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A review by angieinbooks
Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz, Kat Helgeson
2.0
A book about fandom? A book about people meeting other people through fandom and forming meaningful relationships that don't translate easily in the "real world"? A book that I found on list of LGBTQ-themed books ? Yes, please. Sign me up!
I really wanted to like this book. I have such close connections to fandom and the people I've met through fandom (including my wife!) that I was really excited to see this play out in book form. And, for the most part, the authors nail the entire world of fandom. The format of this book--epistolary--through blogs, emails, chats, texts, journals, pictures was really well executed. And I'm glad the reader was only privy to what could be written in some sort of text/word format. The first part of this book was interesting and addicting in a way, even if I didn't care a thing about whatever TV show they were talking about and didn't care for the fan fiction at all, but it was so great to see everyone interact and rage and disagree. It was sweet to watch this friendship grow (though how they became so close, so quickly is something I still don't get, but whatever. It was sweet).
And then PLOT happens, and the entire tone of the book changes and the promise of whatever Gena and Finn have (whether romantic or not) changes and I didn't care. I didn't even like them anymore--separately or together. I felt somewhat duped. Duped by my expectations, I guess. Duped by the promise of this great friendship that may materialize into something more. SPOILER: It doesn't.
I really felt, when it was all said and done, that it was a massive waste of my time. But the first bit was good and different.
Spoiler
It's notI really wanted to like this book. I have such close connections to fandom and the people I've met through fandom (including my wife!) that I was really excited to see this play out in book form. And, for the most part, the authors nail the entire world of fandom. The format of this book--epistolary--through blogs, emails, chats, texts, journals, pictures was really well executed. And I'm glad the reader was only privy to what could be written in some sort of text/word format. The first part of this book was interesting and addicting in a way, even if I didn't care a thing about whatever TV show they were talking about and didn't care for the fan fiction at all, but it was so great to see everyone interact and rage and disagree. It was sweet to watch this friendship grow (though how they became so close, so quickly is something I still don't get, but whatever. It was sweet).
And then PLOT happens, and the entire tone of the book changes and the promise of whatever Gena and Finn have (whether romantic or not) changes and I didn't care. I didn't even like them anymore--separately or together. I felt somewhat duped. Duped by my expectations, I guess. Duped by the promise of this great friendship that may materialize into something more. SPOILER: It doesn't.
I really felt, when it was all said and done, that it was a massive waste of my time. But the first bit was good and different.