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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Not... what I was expecting.
I don't actually know what I was expecting... but it wasn't this.
This was... so many cliches, nods to other books, a parody, and a fan-fiction all brought to life - which somehow made something original, and new, and different!
I don't know how I feel about it.
The book was multi-faceted, funny without trying to be funny, and actually really well-written. Even the constantly switching viewpoint added to, rather than subtracted from the text. They were never confusing and provided context from another angle, sometimes right in the middle of a dialogue - which gave a better understanding of what you were reading. (Almost like how Terry Pratchett annotated most of his Discworld books).
Despite knowing that there are two more books in this series, this book completed really well and can easily be read as a stand-alone. That was nice, too.
I liked the characters (even the ones I didn't like... I liked. They were thought out and true to the character they were portraying. No Mary-Sue's here).
The plot was both familiar, a fix of all the other stories I have read in the same vein... and yet, nothing like them either.
I still don't know how I feel about how it ended. In a way, I am both saddened that this book ended and also, drained in a way. Like reaching a mile-stone you have been working towards for a long time and finally achieving it. You are happy, but tired too. It gave a sense of completion which not all books do.
This may not be my most glowing review, despite the high rating I gave it. This book took all the obvious paths, and got me, as a reader, to somewhere completely new. I think my brain needs time to process all of this. When I recover, I have a feeling I will immediately want to rush out and get books 2 and 3. For now, I really enjoyed reading this. Definitely worth the read.
I don't actually know what I was expecting... but it wasn't this.
This was... so many cliches, nods to other books, a parody, and a fan-fiction all brought to life - which somehow made something original, and new, and different!
I don't know how I feel about it.
The book was multi-faceted, funny without trying to be funny, and actually really well-written. Even the constantly switching viewpoint added to, rather than subtracted from the text. They were never confusing and provided context from another angle, sometimes right in the middle of a dialogue - which gave a better understanding of what you were reading. (Almost like how Terry Pratchett annotated most of his Discworld books).
Despite knowing that there are two more books in this series, this book completed really well and can easily be read as a stand-alone. That was nice, too.
I liked the characters (even the ones I didn't like... I liked. They were thought out and true to the character they were portraying. No Mary-Sue's here).
The plot was both familiar, a fix of all the other stories I have read in the same vein... and yet, nothing like them either.
I still don't know how I feel about how it ended. In a way, I am both saddened that this book ended and also, drained in a way. Like reaching a mile-stone you have been working towards for a long time and finally achieving it. You are happy, but tired too. It gave a sense of completion which not all books do.
This may not be my most glowing review, despite the high rating I gave it. This book took all the obvious paths, and got me, as a reader, to somewhere completely new. I think my brain needs time to process all of this. When I recover, I have a feeling I will immediately want to rush out and get books 2 and 3. For now, I really enjoyed reading this. Definitely worth the read.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I read Fangirl, I was impressed by how Rainbow Rowell wrote fanfiction of a fictional book in her book of fiction. And then she went and wrote the a whole fictional book, that the fanfiction in her book of fiction was based on. And its really good!
Overachiever.
Overachiever.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a reread for me and I was scared that rereading it when I'm older would make me see it in a different light. But it was the complete opposite. The reread made me appreciate this book even more. I felt that I was experiencing all of it over again for the first time. I felt giddy and emotional being able to see Simon and Baz as characters again.
fast-paced
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After a slow start, I really liked this book. In the beginning it just felt way too much like a poor version of Harry Potter. I stuck with it because Rainbow Rowell is such a good author. And sure enough, as it went on I found I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, and it's resemblance to Harry Potter faded.
4.5/5
My only problem with this book was that I felt this was written by a Contemporary author (which it is). Meaning, the magical world wasn’t perfectly developed leaving some missing pieces and information for the reader to solve.
The characters were well developed and believable and the plot line was GREAT, making this book one of my favorites of all time.
My only problem with this book was that I felt this was written by a Contemporary author (which it is). Meaning, the magical world wasn’t perfectly developed leaving some missing pieces and information for the reader to solve.
The characters were well developed and believable and the plot line was GREAT, making this book one of my favorites of all time.