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A review by claudiamacpherson
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Cath and her twin sister, Wren, may look alike, but in most ways they are completely different. Wren is excited to start college with a new roommate, parties, and cute boys. Cath doesn't like change and prefers to spend her weekends holed up in her dorm writing fanfiction. Cath must learn to navigate the campus, including her relationship with her unfriendly roommate and her over-friendly boyfriend, and balance her schoolwork and her popular Simon Snow fanfiction.
I read Carry On, the book-within-the-book (meta, I know) a few years ago and really enjoyed it, not knowing that Fangirl came out first (not that it really matters). I decided it was finally time for me to get the full picture, and I'm so glad I did! I'm not sure what it was about this book, but it made me so emotional. Reading about Cath's freshman year of college brought me right back to my own, and I was picturing her dorm room and dining hall and class buildings as ones from my college's campus. When I read Carry On, Simon Snow and the world of mages immediately reminded me of Harry Potter (if Harry had ended up with Draco), and reading Fangirl only enhanced that impression, only adding to the nostalgia. There were so many similarities that it was jarring when a character actually mentioned Harry Potter, and it was honestly a little weird to hear Cath's professor in the book criticize fanfiction for not being original enough (maybe that was the point?). As frustrating and oblivious (or thoughtless) as the characters could be sometimes, I really liked them and ended up binging this book in 2 days!
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books): Happy endings all around! :)
I read Carry On, the book-within-the-book (meta, I know) a few years ago and really enjoyed it, not knowing that Fangirl came out first (not that it really matters). I decided it was finally time for me to get the full picture, and I'm so glad I did! I'm not sure what it was about this book, but it made me so emotional. Reading about Cath's freshman year of college brought me right back to my own, and I was picturing her dorm room and dining hall and class buildings as ones from my college's campus. When I read Carry On, Simon Snow and the world of mages immediately reminded me of Harry Potter (if Harry had ended up with Draco), and reading Fangirl only enhanced that impression, only adding to the nostalgia. There were so many similarities that it was jarring when a character actually mentioned Harry Potter, and it was honestly a little weird to hear Cath's professor in the book criticize fanfiction for not being original enough (maybe that was the point?). As frustrating and oblivious (or thoughtless) as the characters could be sometimes, I really liked them and ended up binging this book in 2 days!
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books):
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Vomit
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders