacher. She was witty and compassionate and really pushed Cath to become a better writer. Second, I loved the college setting. New Adult is an up-and-coming genre that features 18-22 year olds in college. Unfortunately, most of the New Adult novels that are popular are heavy in the romance department, which really makes them romance novels with younger characters. This novel is NOT a romance novel, but it is a New Adult novel, and I enjoy the time period in the characters’ lives that this was set in.
What makes this book most unique is the aspect of fan fiction. When I was younger, I read NSYNC fan fiction (OMG I can’t believe I just told the Internets that.) Cath writes fan fiction about Simon Snow, a character from a series of novels that she (and the rest of the world) loves. The best part is that Simon Snow is pretty much a direct correlation to Harry Potter. Magic, evil people, etc. At least, I saw it that way. It’s kind of cool to see the connections within it.
I’d recommend this if you are looking for a light read, or if you know someone who loves fanfiction, or if you know someone starting college. Easy, quick, unchallenging, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s written well (which I expected from Rainbow Rowell after reading Attachments).
“Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and mildly socially retarded, I’m a complete disaster.”
“How do you not like the Internet? That’s like saying, ‘I don’t like things that are convenient. And easy. I don’t like having access to all of mankind’s recorded discoveries at my fingertips. I don’t like light. And knowledge.”
“But you’re so helpless sometimes. It’s like watching a kitten with its head trapped in a Kleenex box.”
“You can’t take back texts. If you come off all moody and melancholy in a text, it just sits there in your phone, reminding you of what a drag you are.”
“I don’t want to kiss a stranger,” Cath would answer. “I’m not interested in lips out of context.”
