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risten's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
injiofthebooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia and Drug use
sarahhbolles's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, and Mental illness
anemonima's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, and Mental illness
zulixe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was so scared reading this book, because I feared the moral at the end would be that fictional worlds are bad for you etc, but that didn't happend and I'm so greatful for that.
This book depictes a fangirl so well, I think I never related to a protagonist this much. I also really like that Cath doesn't have a super strong character development, she stays herself, she is the foundation the other characters can grow on.
For my liking there was a bit too much unchecked homophobia in this book, I wish some characters had commented on how wrong many reactions about gay fanfiction are.
This book depictes a fangirl so well, I think I never related to a protagonist this much. I also really like that Cath doesn't have a super strong character development, she stays herself, she is the foundation the other characters can grow on.
For my liking there was a bit too much unchecked homophobia in this book, I wish some characters had commented on how wrong many reactions about gay fanfiction are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia
jazzy_t's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have re-read this books hundreds of times! Amazingly well written. Will always be a happy read for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, and Medical content
spworley's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
abby23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
crufts's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I picked up this book one morning, and was pleasantly surprise to find myself having blitzed the entire thing in less than a day. It is good.
The premise of the story is established in the very first page, an imaginary Wikipedia article about the Simon Snow series - a seven-part fiction series that's effectively this world's equivalent of Harry Potter, having sold millions of copies, spawned seven movies and achieved worldwide fame.
Meanwhile, our protagonist Cath is a big-name Simon Snow fanfiction author. Her magnum opus fanfic is Internet-famous; but in real life, she's a nobody. The world of fandom is comfortable for her, whereas her new world of college life is unfamiliar, frightening, and worst of all, real. With a group of college roommates, friends, and classmates around her, Cath is thrown into this new world and has to learn how to deal with it.
Amongst its many fine points, I adored Fangirl's depiction of anxiety. The author takes Cath's irrational fears and writes how they twist and bend to become rational and believable, showing the true, internal experience of anxiety.
The premise of the story is established in the very first page, an imaginary Wikipedia article about the Simon Snow series - a seven-part fiction series that's effectively this world's equivalent of Harry Potter, having sold millions of copies, spawned seven movies and achieved worldwide fame.
Meanwhile, our protagonist Cath is a big-name Simon Snow fanfiction author. Her magnum opus fanfic is Internet-famous; but in real life, she's a nobody. The world of fandom is comfortable for her, whereas her new world of college life is unfamiliar, frightening, and worst of all, real. With a group of college roommates, friends, and classmates around her, Cath is thrown into this new world and has to learn how to deal with it.
Amongst its many fine points, I adored Fangirl's depiction of anxiety. The author takes Cath's irrational fears and writes how they twist and bend to become rational and believable, showing the true, internal experience of anxiety.
How can [my roommate] just fall asleep like that with a stranger in the room?
The depiction of mental illness and mental disabilities in a few other characters was also sensitive and realistic.
It also made me laugh that the Simon Snow series had all these parallels with Harry Potter, tiny details that fans will enjoy:
[They were watching] Simon Snow and the Selkies Four [i.e. the fourth movie of the series]. All the actors had longer hair in this movie.
I liked that we actually get to read many, many excerpts from the Simon Snow series. It's not just a handwaved plot device that we have to believe; we get to see for ourselves why it charmed so many people. (It was a bit odd that the Harry Potter series also existed in this world, though.)
Fangirl ended a little abruptly, with some of the climactic crisis decisions being resolved in less than a page - e.g. the conclusion of Cath's university fiction writing course was resolved in a one-paragraph text excerpt. However, perhaps the author knows this because she added a little FAQ section to this edition, answering the questions of what the characters got up to after the story. A little odd, but hey, it worked.
I really enjoyed this book, and I hope you will too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Minor: Rape and Toxic friendship
Rape is mentioned briefly in a discussion of the risks to college students.caitlin_doggos's review
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, and Mental illness